Hollywood's Doggie Airline

 BARK Air opened last spring with none-stop flights out of L.A. to NYC, London, and Paris.

Passenger with pet on BARK flight

BARK specializes in providing air transportation for passengers and their dogs. It operates Gulfstream G5 and G4 private jets and proclaims itself the 'first dog airline'. These days, pets traveling on airplanes need to have 'emotional support' papers and the pet must be housed in an under-seat carrier, all other pets have to travel in the luggage hold. 

All on board

The BARK departure lounge in L.A. is filled with treats and happy, dog-trained attendants. The menu includes items such as 'Barkaccino' and 'Chompagne'. There is no size or weight restrictions for canine passengers.

"Flying on traditional airlines with dogs is very stressful for both the dog and owner. So, we thought we'd go the opposite way and supercharge it so that we care about your dog even more than you", says Dave Strangel, BARK's brand manager.

Most of the weekly $6,000 cross-continental flights sell out - this is about equal in cost of two first-class tickets on a commercial flight. 

BARK is betting that enough people are willing to pay for themselves and their dogs to travel in first-class style over long distances - and it seems to be working.

By: Jim Lavorato

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