Re: Airlines (was:permits)

[IDMiamiBob@aol.com]

Years ago I had some killies in a brief case and was travelling PeopleExpress
(now-defunct economy carrier).  When I got on the first leg in Buffalo, I
pulled the fish out before going through the X-ray.  I didn't think the fish
would be hurt, but if I had gotten a color morph by accident I knew I would be
in upto my neck in tanks trying to fix the strain and make a killing on the
new fish (been there, done that, ain't worth it).  The folks from the airline
had no problem.  When I repeated this procedure at Newark, I got a hassle.
Finally, the flight attendant cut me some slack on the premise that they had
screwed up in Buffalo, so they sould let me through with it.  Since then I
have always called the airline in acvance, and if they have a policy
permitting live fish, I not only follow it, but I ask them to mail me a copy
of the policy on official airline letterhead.  This way I am covered when
someone thinks they're going to get my hard-to-find fish for free.  And the
requirements and restrictions change regularly, so call each and every time.

Once I got a hassle from an airline employee in Denver who decided to score my
Aphyosemion splendopluere.  I showed him the memo from the airline, but still
no go.  I raised a stink until I got a supervisor to call the home office.
Most airlines have a 24-hr number at the head office just for resolving such
disputes.  I got the fish.  The Denver employee got to apologize to me.

Lesson-
1) check
2) plan ahead
3) plan ahead
4) plan ahead

Bob Dixon


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