Flying with a pet for the first time

I took my baby to Florida! It was my first time flying with a dog and it was her first time on a flight. I started by adding a pet to my plane ticket and then off to the pet store to buy her a bag to go into to ride in during the flight. She is a 13lb Bichon so the largest bag allowed on the plane is a tight fit for her but it was just going to be 2 hours so I told her she would be fine lol. The night before we left I measured out her food and put it in a giant zip lock bag and I packed 3 days of extra food just incase we got stuck or weather delayed us for any reason. She eats a special food I have to order so buying some from the store once here was a no go. I packed her treats and sticks and all her favorite toys. I gave her bed a wash before it went into my suitcase with all the things. I brought her papers proving she's up to date on her shots just incase we needed them for any reason. It is always good to have them on you. The next day I groomed her so she would be fresh for the trip and I didnt allow her to have any water past 3 that afternoon, our flight was at 9. She skipped dinner incase she got sick so her stomach was empty and off to the airport we went. They always suggest to get there 2 hours before but I went about 2.5 hours before since I had Nikki and wanted to be sure everything was handled. We walked in and I just left her on her leash and carried her bag since she is very well behaved and we checked my luggage and to security we went. We walked through the metal detector together and that was that. I gathered my things and went to get a bottle of water and Pringles, a must whenever I fly, and then to our gate. She sat with me at my feet and just rested while I charged my phone. We took one last potty break and then it was time to board. I got her situated in her carrier and we boarded the plane and found our seat. I put her under the seat and let that be that. The more I checked on her or worried the more agitated she got so it was best to leave her be. I of course tried to check on her without her knowing though. She did get hot and was panting pretty hard right before we landed so I tried to turn the air on the best I could to reach her. The second we got off the plane I stepped to the side and let her out of the carrier and we walked to the baggage claim area but we went straight outside so she could do her business. She did great and honestly I was probably more stressed than her. Flying with Nikki was literally no harder than flying by myself so after this experience I can't wait to go all over the country with her!