If you’re planning to travel the friendly skies this summer with your pet, be aware that airline rules are always changing. Starting March 1, Delta stopped accepting pets as “check-in” luggage. That means, the only way you can travel with your pet on Delta is by treating your animal as a “carry-on” bag. But going into the cabin will restrict your pet to the 20-lbs. weight limit.
If your pet is larger, you will have to use a Delta Cargo flight, where your pet will be taken through airport screening by specialized handlers. The hope behind the change is to cut down on animal deaths and injuries that have happened over the years while pets travel domestic flights and are placed in the cargo hold as “regular baggage.” This new travel set-up will be complicated because you will have to coordinate your domestic flight with the Delta Cargo flight your pet must fly on. (You must pick your animal up within two hours of the pet landing).
The best advice? Check your airline rules and regulations regarding pet travel well in advance of any trip.