Pet Airways Launches

Pet Airways, started in 2005 by Alysa Binder and Dan Weisel a husband and wife team , had its maiden flight Tuesday amid a press and social media flourish.

As the first US commercial airline exclusive to furry friends, Pet Airways fills a void in available services, taking up to 50 dogs of all sizes in the cabin area (see the plane in the video below).  And yes, your Irish Wolfhound can visit “grandma” this year! Other airlines allow only a limited number of dogs in the passenger cabin on each flight, and only if they are small and can fit under the seat.  The rest are forced to fly in the cargo hold, a dark, noisy, usually not temperature controlled area that left customers without a choice.  While a very rare occurrence, pets have died.  And with that, many  a pet parent wouldn’t dream of tossing “Dickens” in with the luggage.

Pet Airways assures that dogs are given walks and a bathroom break before boarding, and flight attendants, some of whom have vet tech backgrounds, according to the Baltimore Sun‘s Andrea Walker, will check on dogs every 15 minutes during the trip.  Be aware that all flights are out of small airports outside the cities served, which often means an extra trip for travelers.  The New York to LA flight takes 24 hours with the layover in Chicago(as seen on Twitter by airline personnel) where pets can rest overnight for the second leg of the trip.

This service will be a welcome one during the summer and winter months when many major airlines refuse to carry pets in their cargo areas due to unsafe temperatures(think delayed flights and hours on the tarmac).

I left a post on Pet Airways Facebook wall as the only way I could get in touch–I had wanted to get some insight as to how their flights went and had a couple of other questions but there were no PR or communications people available.   I did get a response that said they would be in touch in a couple of days; an update will be issued when we have talked .

The five inaugural  destinations  are New York, Washiington DC, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and the average cost is $250. The airline is hoping to add another 25 cities in next couple of years.

Related post published here in April