Pet Airways, a pet-only airline that transports animals in the main cabin, has scheduled its launch for July 14.
The start-up will serve five airports: Teterboro (west of New York City), Baltimore/Washington, Chicago Executive, Rocky Mountain Municipal (near Denver) and Hawthorne Municipal (near Los Angeles).
The airline intends to take web reservations, but a message on Pet Airways’ website on Friday and Monday said the booking engine was temporarily down due to "tremendous response to our service." Pet Airways is giving prospective customers the option of booking by phone, if they email their reservation information first.
Pets fly in Beechcraft 1900 turboprops with the seats and overhead bins removed. Animals are placed in customer-supplied carriers that are secured with the airline's proprietary restraint system, said Pet Airways.
Owners must drop off their pets at the airport at least two hours before takeoff. They can check in pets up to 72 hours before the flight, in which case they are boarded at the airline's Paws Lodge.
Before takeoff, a "pet attendant" makes sure the animals are secure. Pet attendants also check on passengers during the flight and give animals the opportunity to relieve themselves before and after the flight.
On its website, Pet Airways says the average one-way fare is $250. Introductory fares start at $149. The service is operated by Suburban Air Freight of Omaha, Neb.
Pet Airways, based in Delray Beach, Fla., was founded by Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder, pet owners who wanted to take their Jack Russell terrier, Zoe, on vacation but found no appealing options available.
The dog was too big to fit in a carrier under the seat on a commercial jet, and they didn't want the dog stowed in the cargo hold.
Wiesel said Pet Airways pays commissions to travel agents, but an automated booking process for agents has not been built yet.
In the interim, agents can sign up as an affiliate. When they do, agents will receive a link taking them to PetAirways' site. From there, they can make a reservation as if they were the client, given that they know the client's credit card number.