Best Dog Friendly Airlines – Ethan Klapper is a former senior aviation reporter at TPG who focused on the operational side of the airline industry. He joined TPG in 2021 from Yahoo News, where he served as senior audience development editor, overseeing social media and audience development strategy. Before joining the Yahoo News team in 2018, Ethan worked at HuffPost.
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Best Dog Friendly Airlines
Late last year I was visiting friends in Dallas and decided to take advantage of some surprisingly affordable fares with the semi-private airline JSX. While waiting at JSX’s private terminal at Dallas Love Field (DAL) for my flight back to Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), I noticed a small parade of adorable dogs exiting the plane arriving on a leash.
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The dogs I share with my boyfriend are named after famous pilots Amelia Earhart and Patty Wagstaff and are near and dear to me. Growing up, I didn’t have a dog, and when I visited friends, I avoided their canine counterparts.
But when I started dating my girlfriend, her black labrador retriever Amelia quickly stole my heart. And after we moved to a bigger apartment in Houston, we decided it was time to be Amelia’s friend. So we adopted Patty—a large dog we think is a German Shorthair Pointer—from a Southeast Texas Labrador Retriever rescue. The now three-year-old member of our family is a bundle of joy and energy, although she is a bit anxious about loud noises, which makes traveling challenging for her.
I wondered if JSX might be an option for Patty and looked into the airline’s pet policy. Excited to see that I could bring Patty aboard on a leash, I decided to give her a taste of one of my joys in life – flying.
JSX operates a fleet of 30-seat Embraer 135 and 145 regional jets to destinations around the West Coast, Texas, Florida and the Northeast. Being a semi-private airline, JSX operates from private terminals away from the main airline’s terminals at commercial airports. Plus, it has a different set of transportation regulations, so passengers don’t have to go through a Transportation Security Administration check to get on the plane. This makes it possible to reach the airport 20 minutes before the scheduled departure of the flight.
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JSX has one of the most liberal pet policies in the US airline industry that I have come across. While all other US-based carriers allow pets in the cabin, they generally require small non-service animals to be placed in carriers under the seat in front of you. Some carriers also allow large dogs, although they are required to travel in kennels located in the warehouse.
While fees apply when traveling with pets on other carriers — expect to pay $50 to $125 on an Allegiant flight for a one-way flight with United or JetBlue — on JSX, the in-cabin kennel option is free. However, what makes JSX particularly appealing to pet owners is its policy for medium to large dogs. If your dog weighs less than 65 pounds, it can travel with you in the cabin and out of the carrier for the cost of a second seat. This option is a godsend for those whose dogs are too big to fit in the small carrier in the cabin, but are hesitant to check the dog as cargo (like me). Cape Air has a similar policy to JSX, but only for certain flights around Martha’s Vineyard (MVY) and Nantucket (ACK).
Wanting Patty’s first flight to be a short experience and her anxiety, my boyfriend and I booked a 45 minute JSX flight from Houston to Dallas.
For a flight with a medium to large dog, JSX must call the reservation center. The ordering process was completed without a headache. My call was answered immediately and it only took 10 minutes on the phone to get everything ready. The friendly agent explained the pet policy and emailed me a form to submit at check-in. He even sent me a copy of my itinerary so I could double check all the information before we parted ways.
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Filling out the form was easy. As long as your dog’s vaccinations are up to date and records are available, this shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
The one-way fare for both me and Patty was $318. This included an additional fee of $40 for booking two seats together, which I had to pay after the Hop On Fare I booked (on JSX’s cheaper alternative) did not include seat selection. I chose to pay for the flight with my Chase Sapphire Reserve and therefore earned 954 Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth $19.08 based on TPG’s latest rating. Note that fares on longer JSX flights such as Dallas-Las Vegas (LAS), Dallas-Miami (MIA) and Miami-Westchester County (HPN) are more expensive and may be doubled to include the JSX fee for pets $1,000 per street.
My girlfriend, Patty, and I left a little earlier than necessary for the 8:30 flight in traffic. Luckily it was an easy drive to Houston’s secondary airport so we arrived around 7:50pm. JSX’s private terminal is located on the east side of Airport Square near the fixed operator signature support and the Houston Police Department helicopter base. We left my car with a valet, which costs $35 per day, although you can save money by leaving or using a call service.
JSX’s terminal was small but comfortable and functional, with coffee and tea stations available, as well as televisions and free Wi-Fi. Handing over my driver’s license and pet form to one of JSX’s customer service agents, my bag was cleared of explosives residue – the only form of security I had passed – before being handed two boarding passes (one for me, one for Patty). And a sample of Mab & Stoke “recovery cream” for muscle relief, heavily promoted by JSX. Since the main lounge area was a little crowded, we opted to wait in one of the two private waiting rooms available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Patty seemed happy at first as she gave us the “Pet on the Jets” bandana that JSX had given us, but my boyfriend and I started to get a little annoyed when she started crying when one of us left the waiting room. To get him going, my boyfriend gave him a new chew toy and some dog treats.
When it came time to board, Patty became even more anxious, so we put a little more space in front of us and between the passengers. The Embraer 145 aisle was a bit narrow for her, but we made it to our seats in 4A, 4C and 4D.
The interior was fresh even though the plane was about 19 years old. The seats on this particular aircraft are configured in a 1-2 configuration, although most Embraer 145s on Texas routes have a 1-1 seat configuration, the right side aisle seat has been converted to a large cup holder and additional seat fees are still charged. If you want to bring your pet. Patty once tried to climb on the seat (which is not allowed) but after the first try she was sitting comfortably on the floor. Then the flight attendant apologized with a bottle of water before take off. She said she had a minor injury on the flight to Houston, so out of an abundance of caution the captain told her to stay on our flight to Dallas unless it was an emergency. I respect such safety decisions, so I didn’t want to lose my snacks on a short flight. Plus, it saved me from worrying about the burger hitting my tray table.
All the sounds and movements seemed to be happening except for some confusion when Patty turned off the Embraer’s air conditioning to start the engine. It was like car rides he loved and elevators he hated.
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After a quick taxi we left runway 31L and were soon on our way to Dallas through the Lone Star State.
During the flight, Patty settled in and was comfortable enough to sleep by the end of the trip. I kept her on the leash the whole time, but she looked so relaxed that it wasn’t necessary.
As we approached runway 31R in Dallas, I was sure of it
