Flying With Pet Allergies

If you’ve got a serious animal allergy, you may run into problems flying on a plane where pets are onboard. So what are your options?

The first place to start is to ask the reservations agent if there is a pet booked in the cabin. Most airlines have a limit on how many pets are allowed on each flight.

Then when checking in, identify yourself as an allergy sufferer so you can sit as far away as possible.

Another tip is to figure out which airlines are the LEAST pet-friendly, and fly those.

The most expensive U.S. airlines for flying pets in the cabin are United and Continental, which charge $125 each way.

Delta, US Airways, JetBlue, and Alaska Airlines charge $100 each way.

The most affordable airlines to fly pets are AirTran and Southwest.

The bad news is that pet allergies can be triggered by pet dander on the owner, as opposed to the animal itself.

So even if there isn’t a pet onboard, you could have a reaction, and there’s only so much the airline personnel can do to help.

In the end, your best bet is to plan ahead, carry your medication, wash your hands often, and avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes.

But there’s good news: there’s a new airline called Pet Airways dedicated to transporting pets. So maybe fewer people will bring their pets on planes meant for humans!

Get more advice, visit our Pets & Travel section.

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