Excluding the Covid anomaly of 2020 and its knock-on impact into 2021, Korean Air has seen a year-on-year improve within the variety of passengers travelling with animals via its SKYPETS program. In 2019, some 37,000 folks took their pets away with them, growing to 39,000 in 2022. By the top of June 2023, 23,000 passengers had already boarded with their pets.
Now, Korean Air is rewarding these pets and their house owners with loyalty stamps on their SKYPETS passport. “Passengers who’ve purchased a Korean Air flight either through cash or award miles are eligible to receive stamps,” explains Lisa Witter, manager, world communications group at Korean Air. “One stamp is earned for each leg of a domestic flight and two stamps for each leg of an international trip.”
Stamps are redeemed on the airline’s web site or cellular app and should be used inside one yr of the journey date. Twenty-four stamps earn free journey for a pet on a world flight section, which may very well be between the US and Korea, for instance. Alternatively, 12 stamps can be utilized to safe a 50% low cost on the same section.
Witter says a one-way section from the US to Korea for a pet and cage weighing 32kg or much less presently prices US$300, rising to US$600 for a pet and cage weighing between 32kg and 45kg, making the saving worthwhile.
Pets should first be registered for a SKYPETS passport on-line, with a photograph, plus particulars of their identify, animal kind, and breed. The scheme is open to cats, dogs, and birds. Korean Air describes itself as pet pleasant and that, Witter notes, means, “Our ground handlers are trained to work with pets and a dedicated section is set aside in the bulk compartment to make room for our special guests. Also, our flight crew monitor the temperature levels in the bulk compartment to ensure an optimum environment is maintained throughout the flight.”
Korean Air SKYPETS check-in. Image: Korean Air
There are additionally devoted pet seats within the cabin, the place animals should be no less than eight weeks old to journey; the cargo compartment is taken into account appropriate for pets no less than 16 weeks old. Allowing younger animals within the cabin is sweet information for his or her house owners, however doubtlessly much less so for different passengers seated close by. “Designated pet seats are shown on the flight’s seating map, so passengers can see if they might be seated near a pet,” exlains Witter. “We also tell passengers checking in at the airport that they will be sitting near a pet and make sure they are okay with the arrangement.”
According to Witter, South Korea has round 12.62 million pet house owners. “Pets are our customers’ companions,” she states. “We’ve seen a growing number of Korean Air passengers travelling with them, especially after Covid. The trend is repeated elsewhere too. Around 70% of households in the US are reported to own a pet, for example.”
Between 2021 and June 2023, roughly 56% of Korean Air passengers travelling with pets have been on home flights, whereas about 41% of these flying with their animal companions internationally have been of Korean nationality.
“All our passengers are very important to us,” says Witter. “We will continue to improve our pet transportation services, especially as the number of passengers travelling with pets continues to grow. We want to be known as a pet-friendly airline, providing a comfortable journey for our SKYPETS customers.”
