More than ever before travelers are now flying in First Class with their dogs. It's not just private jet travel anymore. I recently flew to New York in the new Mint Class offered by JetBlue Airlines. Sixteen new fully flat bed seats in the front of the plane. Four of the seats are private suites with sliding doors for a more exclusive experience. JetBlue is also proud of their JetPaws program encouraging pet owners to travel on board with their furry partners.
Unfortunately many passengers are taking advantage of the Service Dog and Emotional Support dog waivers that airlines accept. On my JetBlue flight, a 50 pound Basset Hound showed up at my feet while I slept and two other dogs roamed the aisles unleashed. This is a problem for passengers with allergy problems. On an American Airlines flight to Miami last week a First Class pit-bull ran into the cockpit prior to takeoff startling the pilots and causing a serious incident on the tarmac. A woman tried boarding with a 50lb pig this week and was eventually kicked off the US Air flight when the emotional support pet became unruly. Eventually such disregard for other passengers will lead to more restrictions by the airlines.
Pampered Pooch (photo courtesy of Rob Ochoa / Pawmazingphotography.com)
Still, the luxury of private jet travel with your pets surpasses any other experience. Quite a few elite companies are offering first class services for jet pets including one with a concierge service provided by Carol Martin of Sit 'n Stay Global. No request surprises her after many years of working with wealthy clients. "Nothing seems outrageous to me any more, nothing surprises me and we somehow always make it happen" she says, "I suppose most requests that might seem outrageous on the surface are really just folks who love their pets and want them to experience the very best life. I do have one Lab I nanny for on the road while his Dad works long days. It allows his Dad to have that family member with him that makes anywhere feel like home, but not leave that family member bored and lonely during work days. When this gentleman learned that I love to go on walking tours of different cities, he began insisting that I take his dog on the walking tour of every famous city we traveled to. He wants his dog to experience all of the cultural and historical highlights of every famous city. We take pictures and send them back to him as he works and he takes great pride in all that his dog has experienced worldwide. I have to admit that seeing a city through a dog’s eyes does bring a whole new perspective, so I get a lot out of it too!"
Private Jet guest (Photo courtesy of Sit 'n Stay Global)
Aside from many luxury offerings, Sit 'n Stay Global is the only company that provides safety equipment on board for pets such as a DOT tested safety harness, life jacket and pet oxygen mask. For sick animals JetSetVets is the first private jet Veterinary Pet Service to include in-flight medical care for pets. The company was created by New York City and Hamptons based celebrity house call veterinarian, Dr. Cindy Bressler. Other private jet companies creating custom experiences for luxury pet travel including PrivateFly, Magellan Jets, Paramount Business Jets. And of course who can refuse decadent amenities to bring on your flight like the Versace Berocca 22K Gold leafed Pet bowl, Roberto Cavalli's couture line of pet travel clothing or Louis Vuitton's $3,000 dog carrier.
Photo of Marc Jacobs dog Neville with his buddies enroute to St. Barth's (photo by Marc Jacobs)
