pet friendly airlines

Airports have come a long way with regards to pet-friendly areas.  Here are the top 10 pet-friendly airportsPet friendly airports like JFK are perfect for travelers with pets! that have improved their pet features over the last year.  Have you traveled to any of these airports and visited their pet areas?  Email us a picture or post one on our Facebook page of you and your pet!

Missing from this list is John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City.  Their Pet Relief Area that we recently visited was quite spacious and even offered benches for pets and owners to stay a while.

1. Atlanta: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) The 1,000-square-foot fully-fenced Poochie Park includes flowers, grass, rocks, and benches to set the scene for dogs to sniff around, get a bit of exercise, and do their business. Being the world's busiest airport, it has seen its fair share of pets pass through and wanted to better cater to their four-legged passengers.

One of our specialists was recently lucky enough to get to visit the American Airlines Pet Relief Area at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport (check out our previous post on the topic - American Airlines Opens New "Pet Relief" Area at JFK Airport) and chat a bit with the American Airlines staff.  Cara, one of our International Pet Relocation Specialists, was transporting a very small Chihuahua named Mocha from New York to Tokyo. 

Pet friendly travel at the Pet Relief area: John, Cara, Mocha, Joseph and Liz from American Airlines

The American Airlines Facilities Manager, Joseph Daly, took some time to talk with us about the new facility.  We got tons of great video footage that we'll be releasing soon in a special miniseries on traveling with pets.  In the meantime, here some interesting facts we picked up:

A search-and-rescue team from Spain was transported to Haiti to assist with recovery efforts.It's difficult for us on the outside to look at the devastation and tragedy in Haiti and not be able to do anything.  Those who are able to assist financially are urged to donate through the Red Cross.  Thankfully, the airlines have been stepping in and flying teams of medical professionals to Haiti to help those who need it the most.  In addition to health professionals, pet friendly airlines like Continental have been assisting with the transportation of search and rescue dogs, key players in the rescue and recovery efforts currently going on in Haiti.

The Management team at American Airlines advises that Port Au Prince Airport (PAP) in Haiti is still operating at a minimal standard.  Their report is as follows:

“Aftershocks are still occurring. The Air Traffic Control tower has no glass. Runway lights are working, but not on typically to save power.  There is no fuel available. I do not have word on stairs, loaders etc. The perimeter fence is OK and there are armed guards posted around the airport. The four roads leading into the airport are still mostly impassable. The terminal is badly damaged. We are taking engineering support in tomorrow (Thursday) to review the terminal structure."

Despite all of this, a search-and-rescue dog team from Spain was able to travel on Continental Airlines via Newark, New Jersey to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where they then made their way to Haiti.  The 10 handlers were traveling with four specially trained search-and-rescue dogs in the cabin of the aircraft (a special arrangement made for the extenuating circumstances -- normally dogs of this size would not be allowed in the passenger cabin of the airplane).  Continental waived the pet fees typically associated with in cabin and cargo travel as a way of contributing to the rescue efforts in Haiti.

The picture was taken of the group at Terminal C in Newark Airport during the team's connection from their origin in Madrid.  Continental's PetSafe team relieved the handlers of the pets by walking, feeding and watering the dogs during their layover.

We will continue to keep you updated on the status of Port Au Prince Airport as well as keep the people of Haiti in our thoughts and prayers.

If you're thinking of moving or traveling with your pets to Germany, Continental Airlines just announced their new non-stop flights frmo Houston to Frankfurt.  As a result, we're now able to offer pet-friendly bookings on both Lufthansa and Continental going direct to Frankfurt.  It's not too late for some Oktoberfest!

Lufthansa and Continental Airlines, two of our favorite pet-friendly airlines, have teamed up to offer a free trip to tour Continental and Lufthansa headquarters as well as the Airbus factory. Pretty cool!

Pet owners traveling to or from Edmonton, Canada (Airport code:  YEG) will soon have a new "pet friendly" option for their trip. Continental has announced new non-stop service from Houston, TX to Edmonton International Airport beginning Nov. 1, 2009, subject to government approval.  Pets flying under the Continental Pet Safe program 

Name: Donna Kull
Moving From: New York, NY
Moving To: Palm Beach, FL
Question: My dog is a labrador mix, and is extremely anxious with all types of travel. What safety precautions are there while my dog is in cargo? I saw on your video that Continental has staff checking in on pets in cargo during the flight. Is there someone there the entire time? Also, is cargo environmentally suited for temperature, water, etc? Can you describe it? I will be back and forth about 2-3 times a year.

We received word today that Continental Airlines will now be offering pet flights in and out of two more cities. Dayton, Ohio (DAY) has reopened to animals (in and out) effective August 1, 2009.  

Additionally, St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles (SXM) is now available for import and export animals, effective immediately

We've been receiving many request for pet flights to St. Maarten lately, so we're happy to now have a pet friendly airline to send pets on to that destination!

If you're traveling with pets out of New York's John F. Kennedy Airport anytime soon, your four-legged friends will now be able to relieve themselves prior to take off.  American Airlines has installed a "Pet Relief Area" for pets to relieve themselves prior to their big trip.

This makes JFK the second airport in the New York area to accomodate pets.  Last year, Continental Airlines opened an exclusive pet hotel at Newark Airprort.

Yesterday I wrote a piece that appeared on Huffington Post about why the new pet airline, PetAirways, may not fly in the long run.