By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP, AP Transportation Writer Samantha Bomkamp, Ap
Transportation Writer

NEW YORK - One trip for their Jack Russell terrier in a plane's cargo hold was
enough to convince Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel that owners needed a better
option to get their pets from one city to another.

On Tuesday, the first flight for the husband-and-wife team's Pet Airways, the
first-ever all-pet airline, took off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, N.Y.

All commercial airlines allow a limited number of small pets to fly in the
cabin. Others must travel as checked bags or in the cargo hold - a dark and
sometimes dangerous place where temperatures can vary wildly.

Binder and Wiesel used their consulting backgrounds and business savvy to start
Pet Airways in 2005. The last four years have been spent designing their fleet
of five planes according to new four-legged requirements, dealing with FAA
regulations and setting up airport schedules.

The two say they're overwhelmed with the response. Flights on Pet Airways are
already booked up for the next two months.

Pet Airways will fly a pet between five major cities - New York, Washington,
Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. The $250 one-way fare is comparable to pet
fees at the largest U.S. airlines.

For owners the big difference is service. Dogs and cats will fly in the main
cabin of a Suburban Air Freight plane, retooled and lined with carriers in place
of seats. Pets (about 50 on each flight) will be escorted to the plane by
attendants that will check on the animals every 15 minutes during flight. The
pets are also given pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks. And at each of the
five airports it serves, the company has created a "Pet Lounge" for future
fliers to wait and sniff before flights.

The company will operate out of smaller, regional airports in the five launch
cities, which will mean an extra trip for most owners dropping off their pets if
they are flying too. Stops in cities along the way means the pets will take
longer to reach a destination than their owners.

A trip from New York to Los Angeles, for example, will take about 24 hours. On
that route, pets will stop in Chicago, have a bathroom break, play time, dinner,
and bunk for the night before finishing the trip the next day.

Amanda Hickey of Portland, Ore. is one of the new airline's first customers. Her
seven-year-old terrier-pinscher mix Mardi and 2-year-old puggle Penny are taking
their first flight soon.

Hickey said the service was a welcome alternative to flying her dogs in cargo
when she transplants them from her soon-to-be Denver home to Chicago to stay
while she and her fiance travel to Aruba to get married.

"For a little bit more money, I have peace of mind," she said.

It was a stressful experience in a cargo hold that spurred Binder and Wiesel to
start their airline. Their Jack Russell terrier, Zoe, flew once in cargo and
Binder said they worried about how the dog was doing, but were unable to check
on her or get information. The couple soon started looking for a better
solution.

"One time in cargo was enough for us," Binder said, walking through an airplane
hangar as Zoe trotted in front of her. "We wanted to do something better."

The company, which will begin with one flight in each of its five cities, is
looking to add more flights and cities soon. In the next three years, Binder
hopes to fly to 25 locations.

Among the big U.S. carriers that offer pet services, AirTran, Spirit, Southwest
and JetBlue only allow pets to fly in the cabin. Most U.S. airlines charge
between $100 and $125, but Delta and Northwest charge $150 for cabin trips.
AirTran is the cheapest among big carriers at $69.

The charge is more to fly in the cargo or check-baggage holds. Delta and
Northwest are the most expensive at $275. Alaska Airlines and Midwest charge the
least, at $100. Frontier prices its checked pets fees between $100 and $200 and
only takes pets as checked baggage.

Anne Banas, executive editor of SmartTravel.com, questions the viability of an
airline with such a specific niche.

"I'm not sure how sustainable it is," she said. "But if people are trying to go
for a first-class service, it could make sense."

She said the service's popularity could spike in peak summer or winter months
when airlines in some areas don't allow pets to travel.

Betsy Saul, co-founder of Petfinder.com, which has ranked the pet-friendliness
of airlines for three years, said she's excited about the expected impact Pet
Airways will have on pet travel across major airlines.

"The entire industry will stretch because of Pet Airways," she said. "It's a
challenge that says 'let's make this (experience) better for pets.'"



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090714/ap_on_bi_ge/us_airlines_pet_airways_2


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