New Airline is First Exclusively Devoted to Pets

The company Pet Airways is the first airline in the world exclusively devoted to pets. According to their website, they take "the job of providing a comfortable experience for pets very seriously."

Pet Airways' website states, "With Pet Airways, your pet will be safe and comfortable flying in the main cabin --- not in cargo! Give your pet a first-class travel experience today!" The founders of the company credit to their Jack Russel Terrier Zoe for giving them the idea for the airline:

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.

The company expects to have its first flights in July. Round-trip fares start at $298, but one-way flights from Los Angeles to New York City start at $299. Pet Airways flies to Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Colorado Springs, Ft. Collins, Milwaukee, Chicago, Richmond (Virginia), Washington D.C., Baltimore, New York City, and Hartford (Connecticut). Pet Airways outlines the five steps to their travel experience on their website: 1. Drop off your pet at least 2 hours before flight 2. Potty break less than two hours before flight 3. Pet(s) board the plane 4. Pet attendant looks after the pets during the flight 5. Pick up your pet and enjoy your family vacation According to the company, "All protocols and pet handling procedures are conducted under the guidance of famed Lassie veterinarian Dr. Jeff Werber." The company is funded by a group of investors, but their identities are not known. Kristin Underwood, writing on Treehugger.com, was not impressed by the airline. "Knowing how bad airplane flights are for the environment, it's hard to see how the carbon emissions on this one are justified. The planes used are small Beech 1900 turbo-prop planes, but even with carbon offsets, this seems almost as frivolous as some of the other things we've reported recently..."