Easier pet travel from NWA

by Martin Moylan, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — Eagan-based Northwest Airlines is now allowing customers to use the Internet to book travel for pets, as long as their travel is within the continental United States.

The option is available in the My Reservations section of Northwest's Web site. The new pet reservation option applies to domesticated dogs, cats and household birds traveling in a kennel.

Northwest spokeswoman Michelle Aguayo-Shannon says the airline's Web site covers pet travel in great detail.

"We do have a whole section dedicated to flying with your pets. It's under travel tools. We have everything from frequently asked questions to rules and regulations. So, anybody is registering online can get all their information right there," said Aguayo-Shannon.

The airline charges $80 each way for a pet's travel. Service pets are exempt from the fee. Northwest carried about 100,000 pets in 2007. About two-thirds flew in passenger cabins. The rest flew in cargo sections of planes.