Pets
How Luxury Travel And Vacations Have Gone To The Dogs
By Leslie Downey
Mar 9, 2007, 21:55

(NAPSI)-You could say that luxury travel has gone to the dogs. As leisure travel surges, vacationers are increasingly packing the pooches, fetching the felines and taking flight with the birds.

Pet travel soared 33 percent last year to a record 20 million, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, and 80 percent of them were dogs. And a full 14 percent or 29 million Americans travel with their pets, according to a recent Travel Industry Association study.

People love their pets and love being with their pets-and that means hitting the road with them. The surging trend of pet travel has put more bark in luxury vacations, and the airlines and resorts are listening.

Indeed, airlines, resorts and destinations are doing their part for pet mobility. The trend has prompted hotels to offer pet-friendly perks such as menus, day care and playgrounds, much the way resorts became kid-friendly decades ago. Airlines are enticing customers with frequent flier pet programs that allow animals to earn miles toward free flights.

At the Caliente Tropics Resort in California, pet-friendly rooms feature pet beds, throws, dishes and private label, custom Tiki Treats. Tiled vanities also feature swinging gates. And Wyndam Hotels and Resorts even offer a doggie spa service, where your pooch can luxuriate with "paw-dicures," teeth cleaning and massages. Cunard Cruise Line's Queen Mary 2 has a Pets on Deck program offering such luxurious amenities as fresh-baked biscuits at turn-down in plush pet beds that boast fleece blankets.

The experts at Travelers Advantage are on the trail, and have fetched a list of pet-friendly vacation amenities:

• Disposable kitty litter boxes

• Doggie car seats

• Airline travel kit

• Pet first aid kit

• Pet relaxers.

Members of Travelers Advantage can save money on air travel, cruises, car rentals and accommodations, as well as earn 5 percent cash back on eligible travel booked with preferred providers through the service.

Learn more or join at www.travelersadvantage.com

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