Puppies make everything better — and now United Airlines is adding them to a holiday program to make traveling a little less rough for passengers.
On Monday, the airline kicked off three days of dog-hugging festivities. Crews from the United Paws program will greet customers in seven airports — Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark and Washington/Dulles — with comfort dogs available for cuddling and petting.
The benefits of this aren’t just common sense; they’re also backed up by science.
“Research shows that just petting a dog releases oxytocin, the hormone associated with bonding and affection, and also decreases levels of stress, helps us breathe easier and lowers our blood pressure,” said veterinary consultant Dr. Walter Woolf.
“I’ve experienced this recently and think this is a wonderful idea for holiday travelers.”
United introduced the program last year and, according to United’s senior vice president, Tom O’Toole, it was popular with customers so they decided to bring it back this holiday season.
“In ways large and small, all of us at United want to bring a bit of comfort and joy to our customers during this busy season of travel,” he said in a news release.
In addition to the priceless dog-petting opportunities, United Paws is offering a contest.
People who share pics of their dogs in a travel setting or with a United Airlines logo or gear will be entered to win two roundtrip tickets to anywhere in the continental U.S.
Tag @United or use the hastags #UnitedPaws or #UnitedContest on Twitter or Instagram and you’ll automatically be entered to win.
For every picture shared, United Airlines will donate $1 to support therapy dogs.
