Midwest Airlines offers free ride for pets

Milwaukee — Midwest Airlines announced a new program that will give pets a free round-trip ticket for every three domestic round-trip flights they take with their owners.

Midwest's human passengers receive a free round trip ticket every 25,000 miles flown, making the pet's frequent flier miles more than double the going rate for people.

Currently, the one-way rate for pets is $75 and $150 round-trip when flying with their owners on Midwest airlines.

Skeptics say the pet perk will not last because the program will not make the airline enough money to defray increasing fuel rates. Proponents say the program is generating attention and promoting the airline through advertising.

The company's CEO Tim Hoeksema said it was time to throw customers and their pets "a bone."