Flying Into a Time Warp

This is amazing. This is incredible. This is like flying used to be 30 years ago, when the flight was part of the holiday, rather than something to be endured in order to have the holiday. This is US Airways Escort Service to Europe.

Your seat becomes a sort of cubicle without walls. You've got a reading light, a TV screen and a complimentary set of Bose headphones, plus space to store whatever you've brought on board. Two gourmet meals that are better than you'd get in a lot of restaurants. And best of all, the seat goes flat and turns into a bed, so you can sleep.

The staff are warm, friendly and helpful.  No hassle about Xingxing. Smiles and laughter. Oh well, you're

thinking. That's Escort Class. That's what you pay extra for.  Not so!  I had a full-fare First Class ticket on United Airlines last summer, and I was treated like a piece of human garbage.  On the ground and in the air, every single US Airways staff member I encountered was unfailingly helpful, whereas every United Airlines staff member I encountered last summer was surly, nasty and unhelpful. 

People think there's no difference between airlines, but there is!  

When we arrived in Venice, another surprise awaited us. Nobody checked Xingxing's microchip. Nobody even asked to see his papers. My passport was stamped, I collected my suitcase, and followed everyone else through a door into the Arrivals Hall, Xingxing trotting obediently at my heels. Welcome to Italy!

One other thing -- which you may not know about. (I didn't know about it)  In the United States, the TSA opens and inspects certain pieces of luggage, searching for prohibited items. That's okay, I guess.  But here's the thing. If you lock your luggage, TSA breaks open the locks. The notice they leave in your bag says they "sincerely regret having to do this". However, they're not liable for any damage they may do in the process.

My luggage wasn't locked, so there was no damage.  But I wonder. Did they select my bag because it wasn't locked?  Or is it a truly random process?

Anyhow, here we are in Venice.

A Pause in Pennsylvania

Traveling straight through from Phoenix to Venice -- a four-hour flight followed by a nine-hour flight -- would have been too much for Xingxing, not to mention me!  So we overnighted in Philadelphia, at a cute "concept" hotel near the airport called Aloft.

Even if I wasn't considering Xingxing, a stopover was a good idea. Sure, it takes a little more time and costs a little more money. But I'm retired. Time is what I've got. And as for the money ... which  is better? To spend a bit more money and arrive in Venice bright-eyed and well rested?  Or to arrive in Venice exhausted, and collapse in my very expensive hotel room for a day or so?

Aloft is a chain of hotels. They're a bit different.  I especially like the way the rooms are laid out, almost like little studio apartments rather than typical hotel rooms.  The color schemes are pretty, and repeated in the corridors and lobby areas.  All the amenities, and no  charge for extras.

So we're having a restful day, and will fly out early this evening.

Never Underestimate The Bureaucracy

For our previous trips to Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Haiti, the only documentation Xingxing needed was a little pink slip, signed by our veterinarian. One copy was sent to the USDA office in Albuquerque, New Mexico (we don't have a USDA office in Arizona) and I was given a copy to show at the border.

Italy is a different matter. The form for Italy is six pages long. And it has to be stamped, signed and sealed by the USDA. This means it has to be sent to Albuquerque, approved, and then sent back to Scottsdale.  And you have to do all of this within seven days of traveling.

Not a problem, our veterinarian said. We fill out the form, fax it to Albuquerque, they send it back because some little thing is wrong with it, we fix it and then you overnight it to Albuquerque, they stamp it and then they overnight it back to you. Today is Wednesday. So they get tomorrow, send it back to you and you get it on Friday. You're not leaving until Monday, so you should be okay.

But Albuquerque didn't like our form. During that grueling Wednesday it was faxed to them four times, and each time, it was rejected. This was wrong. That was unclear. Something that had been crossed out because it didn't apply to Xingxing had to be initialed in a certain way. They wouldn't just say, We need this, this and this. They did it piecemeal, item by item. By the time we were done, I had less than half an hour to get it to Fedex -- and then Fedex refused to sell me the necessary return label, because I didn't have an account with them! By the time we made it to UPS we had only minutes to spare ... But we made it.

Albuquerque wasn't impressed. Maybe they'd get to it on Thursday, but maybe they wouldn't.  What was I going to do? We couldn't go without the proper papers. Perhaps I'd have to fly to Albuquerque on Friday and pick them up in person. I fretted, helpless. Late Thursday afternoon, I got a phone call from Albuquerque. The paperwork was completed and the documents were on their way back to Scottsdale. They finally arrived on Friday afternoon.

Why should it have to be so hard? Why can't Americans have Pet Passports, the way they do in Europe? For that matter, why isn't there a USDA office in Arizona? They don't even have agriculture in New Mexico!

Xingxing wasn't at all stressed by any of it. But he knew something was amiss and did the only thing a Shih Tzu can do to make things better -- snuggled close, and kissed me every chance he got.

Getting Ready for the European Adventure

We're all set.  In less than 24 hours, the European Adventure begins.

We'll fly to Philadelphia, and stay overnight. The next day, we'll fly to Venice.  We'll have three days in Venice before boarding our Azamara Club cruise.  Quite an adventure for a little dog!

There are three things I especially wanted to see in Venice: The Doge's Palace, and the Accademia and Peggy Guggenheim art museums. So I found a travel agency that would "run interference" for us and make sure Xingxing would be allowed to accompany me.  The Accademia was difficult. In the end, they agreed to allow us in, but only if Xingxing was wearing a muzzle.

Problem is, Xingxing doesn't have enough muzzle to fit into a muzzle.  His "muzzle" is less than an inch long!  Trying to buy a muzzle for him was a bit like trying to buy a bra for a five-year-old. We'd walk into a store and I'd say, I'm looking for a muzzle.  The sales person would look at me, look at Xingxing, look back at me and crack up.  What are you afraid he'll do? he'd ask. Kiss someone to death?  We did finally find a mesh muzzle, and get it on.  But I'm not sure how this is going to pan out.

In the interest of making things as easy as I can for both of us, I went ahead and got a Trusted Traveler Card.  You get this from the government.  You apply, they do a background check, and then you go for an interview.  But it's worth it, because you get to go through the security check without taking off your shoes and unpacking your computer, and when you return to the US, you go through Customs at a special kiosk, rather than standing in one of those long lines. I don't so much mind standing in line, but it's rough on Xingxing. People are tired and grumpy and they don't expect a dog to be there and they sometimes step on him.

We also had to procure special papers for Xingxing. More about that tomorrow.

Two Weeks To Go!

In just two weeks, we'll fly to Philadelphia on the first leg of our journey to Venice and beyond.


We've done the microchip thing. Xingxing didn't bat an eye. An organization called Home Again is marketing an "international" microchip that has 15 digits and can be read overseas.  So that's the one we got. I'm assured it will be fine. Fingers firmly crossed!

If you're planning an overseas trip, you must
make sure your dog has a 15-digit microchip, because the older, 9-digit and 10-digit microchips can't be read abroad.  You can either "double-chip" your dog (which is recommended) or you can buy a microchip reader (much more expensive) and take it along with you when you travel.

Xingxing also got another rabies shot, AFTER the microchip was implanted.  This is apparently important, and a requirement of all EU countries. However,  it's also a bit puzzling.  How do the authorities know when your dog got his microchip? The microchip readers read the number, but not -- as far as I know -- the date that the microchip was implanted.  I've posed this question to several people, and none of them seem to know the answer.

So to be on the safe side, I'm going to get a letter (or something) from our veterinarian stating that the microchip was implanted on such and such a date, and the rabies shot was administered on such and such a date.

The other thing we've got is a Global Entry Card. I am now what is called a Trusted Traveler. This means I can use an automated kiosk instead of having to stand in a line for Customs when we return to the United States.  I think it's worth the time and effort, because standing in line with Xingxing can be challenging, especially in an airport situation where people are cranky and tired and don't expect a little dog to be underfoot.  Being a Trusted Traveler also means you don't have to take off your shoes and unpack your computer when you go through airport security.

Anybody can apply for the Global Entry Card.  If it sounds like something you think you'd like to have, you'll find more information on the website at www.goes.gov  There's a small fee, they ask you a lot of questions about your past, and you have to go for an interview.  But it's not all that difficult, and probably well worth it.

Which Microchip? Important, If You're Traveling

Even when a dog has been microchipped, he can be denied entry in certain countries.
This is because different countries use different microchips.  Some have nine or ten digits, others have fifteen digits.  A microchip reader that reads nine-digit microchips can't read fifteen-digit microchips, and so on.  For example, an Australian microchip can't be scanned by an America  microchip reading device. (At least, that was the case when I returned to the United States from Australia, ten years ago) So just because your dog has been microchipped doesn't necessarily mean he can travel out of the United States and be admitted to a European country.
Our veterinarian uses a microchip manufactured by a company called HomeAgain, which produces a 15-digit microchip that can be read -- HomeAgain says on their website -- at over 50 international airports around the world.  So we got that one.  It's apparently the size of a grain of rice. The needle they use to implant it looks huge, but Xingxing didn't feel a thing.
But then I got to thinking.  There are a lot more than 50 international airports in the world.  When we disembark in Venice Airport, will the personnel at that particular airport be able to read Xingxing's microchip?
The logical thing to do was to check with HomeAgain.  So that's what I've been trying to do, this weekend. First, I sent them an email.  No response.  Then I tried telephoning. I got put on hold.  I got left on hold. Eventually, I was disconnected.  Tried again.  Finally got someone.  You'll be fine, he said.  But he said it the way people say things when they're speaking from a script.  And of course, he didn't have a surname. Nobody who works in Customer Service anywhere in the world has a surname.
Suppose they can't read the microchip?  I ask him. What should we do? Should we contact you?
You can contact us 24 hours a day, he said. But you'll be fine.
I gotta say, I'm not convinced. Of course, the important thing is to think positive.  Or maybe we should rent a microchip scanner, and carry it with us.
Meanwhile, Xingxing needs another rabies shot.  He's up to date, not due until next year.  But the rabies shots don't count unless they're administered after he's got the microchip.  And it's got to be done at least 21 days before we travel. So we'll do it Monday.
Traveling with a dog is like painting a house.  Preparation is everything.

We've Written A Book!

We've been back and forth to Mexico a couple of times, but the big news is -- our book, Will YOUR Dog Reincarnate? has just been published.
It's available on Amazon, but it won't be in bookstores for at least another three months, because it takes six weeks for it to be integrated into the distribution system, and then another six weeks for it to be delivered after someone goes into the store and orders it.  (I suspect this is why most people buy their books online.  The bookstores just make it too hard)
Meanwhile, if you don't want to wait three months, visit our website at www.willyourdogreincarnate.com and start reading.   Or go straight to Amazon and buy one and write a review.  I can hardly wait until someone writes a review!
I'm very excited about the book.  While researching it, I discovered that thousands of dogs reincarnate and return to their beloved owners.  And what really fascinated me was that many of these people are completely aware of the fact that their "new" dog is a reincarnation of the dog that left them.  They just don't talk about it, because they're afraid people will laugh at them.  Amazingly, one in four Americans believes in reincarnation.
What I learned from my own experience is that it's possible for us to actually help our dog reincarnate and come back to us.  Some dogs don't need help, but many do.  You don't have to be a psychic, or a mystic.  I am the most logical, left-brained person you'll ever hope to meet -- and if this could happen to me, it can happen to anyone.
Now that Will YOUR Dog Reincarnate? has been finished, edited, proofed and launched into the vast sea of books already published this year,  Xingxing and I are getting ready to do some really serious traveling.
The Azamara Club Cruise was so much fun that we're doing it again.  At the end of June we'll fly to Venice, Italy and take two, back-to-back cruises down the Dalmatian Coast and then around the tip of Italy and back up the coast to Rome.
The first step was to get Xingxing microchipped.  But that's a story for my next blog.