How My Trip From Mexico to the USA Went Sideways With Two Dogs and a Cat

I have flown with my two dogs and one cat more than a dozen times. At this point, we even run PetVoyage around this exact kind of travel planning. So this was not my first time doing an international pet move.

But this trip from Mexico to the United States was completely different.

The plan that usually works

Our normal strategy is simple: drive from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara, then catch a direct flight to San Francisco. Guadalajara gives us better flight options and safer timing for the pets. Flights out of Puerto Vallarta can be too hot for animals depending on the departure time, and the airline options to Northern California are more limited when traveling with pit bull-type breeds.

We had built in what felt like a comfortable plan. Leave Puerto Vallarta around 10 a.m., avoid the worst heat, make the roughly four-hour drive, and still have buffer before a 7:30 p.m. flight. We even hired a pet transport driver to make the day smoother.

Then everything stopped

Everything was going exactly as planned until traffic came to a complete standstill. There was no warning, no useful alert, and nothing on Google Maps that prepared us for it. We sat in gridlock for more than four hours with no real way to turn around and no exit to escape through.

That is the part of pet travel people do not always talk about. You can prepare the documents, choose the airline, confirm the crates, and still get hit by something totally outside your control.

Then the car started having trouble. While we were stuck in traffic, the transmission began overheating. We tried to keep moving and make the flight, but eventually reality won. Rushing was not going to help the pets, and forcing the situation could make things worse.

The decision that saved the trip

At that point, we made the smart call: stop rushing, protect the animals, and adjust the plan.

The only reason that worked is because I had already booked a fully refundable backup flight. I called right away, added the pets to the new itinerary, and shifted the trip to the next day. That one decision made a stressful situation manageable.

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn at Guadalajara Airport, which worked perfectly for this kind of delay because it is connected to Terminal 1 and is pet friendly. When you are moving multiple animals, easy airport access matters more than you think.

Flying Aeromexico with pets the next day

The next day we flew with Aeromexico, and honestly, the experience was strong. Check-in with the pets was smooth, the staff understood the process, and the options were clear.

For this flight, one pet traveled in cabin and two pets traveled as cargo transport. This was my first time flying Aeromexico with pets, and based on this experience, I would use them again.

What the delay actually cost

This was not just an inconvenience. It turned into a $2,000-plus problem very quickly.

• Missed flight cost: about $600
• Hotel stay: about $700
• New flight plus pet fees: about $1,300
• Extra transport support if we wanted the driver to stay and help the next day

The frustrating part is that all of it came from something outside our control. But that is also why contingency planning matters so much when pets are involved.

Lessons I would pass on to other pet travelers

If you are traveling internationally with pets, especially multiple animals, here is what I would take from this trip:

1. Buy a refundable backup flight if you can. It costs more upfront, but it can save the entire trip.
2. Leave earlier than feels necessary. If your flight leaves from another city, consider driving there the day before.
3. Do not rely on Google Maps alone. Road closures, accidents, and gridlock can happen with no useful warning.
4. Prioritize the animals over the schedule. Once things go wrong, slow down and make the safest decision for them.
5. Know airline pet policies before you book. Not every airline handles pets the same way, and breed, crate, route, and temperature rules matter.

The bottom line

Traveling with pets is completely doable, even with multiple animals. But this trip was a reminder that you can do everything right and still have the day go sideways.

What matters most is staying calm, having a backup plan, and making decisions that keep your pets safe. That is exactly why we built PetVoyage: to make the complicated parts of pet travel easier to understand before you are standing at the airport with crates, paperwork, and a clock that will not slow down.