Pet Travel Question: What is the Safest Pet Airline?
Number of Pets: 2
Pet Type: Cats
Pet Breed: Domestic Short Hair/Domestic Medium Hair
From: Baltimore, MD
To: Honolulu, HI
I have two small cats and I am concerned about air travel. I have tried to research the best and safest way to ensure my cats arrive safely... What is the best airline for pet travel and why? I was leaning toward Continental; is their PetSafe Program different from what other airlines offer? With my current travel arrangements and using the Continental program, my cats will have to travel to Houston and stay overnight due to connecting flight times before continuing to Hawaii. My cats are indoor only and have never been exposed to these conditions and since the flight is not non-stop, I am worried they could be sitting on a ramp somewhere at Houston in July for an extended period of time. I have searched and searched and could really use some professional help and I hope you can ease my mind some.
Thanks,
Don
Hi Don,
Your concerns are definitely understandable! Pets are part of the family and of course we want them to be as safe and as comfortable as possible when they're traveling. Pet air safety is a topic we've devoted a lot of energy to covering; take a look at this editorial from our CEO (Pet Travel doesn't Have to be Hairy) that was published a few months ago, and spend a little time clicking through our blog, where we recently published a Pet Friendly Airline Series.
Continental is our first choice, as they have developed (with our help) a PetSafe program. Animals are never left unattended on the tarmac no matter what the temperature is (watch this behind the scenes Continental video for more information), and every effort is made to keep the pets calm and protected throughout the flying process.
Check out the pet import requirements for Hawaii to help you prepare for your flight, and good luck with your travels, Don! Hopefully this has helped a bit, but don't hesitate to contact us if you'd like some help handling your move or if you have any more questions.