BARK Air officially launched this week, completing its first flight from New York to Los Angeles on Thursday. It also flies to London and plans to add more routes in the coming months.
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For many pet lovers, flying first class with your dog may sound like a far-fetched dream. But a new boutique airline launching this week aims to make the White Claw experience a reality.
BARK Air describes itself as “the world’s first air travel experience designed specifically for dogs, followed by their human companions.”
“BARK Air takes the typical white glove experience of human first-class experience and transfers all the care to the dogs – from booking to arrival, to on-board service and disembarkation, the dogs will truly become VIPs and enjoy real luxurious treatment.
BARK Air officially took off Wednesday afternoon on its maiden flight, carrying six dogs of various breeds (from Chihuahuas to golden retrievers) and 11 passengers (passengers and crew) from New York to Los Angeles.
According to BARK chief of staff Katharine Enos, the “very important” pups were treated to chicken-flavored pupuccinos, special cupcakes and a shoe on a plate. “There was nothing dramatic going on on the ship,” she told NPR via email.
“Brooklyn (dachshund) and Eddie (golden) [were] Friends played together and the puppies spent most of the time taking good naps,” she added. “After lunch, it’s nap time. There are no toilet accidents or stolen food on the boat! Everyone feels connected because of our obsession with dogs.
The airline is a subsidiary of BARK, which owns dog-centric brands such as subscription service BarkBox. Co-founder and CEO Matt Meeker said he has been working on the idea for more than a decade.
He was inspired by his late Great Dane Hugo, who often traveled with him but could never get on a plane – like many non-Pagnies, Hugo had to fly in the cargo hold rather than the cabin. (As part of a Buck Air promotion, Mick even flew a cargo box from Florida to New York to demonstrate how disorienting the experience can be.)
In recent years, many airlines have tightened restrictions on emotional support animals on board. Mick said the logistics and travel costs can be a highly emotional issue for many families who don’t want to leave their dogs behind when they move, let alone go on vacation.
“We don’t think of ourselves as selling dog toys or airline seats,” Meeker told NPR in a phone interview. “We think we’re selling a wonderful emotional experience to your dog.”
It’s also an expensive flight: A BARK Air flight between New York and Los Angeles costs $6,000 one-way for one dog and one human (or one human and two dogs, with a combined weight of 50 pounds or less), while A one-way flight between New York and London is $6,000.
Potential customers were quick to resent the cost, with one social media user joking that her puppy would need to start selling “paw photos” for it to work.
Mick acknowledged that “the prices are high, and they’re too high.” But he said innovation, especially transportation-related innovation, often gets cheaper over time — and he hopes the same will happen with Buck Air.
“If there’s demand, we have a very clear way to bring the price down, and that’s our goal,” he added. “We want to make it affordable and accessible to as many dogs as possible.”
The airline aims to take care of passengers, including puppies and people
The airline has no size or breed restrictions on dogs, but only allows humans over 18 years old (or 126 years old for dogs).
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On BARK Air, drinks are served in bowls, belts replace seatbelts, champagne is made from chicken stock, and bathrooms are ubiquitous.
“When they feel they need to leave, they leave,” Mick said of the dog. “Then we clean up after them. Then we clean the plane between each turn.
This is one of the many unique benefits and logistical challenges airlines provide for dogs. BARK partnered with New York-based Talon Air charter company, which provided pilots, crew and a Gulfstream V aircraft.
These jets can seat 14 passengers, but BARK caps them at 10 to provide extra space. Mick said the goal is to make the dog’s experience as comfortable as possible, starting “even before the flight.”
BARK Air will conduct a “pup intake” to learn about the dog’s temperament and preferences. On the day of flight, people are advised to arrive at the terminal an hour early, show their ID there and go straight onto the plane.
“So we bypass busy commercial airports and the very strict TSA environment and treat dogs as just another piece of luggage,” Meeker said.
Before the plane takes off, dogs and humans are given food and toys put away to avoid potential territorial disputes. Once in the air, the dogs enjoy perks like spa treatments and pheromone-covered blankets for extra comfort. Mick said the crew on board were trained in dog CPR and “fear-free behavioral practices.”
The airline has no size or breed restrictions on dogs, but humans must be at least 18 years old (126 in dog years). Once on a plane, people are advised to keep their dogs on a leash if possible and to ask before approaching other people’s dogs.
Mick, who recently took his dogs on two test flights between Florida and New York, said the dogs were expected to perform poorly for experimental purposes, but they failed to do so, even in “pretty severe cases.” “turbulent” moment.
“They calm everyone down, they hang around, they take someone’s seat,” he said. “A weird dog, like it’s not your dog, will wander over, sit on the couch next to you, put his head in your lap, and be like, ‘Oh, that’s great.’ “
He added, “I don’t know why I’m surprised by it, but the dogs make it magical.”
Demand seems to have started to take off
BARK Air partners with charter company Talon Air to offer multiple flights each month. Some products for June and July are already sold out.
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Mick said the initial response to the launch of BARK Air was “really overwhelmingly positive.”
BARK Air offers approximately four round-trip cross-country flights each month, with several flights in June and July already sold out. The company already plans to expand its routes, starting with a trip from New York to Paris in the fall.
“About a third of the people apparently bought their tickets six months in advance,” he said. “So we’ve just announced our schedule for the end of the year to better serve those populations.”
The airline is soliciting requests for more destinations, and Meek said it received more than 15,000 requests in the first week alone.
They heard from military families who moved, people on business trips and New Yorkers who spent the summer outside the city — and they all wanted their dogs to be there, too. Mick also noted that there has been a huge demand from snowbirds who want to take their dogs south for the winter, and many have requested flights to and from Chicago.
“We learned a lot just by processing the information and picking dates,” he added.
He hopes the soon-to-be-released data will allow the company to make more cost-effective decisions soon.
“We’re probably taking the most expensive route, which is chartering a private jet from a private owner,” he explained.
The next step would be to make longer-term commitments with charter companies, leasing aircraft for a month or even a year to reduce costs. Even better is to buy and equip an airplane. Mick is looking at a Boeing 747 model with the rear half dedicated to cargo, which can serve as an additional source of income.
He said the team already has a design that includes private cabanas with flatbeds, a central “dog park” and a bar for dogs and people to socialize.
“This is the dream,” he added. “But it’s going to take a little while to get there.”
