DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- Pet Airways, the first pet-only airline specifically designed for the safe and comfortable transportation of pets, announced Thursday that the first pet flights are scheduled for July 14.

On Pet Airways, all pets travel in the main cabin, not in the cargo hold.

Serving five cities to start - New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles - Pet Airways plans to expand nationwide with easily accessible pet check-in lounges to serve its "pawsengers" in major metropolitan areas.

A proprietary web-enabled reservation system will allow customers to book pet travel on the web. Owners will also be able to track their pet’s travel progress online.

“Currently, most pets traveling by air are transported in the cargo hold and are handled as baggage. The experience is frightening to the pets, and can cause severe emotional and physical harm, even death. This is not what most pet owners want to subject their pets to, but they have had no other choice, until now," said Dan Wiesel, president/CEO of Pet Airways.

According to the American Animal Hospital Association, approximately 76 million cats and dogs travel with their owners each year.

The Pet Airways goal is to make the pet travel experience more comfortable and enjoyable for both pawsengers and their human families.

For more information, visit www.petairways.com . *** Note: A Pet Airways representative tells Local 10 the site is getting so much traffic, visitors may experience problems or an error message when logging in.