By Patrick Clarke
While transporting pets through the skies has gotten safer over the years, the development of GPS and other technology highlights the next big step in eliminating the risk.
Delta Air Lines announced this month that it will begin offering a revolutionary new pet-tracking device designed to allow animal-loving passengers to travel without worries, according to Michael Sasso of Bloomberg.com.
The PT300 device was designed by Sendum Wireless Corp., and will be available for $50 per flight from as many as 10 different airports, with the goal being to provide peace of mind for customers and reduce the potential risk for pets.
“When things go wrong with a pet, it often goes horribly wrong,” points out Sendum airline adviser and former Delta cargo executive Neel Jones Shah.
The device, once placed on the animal’s crate, is able to specify location, temperature and a variety of other factors. The device can even identify whether the crate is right-side-up. This way, it’s able to alert Delta’s call center in case a problem arises.
What’s more, pet owners will be able to check on and track their animal’s stats on a website.
The Atlanta-based carrier will offer the new device to pet owners who bring their animals to the Delta Cargo facility at New York’s LaGuardia Airport as well as other major airports in Atlanta; Cincinnati; Detroit; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tennessee; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Seattle; Salt Lake City and Tampa.
However, the service will be unavailable for pets transported by checked baggage at the passenger terminal at the aforementioned airports.
But while the GPS-based device is expected to improve the quality of animal shipments, it also boasts other uses, including assisting in the transport of temperature-sensitive objects, according to Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant.
Although Delta will be the first to implement the new device, other airlines are likely to follow suit.
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