Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – @BednarChuck
If you’re the sort of person who can’t help worrying about their beloved pet dog or cat while flying across country, odds are you’ll appreciate the new device unveiled earlier this week by Delta Airlines that lets you keep tabs on Fido or Sir-Poops-A-Lot while you travel.
According to Mashable, the device costs $50 per flight and attaches to the pet’s carrier while in-flight and on the runway. It uses a combination of GPS tracking and other monitoring technology to make sure that your canine or feline friend is as comfortable as possible (and not lost).
An interesting idea, but there are some limitations
On the bright side, the device will send an alert to Delta officials if the crate is knocked over or the cabin temperature becomes too hot. That information is then routed through the airline’s call center and sent to your smartphone, letting you know if something’s up with your pet.
However, the device is currently only available at 10 American airports, including those in New York and LA, and only if you leave your pet at the cargo facility. Furthermore, alerts can only be received while the plane is on the ground due to restrictions on in-flight cell phone use.
The system “may be just an expensive security blanket for worried pet owners, but hopefully it will help airlines keep better tabs on all of their passengers, even the furry ones,” Mashable said, adding that it launches “at a time when many airlines are under fire for their animal handling procedures,” with 470 deaths, injuries, or losses being reported by the top 20 airlines since 2005.
Using technology to cut down on airline-related pet deaths
Bloomberg reported that the device, which was developed by the Sendum Wireless Corporation, was first made available to Delta travelers on Wednesday. The news organization also added that United Continental Holdings Inc. is also testing a pet-tracking device, the Sendum PT300, which can also be used to monitor temperature-sensitive organ transplants.
Atlanta-based Delta has reportedly had the most animal deaths among all US airlines over the last five years (51), but has only had six since 2013. The new device will look to reduce those numbers even more by notifying Delta is the pet’s crate is disturbed or it cabin temperatures go over 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 Celsius), and by letting owners monitor them online.
In addition to airports in New York and Los Angeles, Bloomberg said that the new tracking device will be available in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Tampa.
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