Traveling with pets has become big business. More and more, you see hotels rolling out the red carpet for dogs, cats and other pets with special packages and welcoming treats. And I can’t seem to board a plane these days without seeing someone carrying a small animal in a case with them.
But a group of Canadian doctors want to kick animals out of the main cabin, saying they pose too much of an allergy risk to other passengers.
A New York Times story today quotes Dr Matthew B. Stanbrook, deputy scientific editor for the Canadian Medical Association Journal, as saying that ”1 in 10 people have allergies to animals,” and that exposure to dogs and cats in a small space such as an airplane cabin can “set off an asthma attack or a life-threatening reaction.”
And in an opinion piece for that medical journal written last week, Stanbrook and other doctors wrote, unequivocally: “Pets can be accommodated comfortably and safely in airplane cargo holds, which is where they belong. Airlines must choose to put the needs of their human passengers first, or be forced to do so.”
Personally I’ve never brought my cats on a plane, mostly because I’d hate to hear the racket that might ensue if they were in the main cabin (and I’m not always comfortable drugging them). But if I needed to have them flown, I’d definitely pay the extra fees to have them with me . While I know people who have put their pets in the cargo hold with no problems, I’ve always been leery of the extreme temperatures that the animals could be exposed to. Plus you always read those stories of animals escaping and getting lost in the plane and traveling halfway around the world before someone finds them (I know, I read way too much).
Yet I can see where the doctors are coming from. I have friends with pet allergies so severe that their face swells up when they enter a room where a cat is. It’s not that they don’t like the animals; it’s that they physically can’t cope with the dander. The opinion piece from the doctors doesn’t contain any statistics; I’d be interested to know many people have suffered allergy attacks when flying.
Perhaps the best solution is that proposed by Pet Airways, which started service last year. This is an airline that ONLY transports pets, in a main cabin specially designed for pet carriers. An attendant checks on the “pawssengers” every 15 minutes and the animals are given potty breaks before and after the flight. Drawbacks? It’s pricey – fares start at $149 and it’s only in 10 U.S. cities. Still, what a great alternative for someone doing a corporate cross-country move. (I’d love to talk to someone who has used this service: if you have, write me a comment or send me an email at chris@caroundtheworld.com)
What do you think? Should people be forced to check their pets in cargo instead of bringing them into the main cabin?
Chris Gray Faust is the former travel editor at USA TODAY. Visit her blog, Chris Around the World for a daily serving of her travel insights and news.
