[Grandma A]

Hello! I will be traveling by air with my parrotlet in about a week. I am moving home via a 2/2.5 hour flight. I flew her here, which is the same distance of course, roughly ten years ago. I was nervous then but everything worked out perfectly. She did well, did not seem to care at all about any part of the trip and adjusted to her new home very quickly.

I have done everything needed with the airlines and as much as I can to learn about TSA in my current city. I have the stuff for bird-carry-ons and am a frequent flyer myself. I will have her in-cabin with me in a carrier that fits under the seat during take off/landing and on my lap in-flight. She is healthy, but I am a little worried because she is much older this time (15). I am taking her to the vet for a check up on Monday and will follow their advice. I think that driving would be more stressful for both of us, but will do it if the vet says that is best. If helpful, we will be leaving from and arriving to major cities in the United States.

Parrotlet forum, am I missing anything? I welcome suggestions or advice from my fellow travelers. Thank you!

 

[ginziputzi]

Hi there! You sound like you are doing everything right. Your vet will advise you of any medical concerns. If Ava isn’t used to the carrier, it would be good to introduce her to it before you go … although I think you probably use it for vet visits etc, right? She may be a little stressed with the hustle and bustle of the airport unless she is used to a lot of people around, but I think the reassurance of your voice will overcome that.

If it is any help, Kiwi has always come with me on trips by car, sometimes for a number of hours, and it never bothered her. She was with me and in the safety of her familiar cage. She would bathe, eat and sleep like nothing was going on , even if a big transport truck passed us by. She travels less now (as do I) but I wouldn’t worry about it if she had to. Like Kiwi, Ava has been with you a long time and I am sure all she needs is the safety of a familiar cage and to know you are right there.

I am editing this to add that Kiwi lived her entire life until she was 17 in our former house and has been in our new home for a year. If she was upset or stressed by the change, she didn’t show it at all. She settled in as if she had been here her whole life. Again, I think it’s the familiarity of her turf (cage) and my presence in particular that she associates with home and safety.

 

[ozzie3860]

I have traveled with my parrotlets for about a decade. Always by car. It is easier to travel with pets since people stopped having children and now have fur/feathered babies that they insist on traveling with. Many hotels now accommodate pets for a few dollars more.

the key to travel is make sure your gal is familiar with the travel cages to be used. I incorporate my travel cage into their everyday life to make them familiar and comfortable with them. That way when we travel it is their home.

also when traveling I tend to use ice for water to keep from splashing out and lots of moist veggies. Salad bars are great places to get birdie snacks.

 

[Grandma A]

Hi there! You sound like you are doing everything right. Your vet will advise you of any medical concerns. If Ava isn’t used to the carrier, it would be good to introduce her to it before you go … although I think you probably use it for vet visits etc, right? She may be a little stressed with the hustle and bustle of the airport unless she is used to a lot of people around, but I think the reassurance of your voice will overcome that.

If it is any help, Kiwi has always come with me on trips by car, sometimes for a number of hours, and it never bothered her. She was with me and in the safety of her familiar cage. She would bathe, eat and sleep like nothing was going on , even if a big transport truck passed us by. She travels less now (as do I) but I wouldn’t worry about it if she had to. Like Kiwi, Ava has been with you a long time and I am sure all she needs is the safety of a familiar cage and to know you are right there.

I am editing this to add that Kiwi lived her entire life until she was 17 in our former house and has been in our new home for a year. If she was upset or stressed by the change, she didn’t show it at all. She settled in as if she had been here her whole life. Again, I think it’s the familiarity of her turf (cage) and my presence in particular that she associates with home and safety.

Thank you for the advice! Also, what wonderful care Kiwi has had.

 

[Grandma A]

I have traveled with my parrotlets for about a decade. Always by car. It is easier to travel with pets since people stopped having children and now have fur/feathered babies that they insist on traveling with. Many hotels now accommodate pets for a few dollars more.

the key to travel is make sure your gal is familiar with the travel cages to be used. I incorporate my travel cage into their everyday life to make them familiar and comfortable with them. That way when we travel it is their home.

also when traveling I tend to use ice for water to keep from splashing out and lots of moist veggies. Salad bars are great places to get birdie snacks.

Thanks for the advice, especially the snack-specifics. I had to get a new travel carrier since I will be flying in a smaller plane. She has been side-eyeing it for a week, but I think that she will be comfortable in it soon - I'm sure that finding sunflower seeds in there the last few days has been helping!

 

[Grandma A]

Thank you again for all for the advice. The trip went well! I was nervous about going through security based on the last time, but it was very easy. I brought a letter from my vet with us that confirmed her health and band number. The letter also specified the temperatures that she needed to stay within and noted that she was flighted/should not be taken out of the carrier. TSA was incredibly helpful, and one of the agents even had a parrot at home! Delta was very accommodating at every turn. The flight attendant even made it a point to come by and tell me when I could keep Ava on my lap so that she would not be under the seat longer than necessary. Really, everyone was wonderful and went above and beyond. She (the bird) seemed to have a good time. Very few chirps, a few naps and lots of looking at new things. I brought some extra sunflower seeds as a special treat so she was thrilled. She was so comfortable that I needed to interrupt her BATH at one point to put her under the seat for landing. Here is a picture of her right after the flight (through the carrier mesh). As an aside, the funniest thing for me what that the carrier I bought is apparently the colors of a Gucci bag - this was news to me. Someone explained it to me after about 6 people fondly called her "Gucci-bird" in the airport! 💙

 

[ginziputzi]

Excellent news!! I figured she would do well but am really happy to know she did so well. I really do think they enjoy a trip! I will definitely keep Delta in mind if I ever have to travel with Kiwi. That is exactly how you want things to go when travelling with a Gucci pet. Love it!

 

[Anya]

That is awesome that Ava did so well and was adored by many! Nice to hear that an airlines take an interest in the welfare of our birds!