Virgin Australia: Major change to flights means you may never have to leave your pet at home again

Virgin Australia has announced it will become the country’s first airline to allow pets on board so they can travel with their owners.

The plan to allow small dogs and cats on specific domestic flights will be announced on Thursday morning in Melbourne.

Pending regulatory approval, Virgin Australia is expected to launch the new service within 12 months.

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the airline is “delighted” to finally announce its pet-friendly plan.

“Our love of animals has always been in Virgin Australia’s DNA and we are excited at the prospect of taking off with Australia’s first pets on cabin flights,” he said.

‘The vast majority of our guests tell us that they want to travel with their pets and we are now on the path to making it a reality. “It is something that commonly occurs abroad and has been shown to work well.”

Although it would be a first in Australian skies, most major North American airlines offer a pet service, including United Airlines and Air Canada.

Virgin Australia proposes having a limited number of designated rows for animals and their owners, and dogs and felines will not be able to walk around the cabin or sit on their laps.

Instead, all pets must be transported in an airline-approved pet carrier under the seat facing their owner for the entire flight.

There will be a fee for bringing a pet on board, but assistance dogs will remain free of charge.

The airline surveyed its Facebook followers in 2021 and 85 percent of customers who voted were in favor of having pets on board.

Additionally, recent research by the pet-loving airline showed that 70 per cent of Australian dog and cat owners would travel in the cabin with their furry friend.

The survey also found that 57 percent of travelers would fly more frequently if the service continued.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the airport will have “ample capacity” to handle Virgin Australia’s new furry guests.

“We hope the in-cabin pet concept proves to be a popular offering and we look forward to working with Virgin Australia to make it a reality,” he said.

Hrdlicka said 70 per cent of Australian households have a pet and believes the announcement is not only good news for owners, but also for the economy.

“It’s also a great thing for pet-friendly accommodation providers, who will benefit greatly from increased connectivity and the ease for travelers to fly with their pets,” he said.

“It really will be a whole new economy for pet travel in Australia.”

Details on costs and pet-friendly routes will be announced in due course.