The challenges and rewards of pet travel

On a hot August day at the Continental Airlines domestic ticket counter at Newark Airport, Toto was denied boarding.

No matter that he had a frequent-flyer number, a roundtrip Newark-Houston economy class ticket and had checked in with plenty of time to spare.

The flight's captain had the final word. He came to the ticket counter where he eyed Toto and then called a Continental baggage handler who had been loading the plane's cargo hold.

They talked. The outcome for Toto was a no-go.

"Too hot. Too risky. Too bad," the captain explained.

Toto had no options. At 16 pounds, the Cairn terrier was too big to fit under a cabin seat. And, in the captain's opinion, the temperature that August day was too high to fly Toto in the cargo or luggage holds.

Toto was reticketed on a night flight several weeks later when the temperatures had dropped.

Traveling with pets is no cakewalk. In fact, cruising or flying can be anything but carefree with Fido or Fifi in tow, but many travelers wouldn't think of leaving home without a leash, collar and water bowl at the very minimum.

For one thing, every country has different requirements that must be met before a pet puts its paws ashore.

A simple excursion to the Caribbean, for example, becomes quite sticky when pets are involved. Anguilla requires a pet permit that can take six months to obtain, while Jamaica stipulates a six-month quarantine in the U.K. before entry. St. Lucia insists upon a microchip implant and a tick/flea dosage 48 hours prior to arrival on the island.

On the other hand, dogs and cats going on vacation in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands need only a health and inoculation certificate from a vet, signed within two weeks of arrival.

PET NICHE

Difficulties notwithstanding, some agents who have been observing the rising trend in pet travel may be ready to collar a portion of this niche market.

"It's something I've been thinking of getting into," said Joseph Goodman, owner of International Tours & Cruises of Philadelphia. "More people are making their pets a part of the family. Shadow is not a dog anymore but a son. Sophie isn't a cat but a daughter. Their owners want Shadow and Sophie with them when they travel."

He added: "Unless Fido is under the seat, he has to go as cargo, and most people who are devoted to their pets don't want to do that."

Pet-friendly hotels abound, and many are high-end properties, making a good argument for Goodman to take the leap into that niche.

"It's not for everybody, but I think it's doable if someone wants to go into it," he said.

For those high-end clients extremely devoted to their critters, pet travel opportunities overwhelm virtually all sales resistance.

"Most of my clients who love their pets have someone who comes in and stays with the pets when they travel," said Gayle Gillies, president of Gayle Gillies Travel of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. "But one client who has a home in France always takes Fluffy, who travels in a first-class seat. Once she called me and said, 'They messed me up! I don't have a seat anymore, but Fluffy does.' "

The more upscale the clientele, the more likely they represent a healthy market for pet-related travel. Victoria Boomgarden, vice president of the Luxury Gold Division of Best Travel in Naperville, Ill., operates in a stratospheric niche of wealthy clients, from top corporate executives to celebrities, many of whom travel with pets.

"Their pets are their children," Boomgarden said. "I had to put a Maine coon cat on a private jet to Durango, Colo. Lyndon, the cat, even rode as a passenger in the limo from the airport, not even in a crate."

For Boomgarden, pet travel is such serious business that her agency keeps customer profiles on the animals.

"The profiles have the weight, the shots, all the things pets need for travel," Boomgarden said. "New services spring up all the time, like pet-centered transportation companies. Most of our clients will not put their pets in cargo. They want them in the cabin with them. Clients who have the money choose to send their pets privately. In my next life, I'm going to come back as one of their dogs."

HEAVY PETTING

John McGee, president of Pet Air, which bills itself as "your pet's travel agent," confirms that the pet travel business is indeed growing. Pet Air has been in business 30 years, and McGee said his operation is growing by 10% to 20% a year.

"More people are shipping their pets," he said. "It's like the pet food market. More people seem to be considering their pets a part of their family and spending more and more on them."

Pet Air, based in Kansas City, Mo., claims to ship more than 2,000 pets a week. Though the company occasionally gets a call from a travel agent, most business comes directly from customers who make reservations by phone or on the company's Web site. Sometimes Pet Air works with other pet relocation companies or with moving companies, filling in a missing component in relocation arrangements.

Pet Air doesn't pay travel agents commissions, but the knowledge of professional pet shipping can be a valuable service for the right client and worth a service fee.

"The most important thing for the travel industry to know is that there are professionals out there who deal exclusively with safe and proper transportation of animals," said McGee. "We recommend that if you're not using us, use someone like us."

Whoever handles the arrangements, pet owners often feel uncomfortable about their animals flying in a cargo hold. Unlike people, pets can't tell flight horror stories when they arrive at their destinations, but no one would claim that riding in a cargo hold makes for a bon voyage. Even so, there are ways to minimize the downside.

"Of course you can call an airline and say, 'Ship our dog,' and they'll say, 'Sure, bring it on down,' " said McGee. "But a professional pet transportation company will educate you on how to safely transport your pet, pick out the best flights, make sure you have the proper documentation and find the safest and most efficient way."

For example, McGee said, "At certain times of the year it's too hot or too cold. You need to know what times of the day to ship or not to ship. In the winter, you want to ship late in the day when it's warm. In the summer, you want to ship early in the morning or late at night."

Such issues as whether to book a nonstop flight or take a connecting flight become more critical when shipping a part of the family in the cargo hold. "At certain times, you may be able to get a nonstop," said McGee. "At other times, you may have to go to a hub. But the hub may be either too hot or too cold. There's a lot you need to know to be able to move an animal safely." 

LEARNING THE ROPES AND LEASHES

Those who insist on traveling with their pets face some challenges, but a travel agent who is armed with the know-how to make pet travel a pleasure can plug into a healthy and lucrative market.

The least strenuous way to travel with a pet is to walk. The next best is driving. With airline travel, it begins to get complicated. And travel abroad is far more fraught with regulations. Forget cruising with Shiloh unless the Queen Mary 2 is your ship of choice -- and if it is, anything goes.

Cunard claims to have had a pet-friendly policy since the 1840 maiden voyage of the Britannia. Under the line's Pets on Deck program, Fido gets royal treatment, from fresh-baked biscuits at turndown to a choice of beds and blankets to a special coat branded with the QM2 logo.

The line's complimentary gift pack for dogs includes a Frisbee, a name tag, a food dish with a scoop, a portrait with the pet's owners, a crossing certificate and a personal cruise card. Cunard also supplies dog and cat toys, scratching posts and a selection of high-end pet food.

Dogs must stay in a kennel area with adjacent indoor and outdoor walking areas, but they are open for dog-owner visits throughout the day. Kennel fees are $300 to $500 per cruise.

When it comes to pet travel, the Walt Disney Co., creators of Pluto and Goofy, long ago got a jump on the competition and has led the pack ever since. Walt Disney World, which opened its first kennel in 1971, now offers a choice of five World Resort Kennel Club facilities plus one at Disney's Fort Wilderness and Campground.

As a member of the American Boarding Kennel Association, Disney will board dogs, rabbits, ferrets, small rodents, birds and even snakes as long as they are not venomous. Pets must be at least eight weeks old, and guests are required to walk their dogs twice daily and provide up-to-date vaccinations.

The kennel charges $10 per pet for day boarding and $13 a day for overnight boarding.

Not to be left out, Universal Orlando also has pet-friendly policies. Its three Loews hotels offer the same "Loews Loves Pets" policies as the chain's other 16 North American properties.

Pets are welcomed to Loews with a note from the manager that includes a listing of the hotel's pet services. Guest rooms are equipped with pet place mats, food and water bowls, toys and treats, a do-not-disturb sign and a special room-service menu.

...CONTINUED...