'Bone voyage' as pets get airline

A new airline scheduled to take off in the US fully expects its passengers to behave like animals.

On Pet Airways, of Delray Beach, Florida, all pets travel in the main cabin and owners are not allowed on board - not even in the cargo hold.

The airline claims to be the first designed specifically for the safe and comfortable transportation of pets.

Company founders Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder say they got the idea while planning holidays with their pet dog.

"Currently, most pets travelling by air are transported in the cargo hold and are handled as baggage," said Mr Wiesel.

"The experience is frightening to the pets, and can cause severe emotional and physical harm, even death. This is not what most pet owners want to subject their pets to, but they have had no other choice, until now."

Inside a Pet Airways plane - Seats are removed to make way for pet carriers

The airline has scheduled its first flight for cats and dogs for 14 July and will serve five US cities - New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles.

Pets - or pawsengers, as the airline calls them - can be booked in online and are checked in to a Pet Lounge at the airport.

Pet attendants give the animals a "potty break" shortly before take-off and then monitor the animals during the flight.

Owners - or Pet Parents - can follow their travel progress using an online "pet tracker".

On its website, the airline promises never to leave a pet alone adding: "A pet attendant will always be within a cat's meow."

The flights will be made in 19-seat turbo-prop planes operated by Suburban Air Freight, which have their seats removed to make space for the pet carriers.

I don't see how this will work or if this makes much sense. How many pets are seriously traveling to the same destinations at the same time to make this worth while?

Also, how will this make the experience less frightening to the pets or less emotional? They'll still be without the owner and in a carrier. It's really the same thing as they already do.

Further having a pet attendant give potty breaks creates a huge risk should the animal be fearful and attack.

Nothing about this plan sounds positive but I hope I am wrong.

"Currently, most pets travelling by air are transported in the cargo hold and are handled as baggage," said Mr Wiesel.

As if being in the "main cabin" will lessen the "severe emotional and physical harm, even death", as they put it in the next paragraph. Great sales pitch, dude.

If you really care about your pet, you just don't travel with him or her. It's cruel, according to this guy.

Hm........ I though this was probably cool, not cruel.
Maybe our resident pet advisor can give us an insight?

WWSS? (what would saga say?) Maybe we will find out.

Hadn't thought about death until the pet airline guy said it happens. Guess if I put myself into the pet's position, it might be terrifying enough for that to happen. Just never thought about it before.

Every day we get behind the wheel of a car we put ourselves at risk. There are risks walking across the street.
People travel with their pets because they love them.

WHAT?

it would be nice if an airline could remove certain seats, to where a larger animal could sit next to his/her owner in their carrier...instead of removing all the seats just to accomodate the pets..just a thought...

Regardless of intrinsic desirability (which sounds suspect - the ideal would be a cabin with space for pet and owner) I'm sure this isn't economically viable. From that perspective it sounds quite extraordinary.

This can't be for real..... c'mon!

Also see Wag Pet Hotels (www.waghotels.com) where your pet can stay in a 7'x8' luxury suite for US$85 a day (spa services extra).

--Lan Sluder

Now Wag Hotels make a little more sense to me considering having a pet sitter come direct to the house usually runs around $50 per day anyhow.

somebody has too much money and needs help making sound investments. I know, every great idea begins this way, but I would take the bet against this company if Vegas has a line.

Ahem. Yes, my point however is the irony of the guy who is the president, and presumeably idea man, of this venture pointing out that pet air travel can, in HIS words, cause trauma, even death.

gotcha. Yeah, I was commenting in response to his words.

The level of the fear factor is relevant, along with comfortn no?
Seems to me that a heated cabin, probably alot quieter than the cargo hold, where somebody can see of your animal is sick or if the carrier shifts or falls, and can speak kindly to a frightened animal is far superior to the kind of pet travel available elsewhere.
Whether this is sufficiently positive to warrant increased pet travel is a good question.
If you watch the way your suitcase is handled on a normal flight, and then think that your pet is "luggage" you need to admit that the people factor is a huge element in the way your pet experiences this naturally scary event. Having people who are already thinking about the welfare of the animal is a great first step.
Agree that I'd be quite happy to buy a seat in coach for my pet-carrier. My pets are a handful sometimes, but far less annoying than most traveling children.

I travel with my dog multiple times per year and she is never handled as luggage. I watch them take her, bring her out and can actually see through the airport window her being loaded in a special location. They do not treat her kennel nor handle her as regular luggage.