Pet Airways

[cwydro]

Pet Airways, the first pet-only airline specifically designed for the safe and comfortable transportation of pets,announced Thursday that the first pet flights are scheduled for July 14. On Pet Airways, all pets travel in the main cabin,not in the cargo hold. Serving five cities to start -- New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles --

Pet Airways plans to expand nationwide with easily accessible pet check-in lounges to serve its “pawsengers” in major
metropolitan areas.

What a great idea!

[cwydro]

1. Here is the link.

http://petairways.com/

[cobalt1999]

2. I'm skeptical about their business plan.

First of all, they'll have to be price competitive with other airlines or most people traveling with pets will choose the cheaper flight even if Fido can't sit next to them.

Second, will non-pet travelers fly the airline? Again, they'll have to be price competitive for that to happen, and will business travelers be willing to get off a plane potentially covered in pet hair?

Third, how big is this market?

[cwydro]

6. Apparently, non-pet travelers will NOT fly.

As I understand it, it is for pets ONLY.

[cobalt1999]

14. Then it's really doomed.

I can't believe there is a market for this during a recession.

[YOY]

3. Not really a good time to start a new business in a sector that depends on folks to have extra cash

for this kind of perk.

I wish them luck...they will need it.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. Only $149! A real barkain!

:sarcasm:

[xultar]

8. Actually it is a bargain. I have 5 Chihuahuas. It does cost a bit to fly them, if they were heavier

It'd be way more.

[CatsDogsBabies]

10. 20 years ago I paid about $70 for my cat to travel in cargo

(I was not flying - my cat was being shipped to me) from Newark to Pittsburgh. $149 from NY to LA doesn't seem that outrageous to fly in the regular cabin with attendants. I know that to fly in cargo my cat had to be fully alert so that she could brace herself when her cage was bumped around in the cargo hold. Apparently it is also cold in cargo so the animal has to be able to maintain body temp as well. I think flying the animals in the cabin is a good idea. It would be nice if owners could fly with the pets, but I suspect that the cabin of the plane has been made into a kind of animal boarding space.

[Raine]

25. It is a good deal

you must be out of the loop.

[cwydro]

9. I agree.

I work for an airline and all of us are suffering.

[Liberal In Texas]

5. Sombody has to post this:

[cwydro]

7. Lol!

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. .

:spray:

[DemoTex]

18. Here's the real deal ..

Continental Airlines' dog evacuation after Katrina. Continental donated the Boeing 757 and the crew volunteered their time and services.

[Liberal In Texas]

20. That's great!

I remember seeing that back then, what a wonderful pic.

[dysfunctional press]

11. i predict that's one airline that's going to crash and burn...

not the planes- just the company.

[cwydro]

12. Yikes!

Not good imagery for us in the airline industry!:scared:

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. If I had to move to any of those cities... I'd consider that for my

senior Cockatiel... he is over twenty and I fear he'd not survive a less than cabin trip at this point

That said, when we came from Hawaii, we took our sun in the cabin and took the red eye... she went to sleep once we showed her the sun was going down

squak, squak, Not a peep out of that sun until we landed in San Diego

[LisaL]

16. I would love that but I am afraid there might not be enough demand

for that sort of thing. I certainly would use it if needed.

[petronius]

17. I suspect that the "main cabin" is a far smaller part of the plane than in a

typical jet liner, and that most of the aircraft is configured for cargo.

For $150, however, I would use this for my older cat - after all, isn't it ~$50 per segment to carry pets on, and you have to cram them under the seat?

[jmowreader]

19. Actually, the whole plane is configured for cargo

This isn't the first company who did this, but there are two differences from what I can see...

One is they're not flying people, just pets, and they're flying them in a turboprop--specifically, Beech 1900s. I think I'd be a bit reticent about dropping off the cats, getting on a plane on my own and waiting several hours at the distant end for their plane to come in.

And second, they're not using Pilatus PC12s. That big-ass cargo door on the PC12 would make loading St. Bernards REAL easy...just forklift the fuckers right into the plane.

[CreekDog]

21. Sounds like a Richard Scarry book

[Arugula Latte]

22. We were so terrified of our kitties flying we drove them from Washington DC to Portland, Oregon

when we moved years back.

You hear terrible stories about airplanes and animals. We made a "kitty condo" in the back of the car, complete w/ litter box & beds.

[Fire1]

23. When you consider the cost of a kennel I bet it is a

bargain.

[Raine]

24. Sounds good

I hope they succeed, I just don't know if this the best time with the economy being the way it is.