For the second straight summer, Delta Air Lines has decided not to allow pets to travel as checked baggage on passenger flights. But earlier this year it started a program allowing travelers to check in Bruiser under strictly supervised conditions.
The plan, called Delta Pet First, accepts bookings from one to seven days before shipment. The pet must be dropped off at Delta’s air cargo facility adjacent to the airport two hours before departure and the owner must furnish a veterinarian’s health certificate for the pet issued within 10 days of the flight.
The airline says pets will be delivered to their owners at the air cargo terminal no more than 60 minutes after the flight’s arrival. The cost for a New York-to-Atlanta flight is $153 for a 26-pound animal in a small kennel, for example, and $252 for a 168-pounder in an extra-large one. Delta will still accept small pets for travel in the cabin–in carriers that fit under the seat–for $50 to $75.
Other airlines, including Continental and American, have plans similar to Delta’s. Southwest Airlines has banned all pets, even in the cabin.
