Pet Travel Is Hot. That Means Options—and Treats—For Your Dogs, Cats and More

When a traveler on VistaJet wanted to bring their Sulcata tortoise along, the private flyer was ready to serve. 

The animal, native to the Sahara Desert, is accustomed to warm, dry, climates, and VistaJet—befitting an outfit with rates starting around $15,000 an hour—was able to offer it heated floors so it would feel more at home.

Airlines are already fighting to attract high-end travelers, and there’s increasing demand to fly their pets as well. Companies are offering gourmet treats, meals made with prime cuts of meat, and water mixed with calming natural flower essences. As sleep hits, there are plush organic sleep mats on which to curl up. 

Charter flight operator RetrievAir launched service to nine U.S. cities in May with “pet-centric” amenities including free treats, water bowls and room to roam, according to the company, with per-segment prices averaging around $800. (Commercial airlines charge carry-on fees of around $150 per flight.)

Travel agencies are seeing an increase in pet-travel inquiries. VistaJet told Investopedia it’s seeing a 17% year-over-year increase in pet travel, with one in four members bringing a pet on trips. Dogs are most common on the airline, but exotic animals—in addition to the tortoise, one trip featured a Blue-tongued skink—are also hitching rides.

Younger Americans See Pets as ‘Full Family Members’

Some 94 million American households owned at least one pet in 2024, up 12% from a year earlier, according to the latest annual report from the American Pet Products Association. Overall spending on pets—food, veterinary care, accessories, vitamins, travel and other services and products—is projected to reach $157 billion this year.

Industry watchers said younger pet parents are routinely taking pets on their daily shopping runs, to pet-friendly workplaces, and on vacations. 

“Many Millennials and Gen Z refuse to travel without their pets, who they see as true family members,” said industry expert Phillip Cooper. (Some, he said, also find it economical to bring pets along after considering the cost of boarding them while away.) 

Generation Z “is graduating from college, starting to work and playing a pretty big role in reshaping pet ownership,” said Ingrid Chu, vice president of research and insights with APPA, on a recent conference call. They are adopting pets earlier in life, she said, driving demand for travel services. 

These younger pet parents “view their pets as a lifestyle extension and truly a valued companion,” Chu said. Nearly three quarters of owners traveled with their dogs by plane in 2024, up from 68% a year earlier, according to the APPA’s report .

“Pet owners are either not willing to go on trips, or they are willing to go on trips if they are able to take their pets,” said RetrieveAir cofounder Benton Miller. He sees demand from younger owners, but also empty nester Baby Boomers with lots of cash on hand.

RetrievAir had its first fully-booked flight this month, according to Miller. 

“People worry about whether it’s loud, noisy, ‘Are the dogs barking?’ But almost all of them go to sleep and the pet parents relax,” he said. “We have free drinks. You have a sip of champagne while your pup is sleeping right beside you.”