A HUGE warning to anyone flying Air Canada with your pets!

[Keiko]

I joined a few months ago to get advice on flying with our small dog. Our choice was Air Canada and West Jet. We ended up going with Air Canada. We phoned multiple times - at least 5 that I recall, and asked again when we were booking. We were ASSURED that we were going to have NO PROBLEMS flying with our 13 pound Boston Terrier.

The Air Canada website even states, that the dog + carrier can not be more then 22 pounds. The dog has be able to stand and move around in the carrier that meets Air Canada's allowance. So we were good, our little Boston has lots of room to move around in her carrier.

Today we went out to the air port to get her carrier checked, as any carrier we found was a bit too tall. They took ONE look at Keiko in her carrier and said YOUR DOG WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO FLY WITH AIR CANADA.

The reason: my dog is taller then 9" from the bottom of her foot to the tip of her ear. In fact, she is probably almost double that.

Huh?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! No where does their website say this - after calls to air canada they have confirmed that she will not be allowed on the flight because she is too tall. Apparently the dog has to be able to stand totally upright and their ears can not touch the top of the carrier. Air Canada permits a 9" carrier.

I would like someone to show me a 9" dog that weights 20 pounds. I am so mad. I spent so much time researching about flying with them, and they told us over and over that she is was fine to fly!

We drove to Victoria to talk with West Jet and they took one look at Keiko in her carrier and laughed - of course Keiko is allowed! Her carrier might be too big but even then they said to worry, but there is no issues at all with Keiko. So now we have to cancel with Air Canada and book West Jet. And I will go out of my way to NEVER EVER fly with Air Canada again!

[Luvmypitgirls]

This doesn't surprise me at all.
West Jet is awesome, they have donated flights for some of the PBFL rescues in the past.
I have a friend who is a flight attendant for Air Canada, and her husband is a pilot for West Jet, she won't even fly Air Canada on her personal trips.