Pawsengers Rejoice! 'BARK Air' launches luxury dog travel
A decade in the making, it redefines pet-friendly air travel, "No dog should fly in a crate."
BARK Air's inaugural flight in May (Instagram/@barkair)
CHENNAI: Forget cramped cargo, difficult car rides or stressful separation from your pet friends. It's time for dog lovers to rejoice!
The 'BARK' Pet Company announced its airline, 'BARK Air' which launched its first flight on May 23. It departed from New York to Los Angeles at 4:00 pm EST.
The airline aims to prioritise dogs' comfort while travelling and provide opportunities for their human companions to join them on the journey.
"We believe this initiative will elevate awareness of our brand's mission and values, and help enrich the lives of dogs and their people around the world," 'Bark' co-founder and CEO Matt Meeker said in April.
In partnership with a jet charter service, it is a luxury airline for dogs of all sizes along with their owners. The new aviation service was first introduced in April, marketing itself to cater to canines that experience stressful and uncomfortable commercial air travel.
"We are launching BARK Air because, despite incredible demand from dog people, there is simply no good or convenient solution to travelling long distances with your dog," the company stated in its forum.
A detailed explanation of the booking process, amenities as well as the routes served was also provided by the company.
Highly skilled stewards, ample room for typical dog activities, calming aids, dog-friendly refreshments and other services are guaranteed by the establishment. "We plan to add more routes, more infrastructure, more equipment, more staff, and more over-the-top dog-first amenities unlike anything in the market."
A website page launched by the company for the airline further lists out the conditions of requirements to fly (for both canines and humans).
With their introductory video going viral, many netizens expressed their amusement at the revolutionary service by 'BARK'.
One user commented, "This is the greatest thing ever!! Me and my dog travel back and forth all the time and it's heartbreaking having to put him below."
Another read, "We love this!! We support it and hope to experience it one day!"
In an Instagram post, BARK Airlines timely shared the details of its first flight and pictures of the many dogs that joined them, tagged along with a caption stating, "Introducing BARK Air: A 100% totally real airline for dogs."