The discussions (and fights) about when it is appropriate to fly with dogs that periodically pop up in the travel space has pushed one company to take matters into its own paws with a dog-friendly flight.
Bark, the company behind the monthly subscription box of dog treats, just announced that it has partnered with a charter airline to offer flights with a “white glove experience typical of a human’s first-class experience and redirected all that pampering to pooches.” They’re calling it “fur-st class.”
Related: United Airlines viral video: 'No way that's a real service dog'
As of May 23, travelers with furry friends will be able to use Bark Air to fly from New York City to Van Nuys Airport (VNE) in Los Angeles and Stansted Airport (STE) in London, England.
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For dogs who need to travel: a ‘dog-first mentality’
Tickets are booked online just as with a regular airline but, currently set at $8,000 for the transatlantic flight and $6,000 for the cross-country one, are definitely a luxury experience for those who want to travel in style with their pooch.
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Bark Air further said that the price includes a personalized concierge who will guide the human and pet to the gate, a “dog-centric” cabin with space for the dog to play and move around and a menu of both tasty food for the human and specialized treats for the dogs. It takes things one step further and promises “Dogs Fly First” flight prep with “calming pheromones, music and colors that pups prefer” as well as “aids such as calming treats, noise-cancelling ear muffs and calming jackets.
“Too often, dogs are denied travel, confined to a duffle bag, or endure the stress of flying in cargo,” BARK says in announcing this news. “[…] BARK Air exemplifies BARK’s dog-first mentality and award-winning customer experience, setting a new standard for dogs who love to travel but have been forced to settle for less-than-ideal traveling conditions.”
Mainstream airlines have been switching up their rules for flying with pets
Around 2019, mainstream carriers such as Delta (DAL) and United Airlines (UAL) have experimented with allowing more people to bring their pets aboard as “emotional support animals” but the laxer rules caused too many problems and the airlines eventually scaled back their policies to animals under a certain size who must stay in a dedicated carrier.
American Airlines (AAL) recently made it possible to not classify the carrier as one’s carry-on item and still bring a suitcase (the fee for bringing the pet into the cabin is an additional $150) but the general rule across the country’s “main three” mainstream carriers is that the animal needs to be small enough to fit into a carrier of 18 x 11 x 11 inches and be able to stay in it for the length of the flight.
“We are excited to take the insights we’ve learned over the years to create an experience that is truly dog-first, which is drastically different from just accepting dogs — from the ground to the skies,” Bark Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Matt Meeker said in a statement.
