Virgin Atlantic and guide dogs

Hey folks, long time no post. [:p]

So I've just gotten on the waiting list for a guide dog! Woot I'm off to Japan in April and while there's more chance of winning the lottery than getting a phone call before I go I was wondering if anyone know anything about Virgin Atlantic's stance on guide dogs.

I know that you can take dogs on most routes, my question is this: does it cost to take your guide dog in the cabin (I usually fly PE or UC) with you?

Ta in advance!

Lesley

[Neil]

I imagine the best way to get the most accurate and correct info is to give special assistance a call. You will be able to discuss your potential individual needs and they will be able to explain and advise on everything.

Here is the special assistance page on the VS site. And this page is specific to assistance dogs.

Neil

[Scrooge]

Fantastic news, fingers crossed it does not take to long for you to get your dog.

As Neil said, give special assistance a call, there is some paperwork you will need to produce (which should come with the dog) other than that it should be pretty much plain sailing.

From what I have seen in the past airline crews tend to fall over themselves to help out with assistance animals, so it (fingers crossed again) should be a good trip.

Hi there
another assistance dog partnership here with over 100 flights with my canine chum at my side. The maximum flight time recommended for an assistance dog differs from school to school. I feel very uncomfortable flying over nine hours in one go (this not allowing for boarding time, delays and clearing customs, imigration etc). The major airlines have all agreed guide lines on this matter and it was one of the reasons why I did not take my own asistance dog over to Japan when I was a speaker at the first ever assistance dog conference held there (the regulations there are a lot tighter and you need special passes to go on trains etc with your dog. Japan has made great strides over access rights but still a long way to go

Do talk it over with your training school but always consider the dogs welfare

This link shows an image of my boy at 32,00ft
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25843

Thanks guys, I shall do at some point. I guess I'm just getting so much differing info from Guide Dogs, from friends who work at Virgin. All very confusing.

[Scrooge]

quote:Originally posted by Lesley Smith
Thanks guys, I shall do at some point. I guess I'm just getting so much differing info from Guide Dogs, from friends who work at Virgin. All very confusing.


As cloudscudder says, the most important thing to consider is the health and happiness of the dog, the real issue (having flown with pets) is how they handle the whole flying thing, one of my parents dog hated it, the other couldn't of been happier (hat's off to Alaskan btw)

One thing to think about as well,(i'm trying to remember here, those with more knowledge ((cloudscudder)) please feel free to correct me) most airlines require that the dog be able to lay at your feet during take off and landing, which let's face it, you combine VS's Y seat pitch with a lab and your going to have issues, what we ended up doing (again on Alaskan) was just booking a row of seats, one puppy in her dog traveling thing at my feet and the pitbull sitting across two seats wearing a seat belt, why didn't I take my camera [B)].

quote:Originally posted by Cloudscudder
Do talk it over with your training school but always consider the dogs welfare


Fantastic post [y]. I too would limit a dog at 9 or 10 hours maximum and that depends on their access to space before and after. I think NRT is just to far.

Hi again

if you are seated in UC, as nice as it is for you, there is no real space for the dog to lay out alongside you in comfort without spilling into the isle (having to keep moving/waking the dog when staff trollies etc come by is painfull).

PE much better in the balkhead seats most airlines will give/block off one seat space for the dog at no charge...on a good day with low load even two seats.

Econ much the same but if no bulkhead seats it gets tight for the dog to lay out in real comfort, 9 hours plus squashed in a foot well is close as one can get to being cruel.

During the flight it is best to give the dog ice cubes as and when because what goes in must come out at some stage.

At the end of the day it is about weighing up your needs against those of the dog. There a quite a few very serious health risks from the wigglies that you will be exposing your guide dog to whilst out there (ones that our dogs are not protected against) I always remind folk that is a lead not handcufts between you and the dog

it is all about your heart ruling your head

Thanks folks,

I've now had Unis (see adorable pic here: http://about.me/lesleysmith) for six months and am now starting to plan our next trip, hopefully to the US.

I'll def do it in bits though, rather than a direct flight but thanks for all the advice

[buns]

Lesley

Thank you for updating all us here on V-Flyer and it is good to learn of your new companion.

You have wetted our appetite to follow your travels in the coming months!

Keep in touch

buns

First of all congrats on getting your dog - it must make a great difference. I hope you have a happy future together.

One thing I was wondering about, my neighbour's daughter has a very severe allergy to dog hair. How would that work, should there be an assistance dog on board I wonder?

[Darren Wheeler]

First of all congrats on getting your dog - it must make a great difference. I hope you have a happy future together.

One thing I was wondering about, my neighbour's daughter has a very severe allergy to dog hair. How would that work, should there be an assistance dog on board I wonder?

The VS website has some limited advice (scroll to bottom)

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/pa ... /index.jsp

I would suggest thinking very carefully before committing to taking a guide dog on such a journey.

I speak from experience here, I have a guide dog, and have flown many times within the UK with my dog - and that is no problem at all. I can give you the low-down on that at some point, if it would help.

However, taking a dog abroad has many factors to it - not least of which is immunisations etc for the dog, these can be quite intrusive in terms of the number of injections and tests that need to be performed to satisfy quarantine regulations.

Expecting a dog to "hold on" for more than 8 hours is a bit of a stretch, and when you consider that you'll arrive at an airport some 2 hours or so before the flight, take some 1 hour to leave, collect baggage, do immigration and actually get out of the airport, a 5 or 6 hour flight would be my personal limit.

For the record, I've never taken my dog out of the UK for many of these reasons - it seems unfair of me to put a dog through ALL THAT JUST FOR A WEEK OR TWO. And, apart from anything else, you need to think about the vastly different environment you'd be expecting a dog to work in once you got there.

All personal choice though, these are just my thoughts on the matter and you need to make your own mind up.

You will get conflicting advice from GDBA, they are not the most connected of organisations these days, so if I can help in any other way, please let me know.

Much as I enjoy reading and contributing to all the more frivolous threads here on V-Flyer, I found this to be one of the most uplifting.

Thanks Lesley, Cloudscudder and Concord for your contributions. Enjoy all your travels - with or without your 4-legged companions!

@Concorde RIP I was hoping to apply to Clarion which would mean a six week stint in San Diego. And I'm thinking of going HRW-JKF-SF-SAN so I'd be looking at 7-8 periods in the air. Uni can survive those, I can survive those

Will do

Do talk it over with your training school but always consider the dogs welfare

This link shows an image of my boy at 32,00ft
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=25843

Beautiful pictures of your boy, do let us know if and when the film comes out.