Since I was a little puppy my mother took Q-Ball and I on airplanes cross country to visit the familia in California and friends down south. Q-Ball and I actually have flown more than most people on this earth (but not as much as Puff Daddy's Maltese). Because we are small dogs we can fly underneath the seat in most airlines. So we have flown American Airlines, Continental and Jet Blue (um, I think I am black listed from Jet Blue for an certain incident involving me having a little tummy ache during the flight and EXPLODING all over my bag, mom and her chair - okay PP go to your happy place...).
Well this isn't an option for larger pets, especially large dogs. They usually are treated like baggage and have to fly in the cargo area which would be sooo traumatic for me. I would need to see a doggie therapist AND doggie psychic if my mom ever had me fly that way. Many animals have died from either being too cold or too hot in the cargo area. My mom's stepsister flew her dog across country and he was left on the tarmac during a rainstorm. He soon after developed a terrible cold and died. She was devastated! That was my step-cousin dog I think.
Lately my mom has become on Facebook a fan of Pet Airways. This is an airline that has the entire cabin as kennels (almost a little jealous as that sounds much better than being stuffed under a seat in the small space like a handbag). According to Pet Airways, "pets aren't packages, they're 'pawsengers.'" Great tagline! So pets are treated with the same safety and protocol as human passengers. Now we pets get the same opportunities that humans do like; being ignored by the flight attendant, no food on the flight, drool from the kennel above landing on us, no movies and no explanations for why we are sitting on the tarmac for hours. Hey at least we won't have crying babies on board!
Initially, the airline will only service Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles... with only one flight a week per city.... but the company hopes to grow to multiple flights to 25 cities over the next few years. So at least a larger pet can be flown to to a city and then have a shorter drive instead of being driven across the country and having to deal with humans that long in such a small environment.
My question is when are they going international? I hear dogs are welcomed in the UK now as long as we fly through Gatwick. I want to be a European dog as I hear we are welcomed in bars and restaurants there. I want to be walked along the Thames or the Seine and eat foie gras and pate and shepherd's pie (even though I have no idea what that is) and drink a pint of dark ale. Yummy!! My mom would love to go to an ashram so maybe one day they can fly to India! I think I would be very popular in India or Asia (and not on the menu, mind you).
I don't think I am ready to fly to Africa because if humans can't treat each other like humans beings should be treated imagine what they would do to me??
To check out Pet Airways go to www.petairways.com
And mom I promise next time I fly with you that I will not mortify you with my little poopy explosions as I got the feeling that you were a little turned off with flying with me anymore. Remember we still have that travel memoir to write...
Chow for now!
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