At some point over the past year, dogs quietly became the most pampered passengers in the sky.

They stretch their legs during layovers. They have spa appointments after landing. They travel with concierges, snack on calming chews and go home with curated gift baskets. Bark Air, a new airline designed exclusively for canine passengers, flies dogs in the main cabin of chartered Gulfstreams. RetrievAir, another startup, offers airport dog walkers and works with rescues to fly shelter dogs to new homes — no charge, no crate, no middle seat.

What began as a quirky luxury for indulgent pet parents is now starting to rewrite the rules of air travel. In September, Italy passed aviation laws allowing medium and large dogs to fly in the cabin. Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines have introduced dedic

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