Flying with dogs can be fraught, and the options are slim. If they’re small enough, you can keep them in a carrier under a conventional airplane seat. If not, you can crate them and check them into the cargo hold—a scary prospect for pet owners. Although unwelcome incidents are statistically uncommon, it’s unsettling how often dogs are flown to the wrong destinations or mishandled by airport staff. Airline-related pet deaths are logged by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics on a monthly basis; between September and November 2023, the most recent months where data is available, there were three such incidents on US carriers.
Bark Air, a new airline dedicated to dogs and their humans, aims to address worries for those with outsize pet budgets. Starting on April 11, dog owners will be able to book flights on Gulfstream 550 private jets, with all members of the family allowed in the main cabin. It’s the latest offering from Bark Inc., the company behind BarkBox, a subscription service for popular dog treats.
