Reno-Tahoe International Airport (1.9 miles from convention center)
Sacramento International Airport (139 miles from the convention center)
Oakland International Airport (222 miles from convention center)
San Francisco International Airport (229 miles from the convention center)
Reno-Tahoe, Sacramento, Oakland, and San Francisco International Airports service all major airlines that accept rabbits and cavies. To book your reservations for live animals, use the following contacts and additional details (if available) to guide you.
Please note: IATA/LAR International Air Transport Assn/Live Animal Regulations allows multiple animals carried on a kennel with separate compartments (request ticket agent add special notes to your reservation regarding the amount of animals traveling).
For more details, visit: https://www.iata.org/publications/store/Pages/live-animals-regulations.aspx
Alaska Airlines https://www.alaskaair.com
1-800-252-7522
$100 per Kennel
Alaska is the only carrier that will allow you to check your rabbits on your flight as “checked baggage” at the rate of $100 per kennel. Please note that wire carriers MUST be inside a dog kennel to fly as checked baggage with an accompanying passenger. Small, medium, large or extra large kennels all are charged the same regardless of weight. It is acceptable to place two wire carriers with dimensions 24” X 16” X 12” (each) stacked (two high) inside a Series 400 dog kennel.
Alaska Airlines will require the following when flying with rabbits to Reno:
1. All kennels will require bolts. Zip ties and plastic fasteners will NOT suffice. Do NOT bolt your kennels until after you check your rabbits in with Alaska and after TSA has inspected your kennels.
2. Your rabbits will require a health certificate issued by a vet within 10 days of all flights. Go to a vet that works primarily with livestock.
3. **VERY IMPORTANT** You will need to call Alaska Airlines and make sure kennel space is available on each flight and RESERVE your kennels at the time of booking. Thus, it is recommended to call Alaska Airlines as opposed to booking your ticket online when traveling with live animals.
4. Here are the best airports to get to Reno:
Reno, NV (RNO) 1.9 miles; Sacramento CA (SMF) 139 miles / 2 hours 20 minutes;
Oakland, CA (OAK) 222 miles / 3 hours 43 minutes; San Francisco (SFO) 229 miles
/ 3 hours 47 minutes and San Jose (SJC) 247 miles / 4 hours 1 minute.
5. Most Alaska Airlines flights will connect through Seattle (SEA) or Portland, Oregon (PDX). The Alaska flights operated by their Airbus aircrafts will have flight numbers between 1000 and 1999. These planes are NOT pressurized in the cargo hold and will NOT accommodate any kennels. Avoid these flights!
*Note: you cannot take rabbits on flights that include any airline other than Horizon or Skywest. If the Alaska flight shares an itinerary with American Airlines, you will not be able to take rabbit as checked baggage on the American Airlines portion of the flight.
6. Alaska operates TWO types of aircraft into and out of Seattle to Reno and Portland to Reno (please refer to pictures #1 & #2 for all available flights):
Embraer ERJ-175 (E75): Maximum capacity one (1) Large series 400 kennel (26h x 24w x 36d). These planes will NOT accommodate any extra large series 500 kennels.
Saab Dash 8 Q400 (Q400): Maximum capacity two (2) large series 400 kennels (26h x 24w x 36d) or one (1) extra large series 500 kennel (30h x 27w x 40d)
7. Alaska operates THREE types of aircraft into and out of Seattle to Sacramento and also Portland to Sacramento (please refer to pictures #1 & #2 for all available flights):
Embraer ERJ-175 (E75): Maximum capacity one (1) Large series 400 kennel (26h x 24w x 36d). These planes will NOT accommodate any extra large series 500 kennels.
Saab Dash 8 Q400 (Q400): Maximum capacity two (2) large series 400 kennels (26h x 24w x 36d) or one (1) extra large series 500 kennel (30h x 27w x 40d)
**Boeing 737-800/900**: Maximum capacity 4 large kennels (26h x 24w x 36d) OR 3 extra large kennels (30h x 27w x 40d) kennels per flight.
8. Many connection from the Midwest or East coast will be best served by flying into Oakland (OAK), San Francisco (SFO) or San Jose (SJC) as they will have much faster connection times and also offer more flights with 737s that have Alaska’s largest kennel capacities.
9. Ticket prices for travel on October 18, 2019 and October 23, 2019 are currently very high right now. The best way to track prices is through:
Step 1: Enter your departing city and arrival city along with dates
Step 2. On second page, click on ‘Airlines’ and then uncheck all airlines except for Alaska Airlines
Step 3: Select best flights with connections times and kennel capacities and then click the slide button for ‘Track Prices.’ You will get an update each time prices move up or down.
**Please note that paying more for an Alaska ticket now may still be much cheaper than buying a cheap ticket on another carrier and shipping your rabbits as air cargo. Flying rabbits as checked baggage versus air cargo will definitely expedite travel time as long you book your connections correctly.
Here are details regarding all cities served by Alaska Airlines:
