A private jet service that lets passengers and their pets fly side by side in luxury is to launch its first Dublin route next year.
K9 Jets, which already flies into London, Lisbon, Paris, New Jersey and Dubai, allows passengers to travel with their pets on their laps instead of having to put them in the cargo hold.
The airline caters for creatures including dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Prices vary but the London to New Jersey route costs $8,925 (€8,420) for one passenger and their pet.
The company, run by Adam and Kirsty Golder from Birmingham, UK, launched in March. Adam Golder began his career in aviation after being furloughed from his job during the pandemic. He said the Dublin service would initially operate to London and New Jersey.
Airlines including Delta and American Airlines allow small dogs and cats to travel with passengers but they have to be in a pet carrier that fits beneath the seat in front. Delta also permits small pet birds to be carried in the cabin.
Advertisement
Aer Lingus does not allow pets in the cabin except for assistance dogs.
“We’ve launched our schedule for 2024 up until September but we know that Dublin is hugely popular so we’re going to put it in as a stopover between London and New Jersey. We’ll be announcing it before the end of this year and it will start in quarter one of 2024,” Golder said.
“Lots of Irish people have travelled with us already — at the moment they have to get the ferry across to London. I would say maybe 20 per cent of people that have flown with us into or out of London are from Ireland. We have emails every day from people that are in Ireland or want to go back to Ireland, so it’s going to be big I think.”
Golder said the service operated at a capacity of ten people plus their pets. “Because there are ten people it’s not as luxurious as chartering your own jet, but it’s still a great experience,” he said.
“You’re in close proximity to other people and other animals on the flight but it’s the best way to get across the Atlantic with your pet. We have a flight attendant that looks after the passengers throughout and there’s an open bar and food included.”
Advertisement
He added: “We encourage the pets not to eat during the flight to avoid accidents but we do have pee pads and things like that in case they need to go. Generally the animals sleep the whole way after take-off because of the white noise.”
Golder said many pet owners were no longer keen on using cargo holds when they took their pets abroad.
“When you’re flying transatlantic with your dog, normally they have to go in a crate in the hold of an aircraft and there’s a huge number of people who just don’t want to do that any more,” he said.
“It is a safe way to do it but I think during Covid a lot of people got closer to their pets more than ever. And also the cost of cargo ... the crate weight has gone up considerably, so like for like it’s not actually that much difference in cost.
“The whole emphasis about the service is that it’s not for multimillionaires — they’re just people who care about their pets.”
Advertisement
K9 Jets has a policy to offset its emissions. “From an environmental perspective we do try to do our bit,” Golder said. “The flights only happen if they’re full, so it’s not as if they’re flying around empty.”
Deirdre Mc Laughlin from Derry travelled from New Jersey to London with K9 Jets in April with her partner, James, and their dogs Murphy and Bentley. She emigrated to the US 30 years ago but was coming back to Ireland to retire here.
“We wanted to ensure that our dogs were comfortable and safe on the journey. We needn’t have worried — it was an overnight flight and they slept through most of it. It was so much easier than previous flights. It was a stress-free and comfortable journey for all of us.”
Mc Laughlin added: “The fact that it’s a semi-private charter meant we had a bit more space and privacy. The dogs also got a K9 dog cookie and personalised toys that they still play with. There was champagne, wine and snacks for the adults.”
