Snakes on a Plane, :P

I am flying from Oregon to Philidelphia on the fourth and I was considering taking one of my favorite snakes with me for the four days I will be gone. Is this safe for the animal? I know that people's ears pop when they go up on a plane... what would happen to the snake at different altitudes? I don't want to EVEN CHANCE it if my baby might get hurt so all the info I can get about it would be great!

When snakes are shipped places, do they go one planes? I would imagine so (due to overseas shipping and whatnot), but is it safe??

Jadie, I don't know about snakes and altitude changes, but personally if you're only going to be gone for four days, I don't know that I'd put the snake through that kind of stress. Secondly, it's highly likely that they would refuse to allow him on the plane. I know I tried to board with fish once, and they wouldn't let me take them, so if you do decide to go forward with this, check with your airline regarding their policies first.

I would just leave it at home and not risk having TSA take it away at the airport.
I had a little leatherman keychain thing that I had for years, taken away at the airport security. That was entirely my fault, I had completely forgotten it wasn't allowed, I just had my car/house keys on it and didn't think about the little knife on there. I had the option to send it to myself in an envelope at the airport, but you would not be able to do that with a snake.

I'm sure that an airline will insist that a snake travels in the baggage hold, in a properly-arranged travelling box with all the associated paperwork. There's no way you'd be allowed to take it in the passenger cabin. With all the hassle that this would entail, it's really not worth it. At some airports, you could spend your four day vacation trying to get through the red tape that allows you to retrieve the snake at the other end of the journey!

Leave your little one in peace at home and don't bother stressing him. He'll be absolutely fine without attention for four days.

I work in the travel industry and I can tell you that the airlines do not allow snakes or other reptiles to be brought on board the plane. The only way reptiles are allowed to travel is as checked baggage.

Katie, would they survive in the cargo area? When I tried to ship fish, they wouldn't even let me check them. They said the cargo area is compressed and the bags would most likely explode. Is this true?

Each airline has a policy and FAA does not allow them to travel in the cabins. Each airline determines if and what sort of exotic is allowed. Some, like Delta, allow show specimens or exhibitions. Some have a no reptiles allowed policy. My vet ships rescues through cargo but I can't remember what cargo line.

LBoz said:

Katie, would they survive in the cargo area? When I tried to ship fish, they wouldn't even let me check them. They said the cargo area is compressed and the bags would most likely explode. Is this true?

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I would be very worried about shipping them in the hold on a commercial jet. I know when shipping with Fedex or Delta Dash that it is different that the hold on a plane that flies people - don't ask me the specifics because I really don't understand it myself.

Heck - I would never even bring a dog or cat and check them into the cargo hold on a plane - I have heard WAY too many horror stories over the years working in travel about it.