Peripatetic pets get own airline

Pets fly the furry skies aboard Pet Airways

Air travel has gone to the dogs, but that's a good thing if you are pet owner and need to send Fido packing, but don't want him to fly in the cargo hold.

Claiming to be the first airline designed specifically for pets, Pet Airways (PAWS) flies dogs and cats exclusively to and from New York City, Baltimore/Washington, D.C., Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles.

The company plans later to transport reptiles, birds, pigs and other domesticated, household pets.

Flights for "pawsengers" can be booked online. Before take off, pets are checked in to a pet lounge at each airport where the airline operates.

On board, the pets fly in the climate controlled, pressurized cabin of a twin-engine Beech 1900 turboprop. Not allowed to move freely about the cabin, pets are housed in on of 50 individual carriers, battened down for the duration of the flight.

"Currently, most pets traveling by air are transported in the cargo hold and are handled as baggage. The experience is frightening to the pets, and can cause severe emotional and physical harm, even death. This is not what most pet owners want to subject their pets to, but they have had no other choice, until now," said co-founder Dan Wiesel of Delray Beach, FL.

The only humans on board are the pilot and airline staffers who give all pets pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks. During the flight, trained attendants monitor pets with a check at least every 15 minutes.

Overnight flights come with provisions for pets to bunk for the night on the ground before finishing the last leg of the trip.

Owners can also track their pets progress on the Website.

One way fares range from $149.99 to $399.99, depending on an animal’s size and destination.

Pet Airways even offers a Frequent Flyer program that awards Pet Points,  Pet Airways Affiliated Pet Resorts and other PAWS services.

Omaha, Nebraska-based Suburban Air Freight staffs and operates the aircraft and flights.