First Class For Pets

Did you hear about the dog on a New Zealand flight that was so pissed that his owners had placed him in the luggage section that he escaped from his cage and chewed through the wiring?

Fortunately, it was the auxiliary engine so the plane landed safely but bet the owners had known about “Pet Airways,” the world’s first pets only airline.

Dogs and cats (no exotic pets yet) travel first class so they don’t have to be sedated or left alone in the cargo area. When you consider the statistics for how many pets are injured during traveling -- a San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals suggests about two million pets ride in plane cargo areas each year and about 5000 of them are injured during the trip – you can see why patrons are flocking to this service.

Pet Airways already boasts a fleet of 20 planes which come with flight attendants and climate controlled pet carriers.  The attendants promise to check on your pet every 15 minutes and stay with them until you pick them up.

What’s most surprising about this service is the price – for as low as $149 pets can jet set between five major cities: New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and Washington D.C.  PetAirway’s first flight is scheduled from New York to Los Angeles on July 14, 2009. According to the Web site, the founders plan to expand to additional cities and include exotic animals as passengers in upcoming years.