Being trapped inside a baggage compartment during a flight is no picnic. The hold is pressurized. There is plenty of oxygen, but some airline cargo holds are not climate-controlled, Thompson said.
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They usually have a large and empty fuselage, with no seats, windows, or amenities for passengers. However, some cargo airplanes may have a small and separate cabin for the crew and a few authorized passengers, such as pilots, mechanics, security personnel, or cargo handlers.
The hold is pressurized. There is plenty of oxygen, but some airline cargo holds are not climate-controlled, Thompson said. During Sunday's flight from Charlotte to Washington, the Embraer E170 reached an altitude of 27,000 feet, according to FlightAware, an airline tracking website.
Undeniably, cargo is the more dangerous option for pet travel. The safest way for any animal to fly is in the cabin as carry-on luggage, provided that's an option. But only animals small enough to fit beneath the seat are allowed: A cat, a rabbit, or a Maltese is fine; a full-grown Labrador isn't.
If airplanes didn't pressurize their cabins, it could lead to insufficient oxygen as well as related medical problems like hypoxia. Airplanes need pressurized cabins because it ensures passengers, as well as crew members, receive an adequate amount of oxygen in the air they breathe.
Cargo operators use passenger airports as well. Night flights for passengers aren't popular for a variety of reasons. Which means there are less flights for passengers landing and taking off during the night hours freeing up slots for cargo.
That being said, most flight crew will have considerably higher tolerance for turbulence than most passengers, and crews flying freighters are considerably more likely to just ignore some light turbulence than crews flying passengers (the boxes* neither shriek, nor write nasty letters to the airline).
The flight is far from the first to see a stowaway survive a perilous journey. In November, a 26-year-old man was found in a plane's landing gear compartment at Miami International Airport. Authorities said he had survived the 2-hour and 37-minute flight journey from Guatemala.
Your pet dog or cat is secured inside their IATA-compliant crate before boarding the flight. Most airlines ensure your pet boards and disembarks the aircraft on priority. The cargo hold has a special area for pets, and your pet's crate is secured in the plane in its designated space.