A Great Dane, Golden Retriever, and a Dachshund have reached new heights in luxury travel thanks to their dog parents. A couple from Austin, Texas, recently paid for the canine trio to travel from the U.S. to Europe on a private jet trip – which set them back $45K.
Dog Parents Drop Big Bucks For Private Jet Trip With Pups
Melanie Dem, and her husband, Albert, always wanted to travel to Europe with their fur babies: a 15-year-old Golden Retriever named Cooper, a 6-year-old Dachshund mix named Brooklyn, and a 2-year-old Great Dane named Lucas. In May 2020, they started planning a trip, and intended on taking a commercial flight, but chartering a private jet became necessary when they realized Lucas couldn’t travel in the cabin of a commercial flight. So they saved for two years, then sold their car and belongings, and were finally able to make that dream a reality.
The price tag for a private jet from U.S. to Europe was a jaw-dropping $100K, but other people joined the flight with their pets to fund the adventure.
“Getting the dogs from the U.S. to Europe took so much planning, but we couldn’t leave them at home — we want to see the world with them,” Melanie told SWNS.
“We planned our own charter trip and managed to find 10 other people heading to Europe with their dogs,” she continued. “It took three months of planning and cost $11k per person and over $100k for the whole flight.”
Given the amount of press attention this travel venture has brought Melanie, a media marketing consultant and content creator, it would seem to be worth it. Anything for the Insta, right?
Jet-Setting Pets
This isn’t the dog-loving couple’s first big trip with pups in tow. The family has visited France, Germany, Austria, Czechia, England, and Scotland together. They’ve even boarded trains and ridden in cars to travel from one country to another. Now, they’re on the road – and in the air – until November 2023, staying in pet-friendly Airbnbs until they return home to Austin.
“Now the dogs have seen Paris, Prague, and Vienna, and we’re planning to drive around the Scottish Highlands,” Melanie said. “I think the dogs really enjoy it.”
She said that the pups love exploring new places, while she and Albert enjoy making new memories.
“Sitting at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and seeing them roll on the grass, or at the Christmas markets where they got a lot of pets or running on the beach in Edinburgh, it’s all just incredible,” she said.
Next up on their itinerary? The French Riviera, Italy, Croatia, and Albania.
“Being able to travel in general is something I’m very grateful for, but doing it with the dogs makes me feel very lucky,” Melanie said.
