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February 04, 2025 • Reading Time: 6 minutes

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News Bites

Hold the champagne, bring the kibble

Luxury dog air travel company Bark Air adds Florida-New York route amid boom in first-class pet air travel

Or maybe bring the champagne AND the kibble.

🐾 The Gist

Bark Air, the first luxury air travel company that caters specifically to dogs, is offering a new route this month between Fort Lauderdale and New York City for high-flying pooches. As part of a President’s Day weekend promotion (Feb. 13-17), dogs and humans can fly the Florica-NYC route for under $1,000. Passengers will travel on Bark Air partner Air Wisconsin’s CRJ-200 and receive “white paw” service, which includes concierge service, “fun surprises” and in-flight treats.

The new route comes amid a boom in luxury travel services that cater exclusively to pets. Bark Air - whose other flights can cost as much as $8,000 - charters private Gulfstream G5s and G4s and offers concierge service, lavender-scented towels and gourmet meals (for dogs and humans). 

“National and international dog parents have embraced this new way to travel with their dogs,” Bark Air president Mike Novotny told Fortune. “By putting dogs first and offering a premium experience, we’ve redefined what it means to travel together.” 

🐾 Growth prospects

The luxury pet air travel market has grown substantially in the last few years. Growth drivers include increasing adoption of pets (who are more often treated as family members) and wider availability of pet-friendly holiday accommodation.

As luxury air travel for pets is a relatively new niche, few growth forecasts for this sector are available. Still, the outlook for the overall pet travel services market is rosy. Grand View Research calculates an estimated CAGR of 9.69% from 2023 to 2030 the pet travel services market, to reach a projected value of USD3.73 billion by 2030. This compares to a market value of USD1.96 billion in 2023. 

🐾 The Players

Other players in the premium pet air travel space include Luxaviation, K9 Jets and Vistajet.

  • Luxaviation offers bespoke private jet services to passengers traveling with pets. This includes menus specifically designed for pets (baked salmon or prime cuts of fresh meat, anyone?). 

  • K9 Jets offers a pay-per-seat private jet service designed specifically for pet owners. Cats and dogs can travel in the cabin (dogs on laps or by the owner’s side, cats in carriers). Passengers also get to skip the queues for customs or security, and can enjoy a free bar and refreshments. Destinations include Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Paris, and Toronto. 

  • VistaJet’s VistaPet programme not only flies pets, it offers ancillary services such as pre-flight fear of flying courses to nervous pets, in partnership with The Dog House. The four-week training desensitises dogs to potentially distressing elements such as the sound of jet engines, cabin air pressure and air turbulence. 

🐾 Market opportunities

Luxury pet air travel is not just about getting from A to B in style. The sector offers opportunities for companies to deliver high-end pet products and services based around air travel.

Pre-flight:

  • Custom travel crates and accessories. K9 Jets offers custom crates for pet comfort during travel

  • Spa and grooming services: VistaJet includes pre-flight spa treatments and grooming for pets to keep them relaxed and travel-ready.

In-flight:

  • Gourmet pet meals: VistaJet offers tailored in-flight meals for pets, such as lean meats and vegetables; Bark Air provides in-flight treats and meal options for dogs.

  • Onboard luxury items: VistaJet offers blankets, cooling mats, and calming sprays as part of its VistaPet programme. Bark Air offers toys and anti-anxiety aids.

Luxury add-ons:

  • Photography sessions: Premium photography to remember the journey.

  • Customised merchandise: e.g. Bark Air offers branded collars, leashes, and travel kits.

  • Pet-friendly travel kits: VistaJet and Bark Air offer travel kits, including essentials such as collapsible bowls and travel blankets.

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Feline fine at 40,000 feet.

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See you next week.