SINGAPORE: October 03, 2018. CarePod, a supplier of IoT-supported pet travel products, has teamed with Delta Air Lines to help launch a range of pet services for shippers.

Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur and former brand manager for Colgate-Palmolive Jenny Pan (pictured below), the company says it helps airlines create additional ancillary revenue from a “US$1 billion pet air travel market” plus brand differentiation via an “end-to-end customer, pet travel solution”.

“CarePod supplies airlines with pet travel products that they can then offer to passengers as value-added services,” explained Pan. “We offer both the IoT pet travel products and integrated management software to help airlines manage their pet business and make pet air travel safer and more comfortable for pets.”

According to her web site this includes “German engineered smart travel pods” that are fully IATA-compliant; safety monitoring and real-time tracking; and cloud-base solutions that manage, track and easily report KPIs across an airline network.

The site also quotes Josh Brown, Far North Kennel owner from Anchorage, Alaska who breeds and ships German Shepherd dogs (one of which is pictured): “It really does matter which airline you choose when shipping your pets... If I thought it would put any undue risks on a dog's life, I wouldn't do it.”

Pan also quotes pet owner and airline customer Alice Lee: “I would be loyal to an airline that offers safer and better options for flying my pets. Right now, all airlines seem to have equally sad options despite what they market as pet programmes.”

Not apparently Delta Cargo that says it is always looking for ways to create a best-in-class travel experience for pets and their owners: “Working with a start-up like CarePod allows Delta the flexibility to enhance our service in new and innovative ways,” declared Shawn Cole, vice president — Delta Cargo. “We are able to think big, start small and learn fast to solve specific customer needs.”