Contacting the managers of chinchillas.com regarding flying with chinchillas

[Ippo456]

Hey,
I know that Laurie Schmelzle owns the site chinchillas.com where she sells Jim Ritterspach's chinchillas.
Do any of you happen to know of Laurie Schmelzle or Jim Ritterspach?
The reason why I'm asking is because I'm very interested in contacting either of them to ask about how to domestically fly my chinchillas (airline cage requirements, cargo vs. cabin, etc).
I'm planning to fly from the mid-west to the west coast in December. There's no way I'll be driving as I won't have a car.
I've looked into several airlines, some of which will allow me to have up to 2 pets in 1 kennel. However, the kennel must be that of a screw-lock design (buckle-lock design will be rejected). All the metal carriers I've seen for chinchillas are NOT of the screw-lock design, only dog & cat carriers are of the screw-lock design. These dog/cat carriers are made of plastic & 1 of my chinchillas (I have 2) is an avid chewer.
I also understand that the smaller the carrier, the better it is to prevent the chinchillas from bouncing around & being hurt in case there's a turbulence. The dog/cat carriers I've seen, even the smallest ones for toy dogs, are too big for 1 chinchilla.
Worse case scenario, I'd have to have a custom cage. Qualitycage.com normally accepts custom orders, but not at this time. Do any of the members know a website or another member who does custom cages? I'm looking for a metal carrier with a top handle & the screw-lock design, big enough for 2 chinchillas that can be separated with a middle wall (so I can have both my chinchillas in the cabin with me as airlines limit 1 pet per passenger, & my 2 chinchillas do not get along).

Any suggestions, recommendations, or directions as to who I should be asking these questions to are appreciated.

Thank you.

ps: happy fall from Winnie ..

.. and Tubby.

 

[tunes]

Why would you need to contact them for a domestic flight? Lots of people on forum have shipped chins before. They could help you out with that.

The Ryerson carriers are what most people use to ship.

ETA: At this time, if I remember correctly, there are no airlines that allow you to take your chins into a cabin with you. They would have to be in a soft container that can fit under your seat (and they still don't allow rodents) and if you put them in one, they will chew and escape. You can ship them via several different airlines though, and they are all 1 day shipping now, no overnighters.

 

[Tagna]

Here is the type of carrier Tunes was talking about:
http://www.ryersonchinchilla.com/arc_010.htm

While I've never shipped chins, I have gone to the airport to pick some up for myself and others. They are shipped in the cargo with other animals. The last time I was at the airport a very angry parrot was there too.

Good luck!

 

[mercynursie]

Might also be an option to just place your current carrier inside the type of carrier your airline approves???Just make sure of good ventilation and secure/brace crate inside the crate to reduce jarring around?? I definitely defer to the experts on this one though. I've never had to ship any animal.

 

[Ippo456]

You can ship them via several different airlines though, and they are all 1 day shipping now, no overnighters.

Once I reach the west coast, I'd have to take a connecting international flight, so I'd feel safer knowing that my chins are with me. If they were on a different flight, they might be delayed etc etc etc.

I've read someplace that the Ryerson carriers are not accepted because they are not of the screw-lock design.

I can't see well on the photo because it's so small, but is the floor mesh or solid? I've also read that airlines require me to have some kind of a liner for the floor of the cage.

Might also be an option to just place your current carrier inside the type of carrier your airline approves???Just make sure of good ventilation and secure/brace crate inside the crate to reduce jarring around?? I definitely defer to the experts on this one though. I've never had to ship any animal.

I've never thought of that. But my usual carrier is quite large, meaning that I'd have to insert my large carrier into a larger kennel. I know we'd like to have large & spacious carriers for our chins, but with flight turbulence, it's better to have a smaller carrier so that the chins won't bounce around & hurt themselves.

 

[angels41105]

as Tunes said, airlines do not allow rodents in the cabin, as well most flights will not let them fly with you even in the cargo area (airlines across the board do not allow animals other than dogs and cats. Some allow birds but not many). I called many airlines a month ago asking these questions. You would have to contact an airline like delta or continental that has pet specific cargo shipments.

Sorry to say it will be nearly impossible for you to be on the same flight as your pet becuase of airline policies, they really only cater to cats and dogs anyways. Shipping my kids from Ohio to Minnesota on continental cost about $230 with tax, was a pretty fast flight too, i picked them up at the airport and everything went smoothly.

Lots of breeders have a shipping section on their sites that detail what carriers they use, that's probably one of the best places to start. I can understand why you wanted to contact them about shipping since they have shipped and continue to ship chins all over the world. They most likely have that info on hand.

Good luck:thumbsup:

 

[mercynursie]

Would it be any easier to transport them with you if you travel by train??If that is even an option???

 

[ticklechin]

Maybe look into PetAir

http://www.flypets.com/airports.asp

 

[angels41105]

trains and buses also do not allow pets of any sort unless they are "service" animals. sorry. I tried that option too.

 

[Becky]

For international flights (assuming we are not talking Canada), talk to Jim Ritterspach or Shoots. It has always been difficult to ship internationally and now is next to impossible. Both Ritterspach and Shoots do it often and are the ones to ask. Once you are set up to ship (like they are) it works, but it is really hard to get started. They might even be willing to ship for you. The animals won't be able to travel with you, but they will get there.

 

[angels41105]

Should be a domestic flight. From the Mid West to west coast. Which should def be easier than international. But yeah you should probably come to terms with the idea that, if you are not driving them out west then they will be flying on their own.

 

[Ash]

The OP is flying to the west coast, then from there, flying internationally, Angels.

 

[Becky]

Once I reach the west coast, I'd have to take a connecting international flight.

I am assuming she is taking the chins on the international flight. Of course, I could be wrong!

 

[Ippo456]

Thanks for all the replies.
Honestly, I'm most concern about the domestic flight from the mid-west to the west coast. I've sorted things out for the international-leg of the flight (chins are legal in the country I'm going to & they'll be flying in the same plane as me, but in the cargo section that is climate controlled).
I've been looking at several airlines' websites, all of them mention cats and dogs, and some airlines allow birds, in the cabin. But I haven't checked whether they allow rodents, even if they were to fly in the cargo hold of the same flight as me.
I guess I'll be making calls to different airlines.

 

[Ippo456]

I was on the phone with several airlines the other day & I was really frustrated.
US Airways & American Airlines only allow cats & dogs, all other pets must travel in the cargo plane.
United and Delta allow hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits to travel as checked-in baggage, but chinchillas must travel in the cargo plane. I tried explaining to the customer service representatives that chinchillas, just like hamsters, are rodents, so they logically they should be able to fly as checked-in baggage.
I also called Pet Air per Ticklechin's suggestion. The lady I spoke with was very knowledgeable, helpful, and answered all my questions (I probably asked about a hundred questions. She also gave me a quote, which is not that much different than how much it would've cost me if the chins could've flown with me as checked baggage.
At this point, I think I'll resort to using Pet Air.
What's funny is that I thought I'd have an easier time arranging a domestic flight for my chins than the international flight. In fact, it's easier for me to arrange the international flight and the customer service representative who I spoke with even knew what chinchillas are. For the international flight, my chins will be flying with me as checked baggage.

 

[Becky]

I hope that when you get to the international flight things don't fall through. Unfortunately, it's been known to happen! You might think about a back up plan.