Pets and Air Travel

Posted by: Justin Bachman on August 9, 2010

The dangers summer weather poses for pets was highlighted on Aug. 3 when seven puppies died after being unloaded from an American Airlines flight from Tulsa to Chicago. Hot weather in Oklahoma is suspected as a factor in the animals’ deaths. The airline is awaiting necropsy results, American spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan said Monday in an email.

If air travel is part of your vacation plans and you’re loath to leave a beloved pet at home, options can be limited. For larger animals, airlines set restrictions based on temperatures and breeds, with most carriers now banning short-nosed dogs in the summer. The Dept. of Transportation says 144 pets have died during transport in the five years since U.S. airlines have been required to report animal deaths. More than half the dog deaths were of “short-snout” breeds such as bulldogs and pugs, which are prone to breathing problems.

Into the pet transport field comes a Florida company, Pet Airways, that flies pets instead of people. The company celebrated its first anniversary last month, having flown more than 1,000 animals on a fleet of three Beechcraft 1900s, a 19-passenger airplane with the seats removed. The turboprops can accommodate up to 50 animal crates per flight, and nearly every flight is filled, says Alysa Binder, who started the Delray Beach, Fla., company, with her husband.

Pet Airways has expanded from five to nine cities with plans to reach 25 over the next 18 months, Binder said. Phoenix, one of the hottest places in the U.S. during summer, was a logical destination given that so many airlines don’t accept animals there. The service doesn’t come cheap: an average one-way fare of $250, with some cross-country flights for larger dogs topping $600. The company says its charges are competitive with airlines because many pet fees have been increased in recent years as carriers search for new revenues.

During flights, the animals are monitored and any medications they need, for example, insulin shots, are administered. Binder says Pet Airways offers “a completely different option” for pet owners who want extra attention for their animal.