Pup Planes

Last May, a new airline took flight. It’s called Bark Air. The passengers? Dogs!

Poppy and her owner prepare to board a Bark Air flight in June 2024.

Bark is a company that sells dog food and toys. In April 2024, it announced a new airline. On other flights, pets are treated as cargo. They’re kept below the cabin in crates. Bark Air lets dogs travel in the cabin with their owners.

Bark puts “the comfort and happiness of the dog first.” That’s what its website says. According to Bark, “No dog should fly in a crate.”

Two passengers board a Bark Air chartered jet.

Dogs First

Bark created its travel service because of a demand from dog owners. There was no “convenient solution to traveling long distances with your dog,” Bark says.

That’s why the company is focused on keeping dogs happy while traveling. Canines can socialize during the flight. They get treats. They get drinks. They get noise-canceling earmuffs. Best of all? They get to travel with their human.

Koda and his human, Brianna Feehan, enjoy Bark Air’s first flight, in 2024.

Pricey Ride

The airline’s first flight was in May 2024. It went from New York to Los Angeles. Tickets sold out. That’s according to Bark’s booking website. A ticket cost $6,000. That was for one pet and its owner. The company hopes to bring prices down.

Bark’s planes can hold 14 dogs and their humans. But it plans to sell nine tickets per flight. This will ensure plenty of room for all passengers.

Koda guards the cockpit before takeoff.

And Bark plans to add destinations. “The initial launch of Bark Air is only the beginning,” the company says.