Delta Debuts Pet-Monitoring Device That Lets Owners Keep Tabs on Their 4-Legged Flyers

Delta flyers now have the opportunity to check on the welfare of pets they’re traveling with thanks to an optional GPS-enabled monitor.

Delta Air Lines passengers with furry companions flying in the cargo hold now have the option of tracking their cherished animals using a GPS-enabled tracker. The Atlanta-based legacy carrier told the Chicago Tribune that the first-of-its-kind device, which debuted Wednesday, allows flyers to keep tabs on their pets in real time.

The gadget is available to pet owners flying to and from 10 U.S. airports at a cost of $50 per flight. Developed by Canada-based Sendum Wireless, the device monitors the pet’s location, both on the plane and at the airport, as well as provides updates on the pet’s activity, posture and the temperature in their crate.

The pet-tracking technology is initially being offered on flights from some of Delta’s busiest airports, including:

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)

Detroit Metro Airport (DTW)

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LaGuardia Airport (LGA)

Memphis International Airport (MEM)

Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Passengers traveling with pets will be able to log in to a website for up-to-the-minute information on their pet’s wellbeing, but due to restrictions on in-flight transmissions, the new technology does not currently provide data while the plane is in the air.

Delta made news last month when it lost track of pampered show dogs flying home from the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. According to U.S. Department of Transportation statistics, Delta was just behind United Airlines in the number of reports of the loss, injury, or death of animals during air transportation.

Delta spokeswoman Morgan Durrant says that the new monitoring service is an innovative and exclusive new service for pet owners and not specifically intended to address the airline’s past problems.