Sometimes you don’t have a choice–you have to fly with your pet. In memory of Paco, the dog Delta Airlines lost back in May, here’s Petfinder.com’s updated list of the best airlines for traveling with kritters. All of the recommended carriers have changed from last year. Spoiler alert: Delta is not on it.

JetBlue has taken the lead this year, perhaps because of its policy that no animals travel in cargo. All pets travel in the cabin, with their humans.

• Best Pet-Friendly Amenities: JetBlue. JetBlue’s superior JetPaws program was specifically designed to help pet parents and their pets enjoy a smoother travel experience. The customer-focused airline provides pet-toting travelers with a pet carrier baggage tag, a travel petiquette guide, 300 TrueBlue points each way and a welcome e-mail.
• Best for Budget-Conscious Consumers: AirTran. AirTran tops this category, allowing small domesticated dogs, cats and birds to travel for $69 each way in-cabin.
• Best for Transporting Pet Variety: Frontier Airlines. Of the airlines researched in the 2010 Petfinder.com analysis, Frontier allows the most diverse variety of pets in-cabin, including domesticated dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and small household birds.
• Best for Animal Health and Safety: JetBlue. If a pet becomes ill mid-flight, JetBlue will ring the cabin crew to see if there is a veterinarian on board who can treat the pet immediately – showing their dedication to the health of our furry friends.

Of course, Petfinder’s rankings are based on research and not extensive in-the-air experience. If you’ve flown with your pet recently, how was the experience (for you, and for your pet?) Also, has anyone in the Consumerist community tried Pet Airways yet?

Petfinder’s 2010 Most Pet-Friendly U.S. Airlines [Petfinder]

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