Travelore News: Delta Changes Policy To Prevent Pet Deaths On Flights

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BY CAILEY RIZZO1 HOUR AGO

In an effort to make itself more pet-friendly, Delta is stopping one of the most dangerous methods of flying for pets: As checked baggage.

According to the Department of Transportation, a total of 76 animals died aboard Delta flights over the past 10 years — the highest of any U.S. airline.

The last reported death happened on Nov. 28. Somewhere between Atlanta and Pittsburgh, a Mini Dalmatian puppy died in the cargo hold of a Delta flight. The puppy was flying from Albany, Georgia: After a three-hour layover in Atlanta, it was loaded onto the Pittsburgh-bound flight. When gate crew unloaded the plane, they found the puppy was unresponsive.

SEE ALSO: A pilot diverted an international flight to save a dog traveling in cargo

This most recent death of a checked pet on a Delta flight will be the last, if the airline can help it. Delta will no longer carry pets as checked baggage starting March 1.

The airline will still allow pets to be transported in the cabin, if they are small enough to fit in a carrier under a seat, or shipped via Delta Cargo's pet shipping Variation Live program. 

The Humane Society recommends that pet owners "do not transport your pet by airplane unless absolutely necessary," and to choose keeping the pet in the cabin if possible.

"We want consumers to be well-informed about the risks of flying," KC Theisen, director of pet care issues at The Humane Society of the United States, told Mashable. "Cargo hold is not the passenger cabin, just a floor down."

"Cargo hold is not the passenger cabin, just a floor down."

Cargo is where the majority of animal incidents happen, usually on long distance flights or flights with several different legs, Theisen said.

Brachycephalic, or short-snouted, animals, like bulldogs, pugs or Persian cats should never be shipped in cargo, according to the Humane Society. These animals can easily overheat or have difficulty breathing in environments that are not temperature controlled. For this reason, many airlines will only allow these breeds as carry-ons. 

The steps that pet owners should take before travel:

1. Crate train: It's important to crate train pets well before travel, Theisen said. By mimicking travel conditions and building up the amount of time a pet stays crated, owners normalize the experience and help pets understand that they will eventually be let out. 
2. Talk to the airline: For those about to fly with a pet, the best thing to do is get "in serious contact with the airline well in advance," according to Theisen. Because every airline has different regulations, it's important to find out well in advance what options are available:

• American Airlines permits pets as carry-ons, cargo or checked luggage — excluding brachycephalic dogs and cats, which are not allowed as checked luggage. 
• Both JetBlue and Southwest Airlines will accept cats and dogs as carry-ons only, for a $95 to $100 fee. 
• United allows cats, dogs, rabbits and household birds in the cabin, in addition to carry-on luggage, for $125. Certain United aircraft come equipped with special "PetSafe" compartments that are pressurized like the passenger cabin, for transporting pets in cargo.
• Alaska Airlines will transport pets as cargo or as a carry-on for $100. Brachycephalic are not allowed for cargo travel.

Talk to your vet: Theisen recommends talking to a veterinarian as soon as travel plans are made to get recommendations for a food and water schedule. A veterinarian can tailor advice to specific breeds and help make the experience low-stress, important for both pets and their owners.

"The vast majority of pets arrive safely and in good health, but it's important that pet owners are aware of the risks," Theisen said. "The best thing you can do is just protect against risk and take preventative measures."

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Travelore News: Smithsonian To Open 1st Wing On Innovation, Business History

In this photo taken June 16, 2015, a photograph of Raoul Cortez, a community centered media pioneer, is displayed at the American Enterprise exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington. A wide range of innovations from Eli Whitney’s cotton gin to the early Google servers will help tell the story of American business history for the first time at the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will open its new innovation wing on July 1. It will galleries featuring U.S. inventions, money and hands-on activities. A major exhibition about “American Enterprise” will trace the interaction of capitalism and democracy since the mid-1700s. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A wide range of innovations from Eli Whitney's cotton gin and Thomas Edison's light bulb to the early Google servers and Apple's iPhone have been brought together to tell a broad story of American business history for the first time at the Smithsonian Institution.

On July 1, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will open its new innovation wing, with galleries featuring U.S. inventions, money and hands-on activities and even food demonstrations. A major exhibition about "American Enterprise" will trace the interaction of capitalism and democracy since the mid-1700s, including conflicting views from some founding fathers. The centerpiece artifact in the new 45,000-square-foot (4,180-square-meter) space is the studio of home video game inventor Ralph Baer.

The newly renovated $63 million innovation wing is the first piece of a six-year overhaul of the museum's entire west wing. Construction began in late 2012 and is set to continue into 2018 on other floors.

The museum raised $43 million from the private sector and $20 million from Congress to fund the new innovation wing. Next, work will shift to a new section devoted to democracy and the peopling of America slated to open in 2017, followed by a section on American culture in 2018.

The overhaul is part of a reinvention of the Smithsonian's American history museum, said Museum Director John Gray. A 2002 blue-ribbon commission took a critical look at its less-than-inclusive presentation, questioning why the museum didn't explore capitalism or other under-represented subjects and the nation's diversity.

"History museums are not passive places but places that make it essential to understand and grow our country," Gray said during a preview of the new innovation wing. "Here visitors will learn how business has affected the nation's history as well as their own lives. ... 'American Enterprise' shows how the United States has moved from being a small, dependent nation to being one of the world's most vibrant and trend-setting economies."

It's rare in the museum's history to have such a broad range of objects together in one exhibit. In the past, the museum separated exhibits by topic and collection. Now agriculture, technology, manufacturing, retail and finance have been pulled into a more comprehensive story. In planning, curators argued the various economic sectors are interlocked and should be presented that way.

"It was definitely moving from that old way of doing exhibitions that are very narrow and deep to a much broader kind of inclusive approach," said curator Peter Liebhold, chairman of the division of work and industry. "It'll be interesting to see what people think."

With a chronological layout, the exhibit looks back at the nation's merchant era from the 1700s and early 1800s, followed by the corporate era and industrial revolution through the 1930s. Next came the consumer era and a production boom after World War II and most recently the global era since the 1980s.

Entrepreneurs from each period — banker J.P. Morgan, Barbie doll creator Ruth Handler, cosmetics maker Estee Lauder and Apple founder Steve Jobs, to name a few — are highlighted on a biography wall with some of their stories and creations. Another timeline traces the history of advertising.

"We show the stories here of people taking risks, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing," said guest curator Kathleen Franz, an associate professor at American University. "You can't separate American history from business history because business was there from the beginning, and it's what builds the nation."

An interactive gallery asks visitors to make choices in building successful businesses, including a simulation of a farmer's critical decisions.

Major donors included M&Ms maker Mars Inc., SC Johnson, Intel, Monsanto Co. and the History Channel. Many of them are represented in the exhibit. A weekly food program will feature the history of chocolate making. But corporate donors did not dictate the exhibit content or fund specific pieces, Liebhold said. Curators did consult with supporters, businesses, academics, nonprofits and labor groups for ideas.

"The Smithsonian has a pretty firm line in the sand about no donor influence," Liebhold said, "and nobody pressured us on this exhibition."

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National Museum of American History: http://americanhistory.si.edu/