Who let the dogs fly? MacArthur Airport lands a pet-first airline

MacArthur Airport is getting a new airline — and your dog can fly with you.

RetrievAir, the pet-first airline that lets dogs fly in the cabin alongside their owners, is moving its Long Island operation from Republic Airport in Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma.

Nonstop flights to Chicago and the D.C. area begin Sept. 6, with Fort Lauderdale flights also booking now for November

The idea came from founder and CEO Benton Miller, who was tired of the challenges of traveling with his own dogs.

“One, we’re not going to put them in cargo and two, we don’t have charter money,” Miller told Greater Long Island last year. “So we decided that we’re going to solve it.”

Apparently, plenty of other dog owners were looking for the same solution.

“There are people who are like, ‘We will never make this drive again,’” Miller previously said. “They say, ‘We heard about you from a friend and we want to book right now.’”

RetrievAir operates smaller planes with fewer seats than traditional commercial jets, allowing dogs to stay in the cabin with their owners throughout the flight. Dogs under 40 pounds can sit on their owner’s lap, while larger dogs can have their own seat.

Fares are dynamic and average around $775 per seat, with prices varying by route and demand.

RetrievAir joins the Southwest, JetBlue, Breeze, Frontier, Avelo and Cape Air at MacArthur Airport.

Top: RetrievAir courtesy photo