Taking Cats to Brazil - Part 2

Why We’re Never Flying with American Airlines Again.

One of the good things about travelling to Brazil is that each passenger is allowed two pieces of

I wish I could say this was ALL the luggage...

luggage at 32kg (70lb) each.  One of the bad things about travelling to Brazil is that each passenger is allowed two pieces of luggage at 32kg (70lb) each.  So, take two passengers, two pieces of luggage each (close to 32g each, because you would…) a piece of hand luggage (each), a “personal item” (otherwise known as a small bag – they make it sound so seedy!), two carriers complete with two large cats and you have an airport headache the making.  The only sensible thing to do was to drop Sheila off at the departures area with all the luggage then return the hire car whilst recovering my breath and psyching myself up for the trauma to come.

Gratuitous photo of Pretzel

I've been to some airports where the check-in process has been very well thought out and efficient.  This was not the case with the American Airlines’ departures at San Francisco International.  There were a lot of people waiting to check in, about two open check in desks and a staff member running about asking people to check in at the self-check-in terminals.  This was clearly the person to ask about how to check in our cats but when I asked, she told me she would get someone then promptly forgot and continued to run around trying to advise people where to go.  It would have been funny had I not actually needed information.  Eventually I found someone who took the cats to the check in desks and told me to join the end of the check-in assistance queue. 

Quite a short queue when you
think about it.  The mystery is
why it took 40 minutes...

Everyone has had those days at the airport when the check-in queue barely seems to move.  The queue grows longer, tempers fray and people complain about the woman that has been at the check-in counter for over 30 minutes.  It’s annoying, but to be fair, I’m sure that woman is just as annoyed.  Time passes, we inch our way closer to the front of the queue and eventually extra check-in staff are called.  After 40 minutes, we reached the check-in counter and take our turn as those-annoying-people-that-seem-to-take-forever. 

Most of that time revolves around checking the documentation for the cats, filling out extra forms and – of course – paying the extra fees.  The check-in agent was friendly and patient and helped to ensure that all the ‘I’s were dotted, ‘t’s were crossed and that there was nothing untoward that would prevent the cats from reaching our destination.  Next came the carrier inspection, the cable tying of the carrier and the cats were taken away on a trolley. 

Done!  Now comes the easy part…

Time passed, the usual airport tedium, then we finally boarded the plane.  Everyone was seated and settled in, my headphones were out of my bag, my book in my hand when I noticed two flight attendants carrying a fairly large grey box up the aisle.  A faintly familiar grey box.  A slightly more familiar grey box with holes in it.  A really familiar grey box with holes in it, ‘live animal’ in green writing on the side and my cat Pretzel sitting inside.

Sheila followed the flight attendants to the rear galley, where they placed the carrier.  Apparently there was not enough room for two cats.  Eventually we found out that there was a problem with the pressurisation of the hold, so both cats had been taken to the cabin; Kiwi in the front (first class, no less) and Pretzel in economy class with us.  Fair enough, it gave us a chance to try to calm down a stressed cat and give her some water.  Over the course of the 5 hour flight, we popped back a few times to comfort her and were relieved to see the flight attendant firmly holding on to the carrier for landing.  Then things became complicated.

To be continued (and I promise I'll explain the title of this part)

Who doesn't pass time before a flight by messing with an iPad?