First All-Pet Airline Takes Off
Remember the days when you weren’t allowed to bring your furry friend aboard a plane with you? Despite the fact that it is somewhat easier to fly with your pet, it is still a pain to have to go through the sometimes lengthy process involved in getting the ‘ok’ to have your pet travel with you. And even when are allowed to fly with your pet, there are so many rules involved, and on top of that, the conditions aboard planes aren’t always the greatest for animals. Often, animals will be required to travel in the cargo section of a plane in kennels. They’re treated essentially like luggage! Well not anymore. One airline in New York is changing all of that.
Founded by Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel after their Jack Russell terrier had flown in the cargo hold of a plane for the last time, Pet Airways is the first ever all-pet airline based out of Farmingdale, Long Island’s Republic Airport.
Typically when someone with a pet flies on a commercial airline, they must check their pet in (much like you would check in a piece of luggage). While some smaller pets are allowed to fly in the cabin of an airplane, most must travel with the checked luggage in the cargo hold, which is often dark, loud, and sometimes dangerous (as temperatures can fluctuate).
Binder and Wiesel have consulting backgrounds and used their business acumen to come up with the idea for Pet Airways back in 2005. For the past four years, the two have spent their time designing the fleet of five planes according to new four-legged requirements, not to mention handling all of the FAA regulations and airport scheduling.
Service With a Smile
In mid July 2009, the first flight for Pet Airways took off from New York, and things are already looking good for the power couple with the next two flights already completely booked. Pet Airways will operate between five major cities: New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles. The price for an average one-way ticket is around $250, which is competitive when comparing what you get with them versus other airlines.
The biggest difference is the service. The planes for Pet Airways are specially designed to accommodate pets in the cabin, so that their owners don’t have to worry about their pets flying in the cargo section. Dogs and cats are allowed to fly in the main cabin, which is updated with lined carriers in the place of seats. Additionally, pets will also be escorted to the plane by attendants that will check in on the animals every fifteen minutes during the flight. To see the full article about Pet Airways, click here. You can also check out Pet Airways by reading their blog, or by following them on Twitter.
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