Flying the Fido-friendly Skies
Hitting the road for adventurous junkets and vacations with the Lulu Schmoo and Zazou has become one of my most favorite activities, right up there with anonymously winning the lottery and discussing my theories on LOST to whoever will listen.
Exploring a new city is even more of an adventure when we experience it with our pets as we often serendipitously discover little-known parks and secret paths that would have gone unnoticed had we not been seeking a pit stop for the dogs. As well, traveling with the dogs in tow means we inevitably meet an interesting range of people who either share a love of animals or who have no friends and are simply starving for social interaction.
There are many cities throughout the United States that I’d absolutely love to visit with the dogs, but driving to most of these cities would be quite time-consuming and flying the dogs hasn’t been an option as they’re too large based on cabin-restrictions and they’d likely require a year of post-traumatic stress counseling if they were handled like baggage in the cargo hold.
Scheduling that playdate with Bo Obama just got easier
Good news! These travel limitations are all about to change this summer with the launch of Pet Airways, the first pet-only airline specifically designed so that all pets travel in the main cabin, not in the cargo hold.
According to their website, Pet Airways is specifically designed for the safe and comfortable transportation of pets, with all pets traveling under the continuous care of trained pet attendants. Pets are given regular potty breaks, and the airline assures pet owners that their animals will never be left alone.
Sir, I’m sorry, but airline regulations indicate I cannot serve you any more catnip.
The airline announced it would keep pets in special lounges until shortly before departure, then walk them on the plane, where rows of crates await them in the stripped-out main cabin. The airline will start its service July 14, 2009 with fares starting at $150.
Pet Airways will be serving about five cities to start, including New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles, with plans to expand nationwide with easily accessible pet check-in lounges to serve its “pawsengers” in major metropolitan areas.
For more information, check out their website: PetAirways.com.
Article reprinted courtesy of Animal Planet's The Daily Treat with Janet McCulley.
