Animals-only airline Pet Airways expands its service to Florida

Many jet-setting pet owners were cheered when a new animals-only airline, Pet Airways, launched this past summer.  Now Pet Airways is giving animal-loving travelers an additional option: Flights between New York and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. for dogs and cats.

Pet Airways offers a unique alternative to the only options that existed previously for traveling with pets via air -- shipping them in the dark underbelly of a commercial airplane or carrying pint-sized pets on as luggage.  The new airline employs small turboprop airplanes called Beech 1900s, removing the existing human-sized seats and replacing them with animal carriers to transport pets. 

The airline's owners, husband-and-wife team Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel, decided to create Pet Airways after a particularly harrowing experience traveling with their own dog, a Jack Russell terrier named Zoe.  "The cargo hold is scary, dark, unattended," Wiesel told The Times of Zoe's one and only trip in an airplane's underbelly. "I was so stressed out." 

He and Binder spent four years getting Pet Airways off the ground, and, he says, they've heard from many pet owners singing the airline's praises since it launched in July.  "We have been overwhelmed by all the positive feedback to our mission of flying pets safely and comfortably in the main cabin, not in cargo," he said. "It is so fantastic to see the happy faces of all the pets and pet parents after the flights."

Pimp your dog's ride: 2010 Honda Element is furry-friendly

Now your dog can ride in style, thanks to American Honda's new 2010 Element.

The car is souped-up with equipment such as a cushioned pet bed, a dedicated fan for the pet-cargo space, a spill-resistant water bowl and an extendable ramp for glamorous entrances and exits. And the Dog Friendly Element is designed not just with comfort in mind, but safety as well -- soft, seat-belt-grade nylon webbing secures pet passengers in the vehicle's cargo area, preventing driver interference and adding an extra layer of protection for dogs in the event of a frontal collision.

The Dog Friendly Element is available for purchase beginning Nov. 17, with an option price of $995.  Read more about this pet-centric new vehicle at The Times' auto blog, Up To Speed.

-- Kelsey Ramos

Photo: American Honda

Shelter dogs travel in style in the Rescue Waggin' to find new homes

Dogs arriving at an animal shelter is usually a sad story. But the mood is more like Christmas morning as staff at the Washington Animal Rescue League wait for the Rescue Waggin' truck to open its doors.

The people and the animals have never met, but some greet like old friends. A basset shoots out to lick a face. Jodie Martin holds a small black puppy, one of the almost 40 dogs that she and the driver picked up that morning from two shelters in Ohio, and kisses it on the head before she hands it over.

"These are beautiful dogs," said a staff member at the Washington, D.C., shelter.

The Rescue Waggin' program of PetSmart Charities has moved more than 29,000 dogs since 2004 from communities with high euthanasia rates to shelters with high adoption rates. Their four trucks transport dogs from 53 shelters in 24 states, including a new route that serves Mississippi, Louisiana, southern Tennessee and Arkansas.

The pups travel in style: Specially designed trucks have air conditioning, piped-in music and video cameras so the dogs can be monitored in transit. The policy is not to transport animals more than 10 hours at a stretch, so the organization has just built a halfway kennel for overnight breaks to make longer trips a possibility.

When the dogs are led into their temporary home at the Washington Animal Rescue League, there's a full service hospital, a behavior department and a beautiful cageless shelter facility where a soothing fountain cascades over glass ceilings that let in natural light.

Italian dogs beat the heat with a wet Roman holiday

Many consider Europe as the center of Quality of Life: big extended families, long summer vacations, generous lunch breaks, even midday naps. But in Rome, dogs generally are not allowed in most recreational areas and beaches, which can be a real canine bummer during a sweltering summer.

Thus, Villa Bau was born -- a 4-acre water park for dogs.

For 15 euros (about $21) plus 4 euros per session, the four-legged set can frolic in an Olympic-length pool or get their heart rates up before grabbing a quick snack with their owners, says the AFP.

The dogs can also cool off in a shower or have a workout on a special course before enjoying a "six-legged cocktail" with their owners.

Nearly 2,000 dogs have enjoyed the getaway since the start of the season in June.

"These are the last days of my vacation, and this park is a great way to spend them. And he's wild about it, along with the other dogs," said Barbara, lying on a deckchair as Aaron, a Hungarian pointer, enjoyed the pool.

"I left him at home with a dog sitter. ... It's impossible to take him on vacation with us," she said.

According to the Italian Assn. for the Defense of Animals and the Environment, hundreds of pets are abandoned by their owners in the summer months. The hope is that as more parks like Villa Bau open, more people will start to bring their pets with them while on vacation.

More pictures of the dogs (and their owners) enjoying their wet summer in Villa Bau after the jump.

JetBlue Airways offers discounted fare for pets traveling in September

Feline and canine travelers planning to fly JetBlue Airways in September are in for a treat -- no, not jerky: a 50% discount.

JetBlue typically charges a $100 fare for dog and cat passengers, but by using a promotional code being given out at Petco stores and on Petco's website, pet owners can have that fee knocked down to $50. To get the discount, call (800) JETBLUE, or 538-2583, and mention the code "LETSGO."

"There are currently great flight deals out there for our two-legged customers, but we didn’t want our four-legged customers to be left out either," JetBlue spokesman Bryan Baldwin told The Times' Daily Travel & Deal Blog about the special promotion.

The discount is available on flights in September, and reservations must be booked before Aug. 31 using the promotional code to qualify for the discount.

Pets-only airline takes off

A new day in pet-friendly travel dawned Tuesday with the official launch of Pet Airways, the first airline to cater to pets (and only pets). 

The idea behind Pet Airways is simple: Most pets, particularly large ones, traveling on airplanes are required to travel in airplane cargo holds. It's cramped, stuffy, and scary -- and, in thankfully rare but nonetheless notable cases, pets have died as a result. Enter Pet Airways, the brainchild of husband-and-wife business owners Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel, who told the Associated Press they "wanted to do something better" for traveling pets after a stressful experience shipping their Jack Russell terrier, Zoe, in cargo. 

Their idea was to repurpose small turboprop airplanes called Beech 1900s, removing the seats (there are typically 19) and placing pet carriers there instead (each plane fits about 50).  Fresh air would circulate through the plane, and the "pawsengers" (their cutesy term, not ours) would have regular visits from attendants and bathroom breaks during layovers. Naturally, employees would be animal lovers. (Some are even former veterinary technicians, according to the Baltimore Sun.)

It took four years to get the new airline up and running, but the response from pet owners thus far has been extremely positive. (Flights between the five "inaugural" cities served -- L.A., Denver, Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. -- are booked solid for the next two months, and the company's website frequently features an "over capacity" message and encouragement to check out the company's Twitter and Facebook pages instead.) 

Canadian Lung Assn. takes aim at Air Canada's new pet-friendly policy

Last month, we learned that Air Canada, our neighbor to the north's largest airline, was changing its pet policy to allow small dogs and cats to ride in its airplane cabins.

The new policy went into effect last week, and it means that Canada's two largest airlines (with WestJet, Canada's second most popular carrier, which already had a pet-friendly policy) now allow small pets to ride in airplane cabins rather than sequestered in cargo holds.  (Both Southwest and JetBlue airlines have similar pet policies.)

For many small pet owners, this is great news -- there are any number of horror stories out there about the perils of traveling with a pet stowed in an airplane's underbelly.  But others are decrying the move to bring pets onboard on the grounds that they can be health hazards to allergy and asthma sufferers.

"Pets are wonderful friends and companions. But inside the small, confined space of an airplane passenger cabin, they can pose a serious threat to the health of vulnerable people," the Canadian Lung Assn., which has launched an online campaign in opposition to Air Canada and WestJet's onboard pet policies, said in a statement.  The campaign is aimed at convincing Parliament to hold hearings to debate the health ramifications of allowing pets in airplane cabins.

Pet-friendly travel: Idaho's giant beagle hotel (yes, we're serious)

We, of course, are big fans of dogs -- but we're not sure that quite translates to wanting to sleep inside one.  No matter -- it seems that Dog Bark Park Inn in Cottonwood, Ida., has plenty of guests willing to shell out $86 ($92 for double occupancy, and an extra $8 for each additional person) to sleep in "the world's biggest beagle." 

Dog Bark Park Inn is the kind of giant-animal-themed roadside attraction you don't see much anymore (unless you're traveling through, say, Odessa, Texas or Audobon, Iowa).  Husband-and-wife owners Dennis Sullivan and Frances Conklin have even given their bed-and-breakfast a nickname, "Sweet Willy"; his smaller beagle companion is 12-foot-tall Toby.  An 11-foot-tall fire hydrant nearby contains a public restroom, naturally.

Set in a rural region of the Idaho Panhandle, the bed-and-breakfast boasts majestic views of the surrounding prairie from the oddly-placed deck that juts out of Sweet Willy's ribcage.  Sullivan and Conklin, artists when they're not hoteliers, also maintain a gift shop that stocks their chainsaw-carved wooden dog sculptures.  They've also put their craft to use in Sweet Willy's insides; many of his interior design elements, like the queen-sized headboard's 26 carved beagles, were crafted by the couple.

Air Canada to allow small pets to ride in cabin

Traveling with pets just got a little bit easier: Air Canada has announced that it will, like Southwest Airlines, accept small pets in aircraft cabins beginning July 1.

The Calgary Herald explains that Canada's second-largest airline, WestJet, already allows small pets to travel inside its cabins.  Air Canada at one time also allowed pets to travel onboard -- a policy it discontinued, citing concerns over the comfort of human passengers with pet allergies.  (WestJet itself hasn't been immune to this concern; the Herald reports that the pet-friendly airline came under fire earlier this year when a passenger with a dog allergy complained that she'd suffered an allergic reaction when she was seated near a dog on a flight.)

To combat allergy issues, both Air Canada and WestJet ask that allergy sufferers identify themselves when making a flight reservation so they may be seated as far as possible from any pets that may be on the flight. 

Air Canada's new pet regulations allow a human passenger to bring one dog or cat aboard in a leak-proof, well-ventilated pet carrier that is large enough for the animal to comfortably sit upright and turn around.  The carrier may only be stowed under the passenger's seat and a fee ($50 for flights within Canada and the U.S.; $100 for international flights, with some countries excluded).  

Pre-registration is required for all pets traveling onboard, and limited space is available (each flight will accept only two to four pets, depending on the size of the aircraft).  For more information and additional regulations, check Air Canada's website.

RELATED:
New airline Pet Airways caters to cats (and dogs)

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: A passenger walks past Air Canada jets at Vancouver International Airport.  Credit: Andy Clark / Reuters

Small pets to be permitted on Southwest Airlines flights

Southwest Airlines has announced several policy changes, and one of them is sure to make a big difference to pet owners (at least, small pet owners). Our colleague Jane Engle has the details on the Daily Travel & Deal Blog:

Starting with tickets booked June 1, for travel June 17 or later, you'll be able to bring a small cat or dog aboard for a fee of $75 each way.  Pets will still be banned from the cargo hold.

For the rules, check out a cute video, featuring Ace the dog and an improbably enthusiastic kitten (this is a feline?) named Frankie, that Southwest posted on YouTube and its blog site. Or you can can read the details and a Q&A on the airline's P.A.W.S. (Pets Are Welcome on Southwest) page.

Southwest's program name recalls the JetPaws program that JetBlue Airways started in December. But there are differences. JetBlue, for instance, charges $100 each way, and it awards two frequent-flier points per pet for each flight. Southwest doesn’t give frequent-flier points to pets.

Travelers must make a pet reservation by phone beforehand, and the $75 pet fee must be paid in person at the airline's ticket counter.  Each passenger may bring only one pet carrier on board; the carrier will count as the passenger's carry-on and must be stowed under the seat. The pet carrier may contain up to two animals -- but don't get crazy with species-mixing (it's either two cats or two small dogs, and they must be able to stand and turn around easily in the carrier). 

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Ray Kachatorian / For The Times