Pet Airways: Free Snacks, Mandatory Bathroom Breaks, No Fights Over Arm Rests
As I helped my friend drag three suitcases and two cat carriers across the airport at 5 AM for a cross-country flight, I thought to myself, "there has got to be a better way to transport cats than this." Especially when I imagined her cats, or any of my own pets, spending most of the day in cargo. My dog can barely handle a fifteen-minute car ride.
I guess a lot of other crazy people pet owners think the same way I do, which created the need for Pet Airways. They're getting a lot of press coverage, mostly because it's an airline for pets. It's a good idea, though, and not just for coddled pets—I like the idea of someone checking on the health and well-being of animals every fifteen minutes.
For now, the service transports "pawsengers" between major airports. Service starts in July, and they're taking reservations now. I also love their pet travel guide. I'm still looking for hamster-friendly resorts.
Airline Going To The Dogs ... And Cats, Too [NPR] (Thanks, R!)
(Photo: Catskills Grrl)
(Here is the alternate illustration for dog-loving readers.)
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Comments:
When I saw the picture, I figured it was a pet tube-transport system similar to those used to send your checks inside the bank from the drive-thru. I would highly support the construction of this system.
Does this airline transport snakes?
Isn't the sign of a declining civilization the treatment of animals as equal to humans? Actually maybe better than humans... the stewardess never checks on me every 15 minutes thats for damn sure...
On a Plane? I don't see why not. I mean, they're animals just like any other.
Now the real question is, Will there be the obligatory Samuel l Jackson to do that memorable quote from the movie?
Of course, someone has to clean up after these critters. The line to interview for the job starts over there.
That's one happy lookin' cat! Just sitting back and relaxing...in his plexiglass coffin! Ha ha ha!
Keep your filthy hands off of me you damn dirty ape!
How EXCITING!!!! I think I want to book a flight to LA now just so my baby girl can fly.
Laura - I have taken my Guinea Pigs to many hotels, even Atlantic City. The thing is I snuck them in and I arrived by car but it still can be done.
That picture is hilarious. It looks just like my cat...speaking of which where is my cat? Oh...
As far as I can tell, PA does not actually offer "free snacks" at all, either before, during or after flight. They recommend not feeding your pet within four hours of travel.
Ohh the mess that would create if it were true, though.
Man you gotta love that picture. A emergency rabid cat storage bag.
@Scuba Steve: He'll be part of the marketing campaign and every hour, on the hour, the pilot will pipe in some of Samuel L. Jackson's words of affirmation.
This is much more appealing than driving for 24 hours with my cat and dog when I move. I'll definitely be looking into it
"Pawsengers"? Really?
Really?
I can only imagine the insurance coverage they would need. Those most likely to use this service would probably be most likely to sue the shit out of this airline if/when a pet dies en route.
@Segador: YouTube would have to construct a whole second YouTube just to host all the clips of air-tube pets yowling in terror as they whoosh past.
@veg-o-matic: Also, given my cat's picky diet, I'm not sure I'd want her to be fed anything but what she is used to. The cascade of puking that would follow I would not want.
@mrgenius: It looks like their Contract of Carriage [petairways.com] pretty well limits their liability.. particularly since the animals are still "shipments," not "passengers" .. hur, "pawsengers."
I don't see it on their site, but I would be surprised if signing an additional waiver of liability weren't required as part of the purchase.
You'll probably want to stay away from anyone working for this airline who touts his/her membership in the "mile high club"
@veg-o-matic: I would think so too. I am not a pet owner, but I imagine there are some people out there who would go ape if something ever happened to their pet. And would definitely would find the limits of the airline's liability as well. But overall it sounds like a pretty useful service for some people.
@mrgenius: The law considers pets to be personal property, just like a suitcase or a pair of skis. A lawsuit for an injured or deceased pet probably wouldn't be that different from a lawsuit for damaged cargo.
this would be a great idea and I'm surprised no one thought of it sooner. In April, I moved back to Jersey from California and leaving my Betta behind was not an option. I put him (and his water, obviously) in a 3 oz spice jar and carried 2 more spice jars of water with me so that we could pass through the TSA screening and get him into a larger container after that. Man were those screeners confused. They were like, "what do I do with this... fish?" And I answered, well, for one thing, don't put him through the xray machine, please.
We got through ok, but a pet airline would definitely have cut down on the hassle. I don't know what I would have done if my fish couldn't have fit in a 3 oz. jar!
As I recall, a few months ago a cat froze to death in the cargo hold of an airplane. I dunno about any of y'all, but I'd be pretty upset if that happened to me.
I like the idea.
@mrgenius: If I were to send my cat on a flight and something fatal were to happen to her, I'd probably be too busy being emotionally devastated and sobbing like a 5 year old to be litigious.
That is unless, of course, I got advice to the contrary from my attorneys Zuckercorn, Loblaw and Jarvis. Jarvis probably wouldn't think it was serious enough, but the other two might be on board.
I guess I'm the only one who thinks this is a stupid idea.
@veg-o-matic: @aidenn: I'm sure there are some provisions that could be made, including instructions for the crew to not feed your pet, or you might get a discount for packing your own choice of snack to accompany your pet.
@mgy: No, I like cats (and some dogs) and I think it's a ridiculous idea, they aren't going to make any money off of this
@pecan 3.14159265: No, they actually state that they will not feed your pet. So there are no "free snacks" involved at any point, unless your pet needs food for medical reasons.
@Radi0logy: You can push a little button and tell the flight attendant that you'd like some water please, or that you're having a heart attack. Kitty can't.
@nakedscience: How do you know they won't make any money? People love their pets and like to spoil them. "Pet Hotels" do pretty well. I can see well-off people with pets use this service plenty. Plus we can't say "they aren't going to make any money off of this" without knowing, well, facts.
I do it the old fashioned way: I stick my cat in FedEx and hope for the best.
@edwardso: I drove cross country when I moved with two cats. I would have been all over flying those two rather than hearing them howl for two days straight.
@mgy: I know plenty of pet-owning folks who have moved cross-country (Boston to California, California to NY or DC) who would happily have paid for this service rather than trying to finagle all the crap they did. Some have had to give away their pets, which for most pet-owners is devastating; others have had to take unpaid leave for a week so that they could drive 3000 miles.
I wonder if there's all sorts of hidden baggage and beverage fees. I'm not sure I can trust my cat with the credit card or a fistful of bills.
This is a fantastic idea. If you have to travel with your pet (and can't board them) then this is a great balance between being forced to stick your pet into the cargo hold (if it can't sit in a carrier under your seat) and paying for boarding at a vet or pet hotel (which can get pricey as well).
If you can afford it, this is a good option.