Pets on a plane: The speciality airline making travel possible with your furry companion
Airlines such as Retrievair, Bark Air and ITA Airways are finding out that the sky’s the limit when it comes to dog-friendly flights.
On a recent Saturday, an Embraer ERJ-135 jet left Farmingdale, New York, for Los Angeles with a cabin full of unlikely passengers. The Retrievair flight was set to take a delegation of two Bernese mountain dogs, a husky and a King Charles spaniel, among others both four- and two-legged, across the US.
Retrievair’s premise is simple: to provide relaxing and comfortable air travel for pets and their owners. The startup, which was founded in 2025 and currently serves US destinations, accepts dogs of any size and breed as long as they are decently socialised (cats are welcome too). The jet makes frequent stops, picking up and dropping off pets along the way. Our flight touched down in private airports near Chicago, Dallas and Scottsdale, en route to our final destination of Van Nuys, California, just north of Los Angeles.
While fares are higher than those of a typical commercial service, they secure a dedicated seat for the dogs, with plenty of space for them to stretch out and ample legroom for the humans. Leads are provided and attached to each seat for takeoff and landing, and during turbulence. All Retrievair asks is that dogs don’t lie down in the aisles and impede evacuation.
Dog owners who want to fly today generally find themselves in a pickle. Short of chartering a private jet, owners have limited options: put their pup, especially larger ones, in the hold – which is stressful for both owner and pet – or pretend it’s a service animal, risking guilt and questioning looks. Many opt to just stay home.
Retrievair is part of a growing market for pet-orientated travel. Another prominent offering is Bark Air, which sits on the higher end of dog-friendly charter services with international connections. Some of its perks include spa services and elevated menu items for dogs, such as bone broth. Semi-private scheduled charter operators Aero and JSX also offer pet seats.
Italy’s ITA Airways recently announced that it will begin offering dedicated tickets for canines that weigh up to 30kg (66lbs), though this scheme is currently limited to those travelling on domestic Italian flights and in business class. Dogs are assigned the window seat next to their owner and given a special mat on the floor.
Because Retrievair flies under different rules than a larger airline, passengers get various perks. They can travel via private fixed-base operators at small airports, skipping TSA security screenings in favour of a quick ID check and a once-over with a metal-detector wand before boarding.
As air passengers are becoming more demanding when it comes to choice and customisation, airlines are eager to oblige (and charge for it, of course). The increasing popularity of pet-first flights is a sign that travellers are fed up with crowded terminals and stressful security queues. Most major airlines worldwide set limits on the number of pets allowed on any given aircraft and often only accept smaller animals, partly due to navigating passengers’ potential sensitivities and allergies. The existence of services such as Bark Air and Retrievair seems to prove that dog owners are willing to pay a premium to sidestep travel stress.
On the recent Retrievair flight across the US, tails stayed mostly wagging. In Farmingdale, dogs had more or less colonised the small private terminal and its sofas as they waited patiently to board. After the canines settled in on the plane, calm and unhurried, the atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed during takeoff. All the dogs seemed to feel at ease. Then came the service: first a drinks and snack basket for the humans, followed by treats for the pups. For the dogs flying multiple segments, this soon became a highly anticipated post-takeoff routine – a treat for everyone on board.
