Bark Air, A New Dog-Centric Airline, Is Taking Off This May

11.04.2024 - 15:01 / forbes.com / Airlines

Traveling with a dog can be challenging, and one dog brand is helping to change that.

BARK, known for their subscription BarkBoxes and dog products, announced on Thursday, April 11 that they’re launching a new travel service, BARK Air.

In partnership with a charter jet company, BARK Air is designed to prioritize four-legged travelers, followed by their humans, so they can travel together comfortably and conveniently.

At launch, routes will serve the New York City metro area via Westchester County Airport (HPN) with flights to the Los Angeles area via Van Nuys (VNY) and London, England via Stansted Airport (STN). BARK Air’s first flights will take off from New York on Thursday, May 23.

“When we started BARK in 2011, we were on a mission to disrupt the dog space and create products designed for dogs and their humans. 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,” said Matt Meeker, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at BARK. “We believe this initiative will elevate awareness of our brand’s mission and values, introduce more dog lovers to the BARK family, and help enrich the lives of dogs and their people around the world.”

BARK Air has aims to replicate the ethos of a human’s first-class experience, pampering pooches throughout the long haul flight.

Following booking, a BARK Air concierge will collect information about each dog and their human’s travel plans to ensure the best possible experience. Travelers will only need to arrive at the airport an hour before takeoff for an easy check-in experience (no TSA for this private carrier), and humans can enjoy a chef-prepared meal before boarding. To help the dog travelers, a BARK Air concierge will welcome dogs at the gate, and guide them through socialization and a dog-centric cabin preparation.

To help dogs experience the voyage, the plane will be equipped with calming pheromones, music, and colors that pups prefer. All furry passengers will have access to calming treats, noise-canceling ear muffs, and calming jackets. In air, dogs will be served their beverage of choice during ascent and descent to ensure they do not experience any ear discomfort commonly caused by changes in cabin pressure. Additionally, BARK-branded treats, snacks, and surprises will be provided throughout the flight to pampering furry passengers and their humans.

“We believe this initiative will raise awareness of BARK’s mission in a cost-effective manner,” said Zahir Ibrahim, Chief Financial Officer at BARK. “Given we are not committed to booking flights far in advance, we have a lot of flexibility to opportunistically charter