Whether you’re entering the workforce for the first time or considering switching careers entirely, you’ve likely pondered what kind of work ignites your passion. And for a wide swath of folks, that passion involves animals.
But sans a veterinary degree, fruitful employment options might seem dismal. But there’s a growing number of animal-lovers who’ve entered a business that involves caring for fur babies — all while traveling the country (and sometimes world) and owning their schedule.
Enter: flight nannies, or professionals who specialize in the flight transport of pets from one location to another — be it because the animal is moving to a new home, participating in an event (like a dog or cat show) or needs medical care in a different state and the owner cannot accompany them.
“I admit, when I first started nannying, I considered it gig work,” explains Amanda McGee, owner of PurplePup LLC, a flight nanny business. “I thought, ‘Oh! It’s like Uber for puppies! This could be a fun way to make some cash.’ But I soon discovered there is so much more to this industry.”
McGee opted to turn that “side hustle” into a full-blown limited liability company (or LLC) after about three months of steady work. “I registered with the USDA as a commercial pet transporter and I found liability insurance specific to pet travel. I started educating myself about the federal and state laws involved with this line of work.”
Brenda Saltarelli Walker, a professional flight nanny who transports puppies from breeders to their new homes, has been running a nannying business (that employs other flight nannies) for a little over a year. She adds that growth in the field, including the acquisition and retention of customers, takes considerable effort — as it’s a business that relies primarily on referrals. She can only commit to part-time work.
Despite the fact that it’s not her primary income source, the furry clients/flight companions make the extra work worth it. “I love getting to play with the puppies and see the joy on the owner’s face when the pup is delivered to their hands.”
Here, McGee, Walker and other flight nannies discuss the ins and outs of their jobs, what kind of pay is achievable and how to set your rates.
“I thought, ‘Oh! It’s like Uber for puppies! This could be a fun way to make some cash.’ But I soon discovered there is so much more to this industry.”
— AMANDA MCGEE, OWNER OF PURPLEPUP, LLC
What do flight nannies do?
As the name suggests, flight nannies specialize in accompanying and caring for pets as they travel to new destinations. And while the most common pets are (no surprise) cats and dogs for McGee, she also facilitates the transport of Guinea pigs and domestic birds (depending on the breed and if the airline allows them to fly in the cabin).
Here’s what a typical day on the job looks like for a flight nanny, according to the pros we interviewed for this piece:
- Pick up or meet the pet. Both McGee and Walker note that they’ll either have the owner meet them at the airport with the animal or they’ll retrieve the pet (and drive to the airport themselves).
- Accompany the pet through security and at the gate. McGee notes that some airlines will need to weigh the pet and/or inspect the carrier.
- Tend to the pet’s needs at the airport and on the plane. This might include administering medications, feeding them treats and water or attempting to soothe the fur baby’s nerves. The flight nannies we spoke to all agreed that sending frequent text updates to the new owners/recipients is critical.
- Meet (or deliver the pet to) the new owner or other recipient. This might be at the baggage claim area or the new owner’s house if the flight nanny is given direction (and paid) to do so.
McGee adds she will often try to coordinate her clients’ locations so she can move directly to a new nannying project from the city she’s landed in.
How to become a flight nanny
As the flight nannies we interviewed for this piece agreed, if you want to become a flight nanny, you need to have entrepreneurial drive. “I fly with at least three pets each week and that requires a good deal of logistics skills to coordinate flights, car rentals and hotels,” McGee says. “Plus, I handle all the administrative work like sending quotes, speaking with potential clients, sending invoices and maintaining a social media presence.”
Here are a handful of must-knows if you want to become a flight nanny:
Pursue certification.
Both Walker and McGee recommend that prospective flight nannies become USDA-certified.
Look into some type of liability insurance specific to pet travel.
This can keep flight nannies protected in the event of accidents or issues with the airline, says McGee.
Get ready to promote your services.
McGee will post her services on third-party sites, such as uShip and Shiply, as well as in Facebook groups for individuals looking for flight nannies.
Consider working for a larger flight nanny company if you’re not fully prepared to stake out solo.
These companies include Pet Packers and Paws on a Plane. You can also reach out to established flight nannies to see if they might need help.
What’s the average salary for flight nannies?
As the nannies we interviewed for this piece agreed, how much money you can make as a flight nanny depends primarily on your bandwidth (i.e. how many pets can you transport realistically per week or month?) and how energetic you are about marketing your business.
Typically, customers can expect to pay anywhere between $800 to $2,000 for McGee’s services — but that includes the transportation costs. “This is for airport pickup and delivery, but many times we can offer to rent a car and pickup from the breeder or offer hand delivery to the customer’s home.”
Transportation fees out of the equation, McGee says most flight nannies can pocket anywhere between $300 and $600 per trip. “It’s important to remember this rate is pre-tax,” she explains. “It covers any other incidentals not previously accounted for, like parking and meals. Most travel days are over twelve hours.”
For Walker and her team of flight nannies, that cut is roughly $200 apiece. She adds that it’s not uncommon for a flight nanny to also receive a tip on top of the flat rate. “This month one of my nannies made $400 [on a single trip] plus tips.”
That said, Walker notes that other flight nannies on her team had no clients in the past month and, therefore, earned no income as a flight nanny.
The bottom line: Making a buck consistently as a flight nanny is hard work, especially if you want it to sustain a full-time income, like McGee.
“If I were negotiating with a new flight nanny, the main thing would be looking at references from other people that have used them successfully.”
— VIVIANNE HULSEY, FREQUENT FLIGHT NANNY EMPLOYER
How to set your rates as a flight nanny
Although the rates listed above tend to be “industry-average” according to the pros we interviewed, flight nannies can set their rates based on a number of factors:
The type of breed and weight of a pet
For Walker, this is a critical factor in setting her rate with a client, as some breeds and heavier/larger pets will require more care than others. (Some more exotic pets, like domesticated birds, could also warrant an uptick in cost.)
The charge for your time
For Lauri Partanio, a veterinary technician and owner of Professional Pets Florida (which includes flight nanny services), her team of flight nannies receives an hourly rate for each delivery: $55. “For example, a 10-hour flight, plus a $750 plane ticket and $75 airline fee for the pet comes to $1,375 for total delivery,” she explains. (So, the flight nanny themselves would pocket $550 for the day.) Her most frequently flying nannies can make upwards of $2,000 to $3,000 per month. For McGee, she set her solo business up as an S-corp, so she allows herself a monthly salary.
The complexity of the delivery
Rule of thumb: The more steps it takes to transport a pet, the more you can charge a particular client. For example, if the pet is flying into an airport that is a three-hour drive from the ultimate destination, that tacks on additional time (and additional fees).
Your level of experience and number of positive client referrals and reviews
As Vivianne Hulsey, a French bulldog breeder and frequent flight nanny employer, explains, the flight nanny business is littered with scammers — which can make it more challenging for credible, honest flight nannies to draw in customers. “If I were negotiating with a new flight nanny, the main thing would be looking at references from other people that have used them successfully,” notes Hulsey, a French bulldog breeder and frequent flight nanny user. “The professional has to come highly recommended.”
That said, if you’re new to the industry, consider partnering with or asking to work with or apprentice an established flight nanny or working directly for a flight nanny service.
