FLY THE DOG-FRIENDLY SKIES
Private aviation is transforming pet travel

Nearly all private-jet companies have pet-friendly aircrafts in their fleets, andmost don't have across-the-board rules when it comes to transporting animals.  "if you give us a head's up that you're bringing your pet, we can find a multitude of aircraft options for you," Johnson says.  "The pet policies can change from one aircraft to another—some require people to bring their own harnesses, some don't; some have no problem with a pet being loose in the cabin, others want them in kennels.  It comes down to the carrier."  Most companies say they do not charge extra for pets, as they recognize that pet travel is often the reason they were hired in the first place.  "There is absolutely no additional price for pets," Cimino says.

"The aircraft is chartered by the hour.  The only way we could charge extra would be if there were special requests, like catered dining for your pet."

Catering for Fido?  Yes, it happens.  And so do lots of other unusual pet-travel scenarios.  "I have flown 31 cats before," Cimino says with a laugh.  "The cats go wherever their owner goes."  But don't think cat owners are the only people with eccentricities.  "I had a customer who had half a dozen dogs come on the plane," Rome says.  "And I had another customer who flew his dogs across the country—without any human passengers."  What if a flight is too long for a dog to go without relieving himself?  "We'll make a landing to give the dog a break," Johnson says.  "That's one of the reasons why a lot of people think flying is easier ont eh dog than driving.  Take, for example, the head of technology for a very well-known newspaper.  He was relocating from the West Coast to the East Coast, and he didn't want his dog to have to drive cross-country.  the whole premise of that $17,000 flight was to move his dog more comfortably."

No matter what their reasons, many jet-setting pet owners say they're glad private aviation is a good (and growing) option.  "I think the word is out, and more people are flying private than ever before," Rome says. "Families don't want to leave their dogs at home of in a kennel, so they rent a jet.  After all, their dogs are their kids too."

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