Pet travel jumps as Korean airlines welcome furry passengers onboard

Korea's budget airliners, better known as LCCs in the country, are increasingly accommodating pets. This shift is significantly impacting the airline industry, reflecting a growing trend among pet owners wishing to travel with their furry companions. Jeju Air reported that from January to July this year, 11,324 passengers traveled with pets, a 10.9% increase compared to the same period last year (10,210 instances). This figure is nearly 2.7 times higher than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of Jeju Air's pet-inclusive flights are domestic, with 95.1% (10,772 instances) of these trips being on domestic routes, compared to only 4.9% (552 instances) on international flights. Another LCC, Eastar Jet, expanded on July 15 its pet-friendly policy from domestic routes to international flights. The airline has seen the number of 'paw'ssengers more than double from an average of 200 to 300 cases per month last year to 600 to 700 cases this year. In response to this growing demand, Eastar Jet has extended its pet-friendly services to most of its international routes.<br/>