A message to Tampa pet owners: Pet Airways is listening

April 21, 4:22 PMTampa Pet Services ExaminerLaura Kepner

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Pet Airways Founders, Dan, Zoe and Alysa

If you had the opportunity to fly your dog or cat with first class accommodations, would you spend the money on a ticket?

According to the US Travel Association, 14 percent of all US adults (29.1 million) said they have traveled with a pet on a trip over 50 miles, one-way, and six percent of Americans traveling by air will bring their pet along.

                                           FL tourist, Benny

 “I don’t go anywhere without Benny,” said South Carolina resident and Florida tourist, Jennifer Welsh, walking her poodle/terrier mix. “But it’s easier for for us to fly, compared to people with bigger animals, because he can stay with me since his carrier fits under the seat . He’s quite used to traveling.”
 

If Benny were a bigger dog, (weighing over twenty pounds), he would have no choice but to fly in the cargo area of commercail planes, where even with strict regulations, temperatures are often uncomfortable.
 

American Airlines’ website states that they will not allow pets onboard if the weather is above 85 or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit at any location city on the itinerary. For snub-nosed dogs and cats, the temperature must not rise above 75 degrees.
 

I could not help but wonder, how often is Tampa weather above 75 degrees? What about Florida’s pet travel needs?

Inside a Pet Airways plane

With the excitement of a new airline catering to pets, Pet Airways is making headlines all over the country. They are scheduled to begin flying to five major US cities this July.
 

I recently e-mailed Pet Airways, asking when Tampa might be included on the itinerary. Their response was encouraging.
 

"We will be flying out of Fort Lauderdale this fall/winter season. We know it’s not Tampa but definitely a start. Regarding going to the Tampa Bay area, if we get a lot of feedback that there is a need in Tampa we will look into opening up there. Therefore, have folks sign-up for our newsletter, join our Pet Airways Facebook Fan page or follow us on Pet Airways Twitter to let us know their thoughts. We are listening”    -- Alysa Binder, Executive Vice-President/Founder Pet Airways.
 

 

 

For more info: www.petairways.com   To contact Laura, e-mail her at leksink@gmail.com.