News: Doggy travels- the first pet only airline in the world launched

As a doggy that made it (with his cat sister) all the way from Israel to Los Angeles (a 16 hours direct flight) I am very excited to update you on the latest news from the doggy (and kitten) world: the first pet airways flight in the world.

As a frequent flyer doggy, I must share with you my experiences during my long, long flight. My human companions decided to move from Israel to L.A. for the purpose of studying for a PhD (in clinical psychology for humans). Such a program takes about 5 years to complete and it was out of the question that my sister and I stayed in Israel, even though we have a very loving grandfather there, who begged us to stay. My human companions insisted on us flying in the main cabin with the rest of the human passengers rather than as cargo. You see, I am a small doggy and so is my cat sister, and the conditions in the baggage compartment could actually put our lives in danger: the luggage compartment is extremely cold and dry and my human companions wouldn't have been able to come and make sure that our body temperature is o.k.. Since we are small, the Israeli airline allowed us to fly at the human cabin (they allow pets to fly in the cabin as long as the pet is 17 pounds or less, as long as there are maximum 2 pets in the airplane cabin and only if you can place the pet in a small bag that fits under the front chair and the pet stays there the entire flight duration!).

Before the flight, my family took me on a very long walk and tried to make me tired and go to the potty. My sister and I flew with our mom and our grandfather and each one of them held one of us. My grandfather held me. I completely resented staying in my bag for the entire flight and therefore started to make noise. My grandfather took me out of the bag and put me on his lap which I really love, but not for long. As a curious dog, I wanted to tour the plane, look around and see what's going on. I didn't find peace and moved on my grandfather's lap all the time. The flight attendants ignored the fact that I sit on the lap rather than in this very small bag. They actually loved me (the females flight attendants dug me!). Until a flight attendant who was not such a doggy lover came and started to tell my grandfather to put me back in the bag. I made my grandfather miserable until he had no choice but to use the "ultimate weapon": he gave me half a pill that my vet gave him in case I won't be able to sit down and relax. I took it but it wasn't very helpful- I was just a little bit more at ease. My sister on the other hand, was doing very well. Except a time when someone said to my mom: "hey look, your cat is over there" and there she was in the aisle. She found a way to open the zipper quietly and went on a little airplane tour. It was very funny. After our mom saw that Kitty can open the bag she became even more alert. It was a general nightmare, especially for my human companions. Boy was I happy to step off the plane and start marking L.A.X., L.A., and the surrounding areas…

Upon arriving to L.A., my human companions and I were very surprised to see that pets are not allowed almost everywhere in the city- we are not allowed on restaurants that have patios or outside areas, for example. There are only a few hotels or motels that accept pets (like La- Quinta Inn, for example and Extended Stay hotels) which makes traveling far from our house in Glendale very complicated. We are not allowed on cruise ships and are not allowed in the cabin of many airlines. This makes my human companions' life more complicated because they cannot travel outside the state and many times, not even far from our house. I must stress that in no way do we want to disturb people in our surroundings.That is why I was so happy to hear about the first pet airline in the world, and that is the story that I am bringing to you today.

My sister Kitty in a moment of deep pondering and me and my grandfather in Rodeo Drive (thank you grandfather for bringing me there...). I am after all, a Beverly Hills pooch...

I was very happy to hear that the first pet airline in the world has begun its activity this week and it flies pet passengers only in their own accustomed plains.

The story of this airline started very similarly to my traveling story, but with Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder's (husband and wife) Zoe-a Jack Russell Terrier in a luggage compartment. The couple elaborates on the story that provided them with the idea for their unique enterprise (taken from the Pet Airways website): "it was Zoe who gave us the idea for Pet Airways. With Zoe as part of our family, planning vacations was always a little more complicated. Visiting out-of-state friends or relatives required sophisticated logistics. Weekend getaways always had to be close to home. It wasn't Zoe's fault of course. It was the airlines'. There was simply no safe way for Zoe to comfortably fly with us. She's not a big dog. Just a little one. But a little too big to fit under the seat. Of course, there's one thing Zoe is certainly not, and that's cargo. As we're fond of telling our neighbor Janet, her boxer Samson isn't Samsonite, and she agreed. In fact, we met lots of neighbors, friends and even complete strangers who felt exactly the same way. So we got to thinking. Maybe Zoe was trying to tell us something. Maybe there was a travel solution that would suit her perfectly, and everyone else out there too. Instead of trying to convince the human airlines to treat pets better, why not start up an airline just for pets? And Pet Airways was born. Whenever we tell people about Pet Airways, the response is so overwhelmingly positive, we're still amazed we were the first to make it happen. You see, on Pet Airways, your pets aren't packages, they're "pawsengers.""

Zoe- the Jack Russell that inspired the Pet Airways idea. Taken from the Pet Airways website.

Yesterday, Tuesday the 14^th, 2009, the first pet flight in the world departed from Republic airport in Farmingdale, New York.

The Pet Airways planes

Binder and Wiesel founded "Pet Airways" in 2005 and dedicated the last four years to the design of a fleet consisting of 5 airplanes specially designed for the safety and comfort of the pawsengers and according to standards of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to the Pet Airways website, the pets fly in turbo-prop airplanes. The plane that the company has decided to use is the Beech 1900 which is flown by many of the major airlines throughout the world and is considered safe and reliable. Originally, it is a 19 passenger plane that has had the "human" furnishings removed. During the pet flights, pets are placed in their private pet carriers which are secured using a proprietary restraint system especially designed and created by Pet Airways.

One of the Beech 1900 Pet Airways planes. Taken from the Pet Airways website.

Pet Airways flight cities and airports

The currently opening flight-lines include flights connecting 5 major cities in the United States: New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. The company will fly its planes to small airports in a distance of maximum 2 hours of the major mentioned cities which involves an additional drive for the owners to pick up us pets, but what wouldn't you do for us, right? There will be flights involving an additional stop on the way, which can cause the pet to arrive to the destination later than the owners. For example, the flight from New York to Los Angeles could take up to 24 hours for the pets. At the stop, the pets will enjoy potty breaks, play, dinner, and a beauty night sleep in Chicago before the flight continues to its destination. Binder and Wiesel hope to expand their flight lines to 25 destinations within the next 3 years.

So what services do Pet Airways promises to their pawsengers?

According to the company's website, the clients will receive the following services:

1. The owners will drop the pet off at the company's Pet Lounge, located at the airport (it is possible to check in the pet up to 72 hours before the flight and the company will board the pet at their PAWS Lodge until the flight).
   
2. Pet Airways promises to monitor the last time your pet had a potty break, and make sure that they get regular potty breaks along the way. The company stresses that that is why it may take them longer to get to the destination, because the care of the pawsengers is their first priority.
   
3. The pets board the plane and pet attendants make sure they're all comfortable and that they, and their pet carrier, are secure.
   
4. A Pet Attendant monitors and checks the comfort of the pawsengers every 15 minutes during the flight. After landing, pets will be disembarked, given a potty break, and will be available for pickup at the pet lounge.
   
5. The owner will pick up the pet at the pet Lounge at the destination. If the owner cannot pick up the pet that day, the company promises to board the pet overnight at the PAWS Lodge.
   

Taken from the Pet airways promise on their website: "We promise to transport your pet with lots of love, care, safety, and comfort in the main cabin. Pet Airways is the first airline exclusively dedicated to pets - no humans please - and we take the job of providing a comfortable experience for pets very seriously. We'll do everything in our power to make sure your pets get the best care during their journey because we're committed to taking care of our pet "pawsengers" as if they were our own… Our Pet Airways Promise is that your pet will never be left alone. A pet attendant will always be within a cat's meaw".

Pet Airways also allows people to monitor and track their pet's journey online at Pet Airways Pet Tracker.

A video segment about the new airline could be found using the next link:

http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/vid/14512872

How much could this service cost?

A one-way ticket will cost around $200, according to the airline's website. It is a bit more expensive than the price that the major airlines charge for an under- seat pet flight. This pet ticket price comparison table was taken from the Pet Airways website:

Airline	Under Seat	As Baggage
Air Canada	Not Avail	$105
AirTran	$69	Not Avail
Alaska	$100	$100
American Airlines	$100	$150
Continental	$125	$125
Delta	$150	$275
Frontier	Not Avail	$100
Frontier	Not Avail	$100
Hawaiian Air	$175	$225
Jet Blue	$100	Not Avail
Midwest	$100	$100
Northwest Airlines	$150	$225
Southwest	$75	Not Avail
Spirit Air	$100	Not Avail
United Airlines	$175	$250
US Airways	$100	Not Avail
Virgin Airlines	$100	Not Avail

Apparently, the flights for the next couple of months are completely booked (Bomkamp, 2009). But, is this just an enthusiastic response of the public to the new venture or does it reflect a real need of the public?

The idea and promises of this airline sound great for us animals and animal lovers but some cast doubts on the sustainability and viability of an airline that turns to such a specific niche such as Anne Banas, the executive editor of SmartTravel.com. On the other, I read that she said that popularity of this kind of service could lead to high demands during summer or winter months, periods in which major airlines in some areas don't allow pets to fly (Bomkamp, 2009).

I also encountered an enthusiastic respond to the service by Betsy Saul, co-founder of Petfinder.com. She had ranked the pet- friendliness of different airlines and I read that she said that she is excited about the possible impact that Pet Airways could have on pet travel on the major airlines because it may cause the airline industry to make an effort and offer better conditions and services to pets passengers (Bomkamp, 2009).

You can find information about the pet- friendliness rank of major airlines here: http://blog.petfinder.com/petfinder/2009/05/14/petfinder-names-the-top-5-most/ (Petfinder, 2009).

I truly hope that Pet Airways will be able to maintain its services and expand its flight lines (I really want to check out Hawaii). In any case, as a Maltese doggy that loves to travel with its human companions, I hope that it would at least lead to better services and traveling conditions for pets in the aviation industry and in the tourism industry as well. It could sure make the lives of my human companions easier. After all, according to the HSUS (2008), there are approximately 74.8 million owned dogs in the United States and more than a third (39%) of U.S. households own at least one dog. Also, there are approximately 88.3 million owned cats in the United States and a third (34%) of U.S. households (or 38.4 million) own at least one cat. I am sure that many of these people and their pets would be happy to encounter more pet friendly services. Anyway, only time will reveal to us if this wanted venture is a success.

Till next time and have a very woofable day,

Sushoni

References

1. Bomkamp, S. (2009). Paws up: All pet airline hit skies. Retrieved July 15, 2009. from

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/National/US_Airlines_Pet_Airways.html

2. The Humane society of the United States (2008). U.S. pet ownership statistics. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/pet_overpopulation_and_ownership_statistics/us_pet_ownership_statistics.html