Being a pet owner myself I can attest to the stress factor that arises when I have to travel with my furry feline friend. What has always worried me is the conditions or compartments that our pets are actually placed in, but now, with a new upgrade from American Airlines, preferred seating has become available. Although the service is only available via the airlines’ A321T planes and between Los Angeles and San Francisco to New York City, First Class passengers can now have special compartments for their furry friends adjacent to their own seats, designated as “Cuddle Class”.
A spokesperson for the airline mentioned that the First Class pet cabins were specially customized to be positioned inside the main cabin to make it easier on the pets and their owners. Since it was becoming quite a popular trend for people to travel with pets, the airlines thought this would be a great opportunity to try something a little ‘out of the box’.
Seats for the new “Cuddle Class” passengers should be booked and reserved when you book your own tickets and of course, a vet’s ‘Ok’ is quite necessary. Larger pets (those that won’t comfortably fit into the 19” by 13” carrier) might not able to be accommodated so you might want to rethink this option for your St. Bernard or Sheep dog. The price is $125 which is the same fee you’d pay for a Pet carry-on.
While all this sounds quite reassuring for pet owners, I wonder what other passengers would say, especially those with allergies and such. It’ll be interesting to see how those scenarios are managed on-board.
[Via – Travelandleisure]
