Milo and his FurPAL adventure
When you are in your 50s, single, with adult children living their own lives, your world quietly shifts. Your days begin to revolve around your next great love. Mine happens to be Milo.
I wanted to get away for a few days, but the thought of leaving Milo behind made me uneasy, especially with a few international trips already lined up. So instead of choosing between travel and my dog, I chose both. I decided to bring him to Bohol for five days.
On TikTok, I had seen dogs living their best lives on planes, some even in business class, relaxed and pampered. That was exactly the experience I wanted for Milo.
Reality, of course, had other plans.
The process turned out to be more complicated than expected, so for those who have been asking how I managed to fly Milo in the cabin, here is everything you need to know so you do not go through what I did.
Pre-flight arrangements and requirements
Thanks to FurPAL under Philippine Airlines (PAL), pets can now travel in the cabin on local flights. That alone is a small miracle.
I started by calling PAL to book our tickets. Booking online for pets is not exactly user-friendly, and since I prefer speaking to a human being, I stayed on the phone for an hour. If I were you, I would go straight to a ticketing office. It might save you time, although nothing is guaranteed. Milo’s ticket to Bohol cost P5,000 round-trip.
Once his ticket was secured, I moved on to the Bureau of Animal Industry. Navigating their system felt like an obstacle course. Before applying for a travel permit, make sure you have an updated vaccination card, a Permission to Travel certificate from your veterinarian, and a photo ID of your pet ready for upload. My vet charged P790, although this may vary. After submission, approval takes about three to five days.
You also need to print a waiver from the Philippine Airlines website. In fact, print everything twice. To be safe, bring four copies of every document. It sounds excessive because it is.
Remember to bring a muzzle
At NAIA, we arrived confident that we had everything covered. At three in the morning, that confidence quickly disappeared. We were almost denied boarding because Milo did not have a muzzle.
Now, Milo is a shih tzu with a flat nose. But even so, rules say that dogs are not going to be taken out of their carrier during the flight anyway.
So why the need for a muzzle? I was told I only needed to have one, not even use it. It felt unnecessary and confusing. Rules should be clearer, especially when certain breeds are obviously different from others. Large dogs are not even allowed in the cabin.
But with a promise to purchase a muzzle in Bohol for the return trip, the check-in manager allowed us to proceed.
Pets fly economy
There are also strict guidelines for you to bring your pet into the cabin: Aside from a muzzle, your dog must not exceed 22 pounds. The carrier also has to fit under the seat in front of you. The dimensions listed online are 45 x 25 x 28 inches.
Naturally, I thought I could solve this by flying business class for more space. Apparently not. Pets are not allowed in business class or economy plus. Yes, I tried.
So economy it was. The carrier had to stay by my feet, but luckily the flight was not full, so I was able to place Milo on the seat beside me. No one complained. No one checked.
In fact, between you and me, no one checked the size of the bag or asked for the muzzle again at the gate.
During the flight, I kept Milo calm by giving him small pieces of treats whenever he stirred. Within minutes after takeoff, he settled down and fell asleep. He turned out to be a very good traveler.
Unnecessary necessities
Upon arrival in Bohol, all documents had to be submitted again. Our first stop was a pet store to buy the elusive muzzle, which did not even fit him properly. We also had to visit a veterinarian to secure another travel permit for the return flight.
That meant repeating everything I had already done in Manila.
To me, this feels unnecessary. A travel permit should be valid for at least seven days. If you exceed that, then by all means, require a new one.
But for a five-day trip, repeating the entire process feels like red tape at its finest. It adds cost, inconvenience, and frankly discourages people from traveling with their pets.
At Panglao International Airport, all documents were collected again. But once more, no one checked the muzzle. No one measured the carrier. This time, despite having an empty seat beside me, I was not allowed to place Milo there. He had to stay on the floor.
I like rules. I believe in following them. But I also believe in consistency.
Traveling should feel like an adventure
Now that we are back home, I am simply grateful that Milo got to experience flying, even if he came home exhausted.
And to Philippine Airlines, this is my very loud and very sincere pitch. Please hire me as the manager of FurPAL. I promise you, I can make traveling with pets not just possible, but truly enjoyable.
Because if there is one thing I learned from this trip, it is this: Traveling with your dog should feel like an adventure, not something that discourages you from doing it again.
And despite everything, I am still grateful that dogs are now allowed to fly in the cabin.
Also, on a completely unrelated note, I would very much like to meet a man who owns a private plane. I imagine traveling with Milo would be infinitely easier. Applications are now open.
