American Airlines Cargo announced this week that it had formed a partnership with pet logistics specialists My Pet Cab. The company operates 24/7 monitored specialized vans and provides real-time text message updates to anxious owners. It will now deliver your pet out of the hold of an American Airlines flight to any one of 18 airports, and straight to your front door.

Traveling with pets can be stressful, especially when you have to say goodbye to your four-legged friend to be loaded into the aircraft's cargo hold. Airlines have varying policies on bringing your pets along for the ride (and if you have an unusual emotional support animal, rules have tightened significantly over the past year).

However, if you travel with American Airlines, you will now have the option to remove at least one trying part of the journey - waiting for your pet at the end of a long flight.

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Safe and comfortable final leg

Through a new partnership with pet ground transportation company My Pet Cab, American is now offering customers the opportunity to have their pets delivered post-flight straight to their own homes. This means that passengers can now welcome their cats or dogs at home rather than wait for them at the cargo terminal.

“We’re excited to combine our experience with My Pet Cab to offer this first-ever front-door delivery service to our customers. Not only will this new add-on service save our customers time, but it also gives their pets a safe and comfortable ride home on the final leg of their journey,” Roger Samways, Vice President of Commercial for American Airlines Cargo, said in a statement.

September 1st onwards

The new pet-friendly service will be available starting September 1st. Bookings of the additional transportation can be made through an American Airlines Cargo pet booking agent. Agents will then provide an exact price quote for the services using the delivery address.

My Pet Cab's drivers are certified in pet handling. They also offer 24/7 monitoring of your pet in specialized vans and RVs equipped with secondary air systems and electronic monitoring thermometers, as well as remote cameras and vehicle monitoring systems. Furthermore, they provide real-time text messages to give customers peace of mind and on-call veterinarian services.

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Most pet owners would probably like having their four-legged companions with them in the cabin. However, a premium delivery service may help take the stress away. Photo: Getty Images

Eighteen airports plus long-distance drives

While not all destinations are covered, the list is fairly long. It includes Boston Logan, Charlotte Douglas, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, Washington Dulles, Houston George Bush, LAX, MIA, Newark, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Philadelphia International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Seattle-Tacoma.

Meanwhile, there is also a long-distance service, where pets can fly into LAX and continue on to Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix and Tuscon, Arizona; and Palm Springs, California. This option is especially intended for the summer months when temperatures at these airports are too high for the safety of pets traveling by air.

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The service is available from September first at 14 different airports across the US. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

When traveling with a pet in the hold, temperatures should be forecasted at a maximum of 85°F (just under 30°C). To travel with American, pets must also be over eight weeks old and healthy enough to fly.

Priority Parcel Service or ExpediteFS

If pets are flying domestically within the continental US, Puerto Rico, or into Hawaii with a combined weight for the pet and its kennel no higher than 100 pounds with a kennel measuring no more than 36L"x26W"x28H", then they will travel designated as Priority Parcel Service (PPS). However, if your pet is traveling in the cargo hold internationally, out of Hawaii, or weighs more than 100 pounds, they fall under the category of ExpediteFS.

Would you use a pet delivery service from the airport to your front door if it was available? Or do you want to meet your pet straight off the flight? Leave a comment below and let us know.