Virgin’s first of its kind move in Australia

Virgin Australia has just revealed its plans for a huge change – and, if approved, it will be the first airline in the country to offer it.

Passengers who have pets could soon take their furry friends with them on a Virgin Australia flight following the airline’s huge new move.

On Wednesday, it announced it is hoping to operate flights with pets with the Australian-first service currently subject to regulatory approval.

If given the green light, it will likely launch the service within 12 months.

“The reality is that 70 per cent of our passengers would love to have their fur babies on-board with them,” Virgin Australia Group CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka told news.com.au.

“So for us it’s really important to be able to innovate and lead and show the way, and to satisfy a really important desire of the majority of Australians to travel with their fur babies.”

Virgin Australia has just announced a first of its kind in the country — to operate flights with pets. Picture: Alex Coppel

Ms Hrdlicka said it’s for small dogs and small cats only and that the animal must fit into a predefined space underneath the seat in front of the passenger.

She also said they must fit into a predefined carrier and stay in it at the airport and on-board the aircraft.

“This will only be in predesignated rows so that anybody who doesn’t want to be near an animal underneath a seat in front of a pet owner, doesn’t need to be,” she added.

In the airline’s latest research with Australian pet owners, nearly 70 per cent of respondents said they would travel with their pet in the cabin, with 57 per cent saying they would fly more regularly if the service was a reality.

Pets can’t roam freely or sit on laps — instead passengers will have to carry their pets in a Virgin Australia approved carrier. Picture: Alex Coppel

The move also comes following a social media survey on the airline’s Facebook page back in 2021 where 85 per cent of respondents voted in favour of the airline launching pets in cabin flights.

“Our love for animals has always been in the Virgin Australia DNA and we are excited at the prospect of taking off with Australia’s first-ever pets in cabin flights,” Ms Hrdlicka continued.

“Overwhelmingly, our guests tell us they want to travel with their pets, and we are now on a journey to make that a reality.”

Pets also can’t roam freely or sit on laps — they must stay put in the Virgin Australia approved carrier.

Pets will be restricted to a limited number of designated rows, so you don;t have to sit next to a dog or cat if you don’t want to.

Those who are eligible to bring their pets on flights will be charged a fee, with the amount yet to be revealed.

“It’s something that commonly happens overseas and is proven to work well,” Ms Hrdlicka said.

Almost all major carriers in North America offer a pets on-board service for domestic flights, including United Airlines and Air Canada.

They’re hoping to launch the service within 12 months. Picture: Alex Coppel

Melbourne Airport CEO, Lorie Argus said the airport was looking forward to helping Virgin deliver the Australian-first.

“We’ve been investing significant effort into providing relief areas for assistance animals and these facilities have ample capacity to serve Virgin Australia’s new guests,” she said.

“Animals being carried on board Virgin Australia flights will be required to remain in their approved pet carriers at all other times within the terminal.

“We expect the pets in cabin concept will prove a popular offering and we look forward to working with Virgin Australia to make it a reality.”

Ms Hrdlicka, who has two dogs of her own, said hers are too big for the service, but she’s excited to see it happen as she knows how important it is to travel with pets.

“I know this is going to make a massive difference,” she said, adding it’s also a great thing for pet-friendly accommodation providers who will “benefit greatly” from increased connectivity.

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

Some hotels across Australia that are pet-friendly include The Langham Melbourne; Pier One Sydney Harbour, Sydney; Ovolo The Valley, Brisbane; Hotel Vera, Ballarat; Wildes Boutique Hotel, Kangaroo Valley; Ace Hotel, Sydney and QT Melbourne, Victoria.

The proposed pets in cabin flights will not result in any change to approved assistance animals being able to travel in the cabin of Virgin Australia aircraft at no additional cost. Virgin will continue to offer pets to be transported as cargo through approved pet carrier services.