No pet parent relishes the idea of their dog traveling in the cargo hold of an airplane.
A new service by subscription dog treat company BarkBox aims to end that situation for pet lovers who can afford it.
As reported by Bloomberg News on Friday (April 12), Bark Air let the dog owners reserve flights on a Gulfstream 550 private jet, with all family members traveling in the main cabin.
According to the report, the airline will offer weekly flights from New York to Los Angeles — and LA to NY — as well as twice-monthly flights from New York to London, with fares starting at $6,000 one-way on the transcontinental US flights—a ticket includes a seat for one person and one dog—plus $8,000 one-way on the New York to London route.
The first flights — on jets owned and operated by charter company Talon Air — begin May 23, with dogs allowed to sit anywhere in the cabin. The flights offer a dog-specific menu with tasty treats like “dog Champagne” (chicken soup), and will one day include an onboard play area that looks like a dog park.
“We will find out if this is a service that the world wants and appreciates,” Matt Meeker, Bark’s co-founder and CEO, told Bloomberg. “If not, we’ll have time to figure it out.”
Regardless of whether dog owners like Bark’s particular offering, recent PYMNTS reporting shows that pet parents cost of services that treat their four-legged friends like part of the family.
These sentiments are used by companies such as Synchronywhose CareCredit earlier this year launched a collaboration with Pet Destination, a provider of veterinary care and pet services. This includes offering a CareCredit financing solution at Destination Pet locations nationwide, for things like boarding, daycare, grooming, veterinary care and pet resorts.
“In our conversations with the executive team at Destination Pet — their customers are asking for it,” Jonathan WainbergGM of Synchrony’s pet business, at PYMNTS in January.
“People are still bringing pets into their family and at higher rates. And they are still spending,” Wainberg said.
Backing up this assertion is data that shows that in 2022, the global pet care market reached $235.32 billion and is expected to reach $368.88 billion by 2030.
“These figures clearly indicate why Synchrony is looking to expand its market share in the industry,” PYMNTS wrote.
