pet friendly airports

Outside the Air France-KLM Animal Hotel in AmsterdamImagine a place at the airport where you could retreat to your private, air-conditioned room, take a nice walk in a grassy park and grab a bite to eat while you relax and wait for your next flight to take off.  No more loud terminals, uncomfortable waiting area chairs, or worrying about final boarding calls-you're free to relax while your personal assistant makes sure you make it onto your next flight in time.

At Air France-KLM (AF-KL) Cargo's Animal Hotel, your airport dream is your pet's reality.  Pets traveling on AF-KL Cargo get a chance to relax in comfortable surroundings while being cared for by qualified and specially-trained Animal Attendants.  "All animals can eat, drink, exercise and rest to break up a long journey," said Robert van Voorthuysen, International Sales Manager for the Variation Live department at AF-KL Cargo.  "Dogs and cats deserve the comfort and attention we give to our passengers."

The AF-KL Cargo Animal Hotel, sometimes called "a home away from home," is located at the Amsterdam International Airport Schiphol, and serves as the perfect entry and jumping-off point for pets traveling to the Netherlands and other European Union destinations.

Upon arrival at the Amsterdam airport, pets are immediately transferred to the Animal Hotel via climate-controlled, pet friendly vehicles.  There, the Animal Attendant staff is able to provide dogs with their unique KLM cargo dog-walking service! 

While enjoying a short break in size-appropriate kennels, pets' crates are cleaned thoroughly before being transferred to their next flight.

The Animal Hotel is definitely a comfortable place to wait for your next flight.  "It meets and even exceeds all the high European standards in quality and hygiene," said van Voorthuysen.  "We are proud to mention that the Animal Hotel is qualified according to ISO 9002," the most prestigious recognition of industrial quality in Europe.  In addition to being clean, a veterinarian is on call at all times to assist with pets who might have become ill during transport.  The Animal Hotel, which is fully operational twenty-four hours a day, also has its own quarantine station.

If you're headed to the Netherlands or beyond, AF-KL Cargo's Animal Hotel is a great layover option for your pet. Ready to go?  Check back tomorrow for more information on how to book a flight on KLM for your pet!

PetRelocation.com's Pet Friendly Airline Spotlight series features our favorite pet friendly airlines for travel with pets. These Spotlights will highlight one airline each week, Monday through Thursday, through the month of May. We'll take a look at the various aspects of their pet programs, including amenities offered for pets, how to book a pet flight on each airline and their fee structures. For a look at the rest of our Airline Spotlight series, check out the Airline Spotlight page or on Twitter as #PetReloAS.

Pet travel to China just got a little easier.  Pet friendly KLM Airlines will launch scheduled service between Amsterdam and Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport in China beginning May 8, 2010. KLM is the first airline to offer direct service between Hangzhou and Europe, where their pet hotel is located at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. 

The new roundtrip service will be operated three times a week, departing from Schiphol on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and returning from Hangzhou on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Flights will be operated with a Boeing 777-200ER, which has pressurized, climate controlled cargo holds for pets.

Hangzhou is the capital of the province Zhejiang, which, together with the neighbouring province Fujian, is home to more than 80 million people. Via Hangzhou, passengers can catch connecting flights to other destinations within China once their pets have cleared through customs for entering the country.

"KLM is proud to add this 63rd intercontinental destination to its network. KLM has thus improved China’s connection with Europe and the rest of the world,” said KLM President & CEO Peter Hartman in an email to pet-friendly pet travel companies. "Furthermore, KLM has hereby given an enormous impulse to Schiphol’s mainport status. The KLM network is crucial to the Dutch economy, contributing to a favourable business establishment climate, generating employment and creating opportunities for Dutch businesses."

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.