Pet Travel

Who Says Airline Fees Are for the Dogs?


Anne Banas
Anne Banas

    With all the media buzz around upstart

    Pet Airways

    and Southwest's

    recent announcement

    to allow animals onboard, it's clear there's a strong market for "pet-setting." However, flying your furry friends can still be pricey—sometimes more than it costs for you to go—especially as other airlines

    raise fees

    . Not the case with Jetblue, at least for a little while. The already

    fur-friendly

    airline has gone the opposite direction by teaming up with

    Petco

    to reduce its in-cabin pet fee (JetBlue doesn't fly animals in cargo) for the month of September.

    Here are the details: Save 50 percent on JetBlue's pet fee (so, pay only $50 each way instead of $100) when traveling between September 1 and 30. You must book by August 31 by calling 800-JETBLUE (538-2583) and using promotion code "LETSGO." The normal telephone booking fee of $15 will be waived.

    This could be an excellent window of opportunity for owners of cats and small dogs, considering that other airlines normally charge up to $125 each way for pets to travel in the cabin, and flights on PetAirways start at $149 (not to mention that destinations are limited and humans can't tag along).

    After many years of experience with an anxiety-ridden feline who induces vomit the second the car engine starts, I'm not suggesting that pets need to travel more. However, if your best pal must to get from point A to point B, I think taking advantage of JetBlue's offer could be a great option to save cash.

    Will you take advantage of this offer? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.