As I have been researching this article, my spoiled and quite nervous Labrador, Rhubarb, has been sleeping peacefully next to me.
I couldn’t imagine the stress for either of us of putting her in the cargo hold — the noises, the smells, the confinement, the unfamiliar surroundings. Frankly, I suspect neither of us would be handling it particularly well.
Far from being a neurotic dog mom (guilty), it appears that I am not alone. Polaris Market Research puts the global pet travel market at $2.23bn, with that figure expected to reach $4.6bn by 2032. And while luxury pet travel isn’t tracked as a standalone industry, it is becoming an increasingly significant niche within the wider pet travel market.
There are now a handful of pet-friendly private jet charter companies catering specifically to animals, while many others offer suitable private jet options. The level of service varies: some offer weeks of preparation for particularly nervous animals, others provide custom menus, there’s cabin hosts trained in animal behavior, and even rewards schemes for flying pets.
Whether you’re relocating, traveling long distances, or simply fancy a vacation with your best buddy, these are the private jet companies making flying with pets considerably more comfortable.
Pet-friendly private jet charter
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Bark Air
Matt Meeker, co-founder and CEO of Bark (a subscription dog toy and treat company), wanted to travel long distances with his beloved Great Dane named Hugo. He didn’t want to subject Hugo to the hold, especially over a long distance, and was frustrated with the lack of options. And so Bark Air was born.
Instead of putting the four-legged passenger on equal footing with its human, the company puts the dogs first, humans second. There’s concierge support to help coordinate USDA and international travel paperwork (and dogs get a ‘pup passport’), and no size or limit — breeds large and small are accommodated in the cabin or on couches. There’s also a chaperone service in case your dog needs to travel without you, plus a recently launched in-flight grooming service. Some requests have included a pre-departure pup spa day that included a ‘blowout;’ a mid-flight birthday party; and a seat upgrade for a stuffed animal to sit beside the dog for company on the flight.
The pet set: A flight from New York to London will cost you your pet (assuming they’re paying their share…) between $8,000 – $9,000 for a one-way flight.
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VistaPet
One in every four of VistaJet’s members flies with a pet, and so the aviation company created a service around them: VisaPets. Animals are treated exceptionally – pets are usually welcomed on board first so they can explore the cabin. And during the flight, they can curl up on a handmade Labbvenn sleep mats and dine on a specialized menu with options like roast tenderloin and baked salmon.
Nervous dog? Vista can arrange a four-week course at The Dog House to gradually acclimatize animals to the sights, sounds, and sensations they may encounter when flying (despite the name, the program is available for cats, rabbits, birds, and other small animals, providing they are over 10 weeks old). VistaJet's Cabin Hosts receive training on animal body language to assess stress levels and monitor vital signs like heart rate and body temperature, and are trained in pet CPR.
The pet set: VistaPets has accommodated a veritable Noah’s Ark in the sky, with an eclectic mix of animals. Between 2024 and 2025, the company has reported an 18 percent increase in cats, a 25 percent increase in hamsters and rabbits, and a 100 percent increase in lizards.
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K9 Jets
Operating with pay-by-seat private jet flights (instead of chartering the whole plane), K9 Jets confirms flights once a 75 percent passenger capacity threshold is met. One seat gets you one human plus one large (over 51bs) or two smaller ones (under 50lbs each). K9 has no breed restrictions; flat-nosed pups (like Pugs, French and English Bulldogs, and Shih Tzus) are welcome – they’re typically banned on commercial planes. Cats are welcome, too, but must remain in a carrier (how plush that carrier is, is up to you).
K9’s fixed routes are comparatively small because of the pay-by-seat model (instead of having access to a jet and choosing where it should go), but the routes are popular ones – London to New York, Paris to New Jersey, London to Dubai, for example.
The pet set: A one-way flight from London to Los Angeles costs between $14,500 (direct) – $16,800 (with one change).
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JSX
Launched this year, Club JSX is the air carrier’s new loyalty program. It’s not a paid membership program like other providers offer; instead, it’s a free reward scheme so members get 5 percent back on any of the book-by-the-seat flights taken (so $5,000 gets you $250 in rewards).
However, it’s not just humans that can get involved – sub profiles can be created for pets, so they can earn rewards, too. For the actual flight, JSX has called in Petco to help (two of the aircraft in JSX’s fleet are Petco branded) with treats, carriers, leashes, and access to pet relief stations at the lounge.
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NetPets
In one year, NetJets carried pets on over 28,600 flights. Not only is that a lot of paws, but an indicator of the brand’s know-how in getting animals in the skies. Pets are actually welcome onboard all jets and all journeys (they can sit in your lap if you want) and extra precautions are taken in-between flights to remove all traces of previous pet travel to alleviate any allergy concerns. NetJets also assists with some of the trickier entry requirements of certain countries and helps with the paperwork needed.
