Bark Air, New Dog-Focused Airline, Embarks on Its First Flight

There's an airline that's catering directly to dogs called Bark Air, and its first flight sold out.

According to CBS News, the maiden voyage flew out of New York and headed to Los Angeles with the canines on board. Bark, the pet company behind the airline, first revealed its plans for Bark Air back in April. The company wanted to make long-distance travel easier for dogs who can't fit under the seats on commercial flights.  

“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 CEO Matt Meeker said in April. “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 will offer its canine passengers “white paw service” where they can interact with other dogs and receive treats, noise-canceling ear muffs, a drink of their choice , and more. In addition to flights from NYC to LA, dogs will have the option to fly out of London.

Each dog ticket will also come with one pass for humans and there's no restrictions on the size or breed of the pets. However, tickets will come at a hefty price. A one-way flight from NYC to LA will run customers $6,000 for one dog and one human in June, while a ticket from NYC to London will cost $8,000. The company does expect prices to go down as the demand for the flights go up. 

“This is cost-prohibitive for most families, but less expensive than most options today. And this is also how most innovative products and services began,” Meeker said. “Televisions, telephones, VCRs and DVD players, to automobiles, train and boat travel, and, yes, even human air travel — all of these started with very high prices until demand was proven and the costs could be brought lower by serving the masses.”