In an effort to provide additional services for passengers traveling with pets, and increase their overall revenue, Southwest Airlines, known for its low fares and "nutty" customer service, announced this week that beginning June 16th they would start allowing "small" cats and dogs to travel in cabin on their flights.

While it's encouraging to see airlines accomodating pet owners, a quick scan of the comments section on USA Today's blog, Today in the Sky, sums up the general views of how pets are received by other people when they are traveling in cabin: not well.

Allergies, smells, distracting noises, and anxious owners can make any pet-loving passenger sour on the idea of pets being on their flight (they can be like babies without the diapers).  And while it's often discussed how this affects the passengers, not many people think about how it feels to be a small dog or cat traveling under the seat:  luggage and drink carts rolling by, loudspeaker announcements, food smells to distract them, their owner's anxieties transferring to them.  All of these variables can cause a pet to act out when shut in a too-small carrier under the plane.

That's why, while Southwest Airlines allowing pets in cabin is a step forward, we feel they could do more for pets traveling.  The heavyweights in international and domestic pet travel -- Continental Airlines' PetSafe program, KLM's Variation Live and Lufthansa's Live Animal Cargo -- are setting the trends in the pet transportation industry.   Until a pet airline gets "off the ground" (and only time will tell if that answer is Pet Airways), pets are much happier traveling under the plane than in the cabin -- with the proper precautions of course:  Climate-controlled, pressurized cargo holds (separate from the luggage), dedicated pet handlers at all airports, specialized vehicles to transport pets to and from the plane, AC kennel facilities at major hubs, and a dedication to pet safety.

So at the least, pets allowed in cabin is a nice starting point for Southwest Airlines.  At it's best, it could be so much more, benefiting not only Southwest Airlines but also its  four-legged passengers.  Until then, we'll take the peanuts and wait for Southwest Pets 2.0.