Take Flight with Fido
BARK Launches First Dog-Centered Airline
Get ready to soar to new heights with your beloved pup on BARK Air! Traveling long distances with dogs can be stressful, challenging, and sometimes downright dangerous. BARK Air, the world’s first and truly-one-of-a-kind airline specially designed from nose to tail with your dog’s comfort and luxury top of mind, aims to tackle this challenge by transforming the way we travel with our favorite furry friends.
On May 23, 2024, BARK, the wildly popular dog brand renowned for its subscription BarkBox service, will join forces with a jet charter company to launch BARK Air. This unique collaboration promises a relaxing furst class journey in the sky for dogs and their humans, setting a new standard where dogs are rightfully treated as family — not luggage.
While many airlines claim to be pet-friendly, strict rules confine pets to cramped carriers under seats. It’s arguably even worse and more dangerous for large breed dogs, who are often subjected to hours of boredom, stress, and discomfort in crates in the cargo hold of the airplane. Tragically, each year, dogs also die, suffer injuries, or become lost during air travel due to unforeseen circumstances, such as enduring extreme temperatures, poor handling, a lack of ventilation, and dehydration.
To truly understand the distress pets face during air travel, BARK Air CEO Matt Meeker underwent the experience firsthand by traveling in a crate in the belly of a plane from South Florida to New York City. Throughout the three-hour and 27-minute flight, Meeker faced prolonged boredom and discomfort, feeling the intense heat when sitting out on the tarmac and the confinement of limited space in the crate. After the grueling trip, Meeker said in a short video about the experience, “I don’t know why any person would choose to do this to their dog. It’s an absolute horror show back here! There has to be a better way.”
Determined to be the change, BARK Air offers a safer, less stressful alternative for both humans and their VIPs (very important pups). From booking to touchdown, BARK Air’s highly-trained concierges meticulously plan every detail to cater to your dog’s unique needs.
On the day of the flight, passengers arrive 45 minutes to an hour before departure for a stress-free check-in process that bypasses typical pre-boarding hassles, such as TSA checkpoints and the enforced use of crates and carriers. Once aboard, dogs roam freely and leashes are not required!
BARK Air goes the extra mile with amenities tailored for canine comfort, including warm lavender-scented towels, soothing music, relaxing pheromones, doggy ear muffs, calming jackets, and plenty of toys. In air, dogs are treated to their beverage of choice, such as water or bone broth, to stay hydrated during cabin pressure changes. To create the ultimate luxurious experience for both canine and human passengers, the concierges distribute “just in case bags” filled with treats, leashes, poop bags, BARK branded toys and chews, and other fun surprises. Once the plane has landed, BARK Air also offers pet-friendly car service within a 30-mile radius of the airport.
Launched on May 23, 2024, BARK Air currently operates domestic and international flights
with routes from New York City to Los Angeles and London. According to BARK, “We plan to add more routes, more infrastructure, more equipment, more staff, and more over-the-top dog-first amenities unlike anything in the market.”
BARK Air currently offers flights at a premium price ranging from $6,000 to $8,000, with future goals to lower the costs and increase accessibility as the program expands. To fly with BARK Air, human passengers are required to present a valid ID or passport and provide an up-to-date vaccination record for their furry travel companions.
For more information about BARK Air and how to book a flight with your dog, visit DogsFlyFirst.com.
