Red Rover, Red Rover, Can Buddy Fly Over?
There are many reasons (some economical, some practical, some emotional) that go into deciding whether fractional jet ownership is right for you. For me, and I assume many others, one of these reasons is, well, a bit fuzzy, or perhaps better said, a bit furry. Yes, I’m talking about traveling with the family dog (or cat if you must).
One of the reasons commercial flight can be so inconvenient and emotionally draining is that the major airlines don’t accommodate pets very well. Lots of us like to have “man’s best friend” with us when vacationing, but it can sure be tough to place our four-legged children into their carrying cages and then have to send them packing with the cargo! I know how much I hate to have to do that with our redheaded kid Buddy (Buddy is a Golden Retriever – and at 120 pounds he definitely does not fit under the seat in front of us).
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of other, arguably more substantial reasons for thinking about fractional jet ownership. Making life a little better for Buddy isn’t in my top five, perhaps not even in my top ten. But having Buddy accompany us to St. John for a romp on the beach is one of the many “intangibles” that I’m sure I would appreciate, and that makes the true value of fractional ownership nearly impossible to fully gauge. To plagiarize from the popular and very smart Visa credit card commercial: Pure bred golden retriever, $1,200. Fractional jet ownership, $500,000. The chance to have your best friend in the seat next to you as you fly to your (and his) favorite vacation spot? Priceless.
