“Dogs fly first”: a new airline offers to allow dogs to travel in the cabin with their owners

This is an initiative that has teeth. In the United States, Talon Air, a charter company, and BARK, a New York-listed dog toy company have just formed a partnership to launch BARK Air. The objective is to improve the conditions of pets in flight by bringing them into the cabin with their owners, who are too often confined in a bag that is too tight or subjected to the stress of a flight in the hold. Faced with the growing demand for an accessible solution, BARK Air seeks to revolutionize the world of transport with this proposal, for which reservations opened on April 11.

Right after purchasing the ticket, owners are contacted by a company employee to gather information about their dog to ensure the best possible experience. On the day of travel, dogs and their companions arrive at the airport 45 to 60 minutes before takeoff and benefit from a simplified check-in procedure. The dogs are introduced to each other before the aircraft takes off, while the owners are served a meal prepared by on-site chefs.

Once in the first class cabin, the experience takes on its full meaning thanks to the “Dogs Fly First” principle. Calming pheromones, music and colors that dogs like are diffused. All furry passengers have access to various aids such as noise-canceling headphones and blankets to ensure a pleasant and stress-free flight. As for food, on board, dogs are served “Doggie Champagne”, chicken broth and donuts, among other things. They can socialize with their companions during the flight. And “if you think it’s a joke, it’s because you don’t like dogs,” BARK said in a promotional video for this new service.

Although the proposal may make you smile, it is nevertheless carefully considered and aims to change mentalities about the conditions suffered by dogs during flights. “We believe this initiative will raise awareness of BARK’s mission in a cost-effective way,” said Zahir Ibrahim, CFO of the dog brand. “Since we are not required to book flights well in advance, we have great flexibility to charter flights opportunistically during periods of high demand,” he added.

Like “no dog should fly out of a cage” according to CEO Matt Meeker. BARK Air even launched a shocking campaign on social networks by locking their CEO in a dog cage intended for the hold. The goal ? Highlight the stress experienced by Man's best friend during a flight on a commercial plane. After an hour, he said he had a “particularly terrible” experience, with “the noise, the darkness, the absence of water and food” combined.

For the moment, only two connections are available for reservation for a launch on May 23. The first will serve the New York metropolitan area via Westchester County Airport, with flights to the Los Angeles area via Van Nuys and London, England, via Stansted Airport. However, you will have to pay the price: tickets between New York and Los Angeles range around 6,000 dollars (or more than 5,600 euros) while those between London and New York cost 8,000 dollars (or more than 7,500 euros). But, the company is aware of the high price and hopes to reduce it over time through its subscription service and its large customer base on which it can rely.