Turkish Airlines has just opened its most exclusive lounge yet, which none of us will ever have access to (well, unless I have any non-human readers)…
Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul lounge for dogs, cats, and birds
Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other airline in the world, and as you’d expect, that also means that the airline carries a lot of pets. While the airline allows pets weighing up to eight kilograms (17.6 pounds) in the cabin of aircraft, larger pets need to travel in the cargo hold.
Okay, as an animal lover, the thought of shipping a pet in the cargo hold of an aircraft makes me incredibly sad. But I also realize that for many people, it’s the only option, especially for those who are moving somewhere else. It’s a (hopefully) small amount of temporary suffering for a life of happiness.
Along those lines, I at least want to give Turkish Airlines credit for introducing a new facility that should make the flying experience a bit more pleasant for those animals traveling in the cargo hold.
The airline has opened a pet lounge at Istanbul Airport (IST). The lounge spans 250 square meters (~2,700 square feet), and includes both an indoor space and an outdoor terrace. It can accommodate up to 78 animals at a time, including 32 dogs, 36 cats, and 10 birds. There’s even a full time vet who is available there, to check on the wellbeing of the (primarily four-legged) guests.
I can only imagine how stressful it is for pets to travel in cargo holds, so a facility like this is at least a very nice effort. Of course most animals aren’t likely to appreciate the design, but the facility does look like it would be enjoyed by pets, with things like the outdoor terrace, greenery, etc.
Turkish Airlines really puts effort into pet travel
I’ve gotta say, I’m impressed by the effort that Turkish Airlines puts into its pet travel program. It’s not just that the airline has a separate pet lounge, but it even has dedicated pet check-in desks, at least in Istanbul. That’s not so useful for those pets that are simply connecting, but for those originating there, it’s handy.
A couple of months back, Turkish Airlines released the below, ridiculously cute cat video, about pet travel on the Star Alliance carrier. It’s hilarious, and worth a watch.
Bottom line
Turkish Airlines has opened a lounge at Istanbul Airport, exclusively for pets. The lounge covers 250 square meters, and can accommodate up to 78 pets, including dogs, cats, and birds. This looks much better than where animals traveling in cargo holds usually spend their layovers, so color me impressed.
What do you make of Turkish Airlines’ new lounge for pets?
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