Virgin eyeing Australia’s busiest route for pets on planes trial

Only dogs and cats of a certain size will be allowed as Virgin Australia eyes Australia’s busiest route for the staged introduction of its new pets in the cabin policy.

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka at Melbourne Airport after announcing plans to be the first Australian airline to allow small pets on board flights. Picture: Alex Coppel

Virgin Australia is preparing to trial pets on planes between Melbourne and Sydney initially, with the airline expected to adopt similar criteria for cats and dogs in the cabin as that used by US partner United Airlines.

Few details of the planned “pet friendly” flights have been released since Virgin announced it would become the first major Australian airline to allow small dogs and cats in the cabin next year.

A change in Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations made in December 2021 meant airlines were free to allow pets in the cabin, in addition to certified assistance and guide dogs, provided they posed no threat to flight safety.

It’s understood Virgin would take a staged approach, and allow small dogs and cats in carriers on selected Melbourne-Sydney and Sydney-Melbourne flights before adding other routes.

Only dogs and cats that could travel in a carrier able to fit under the seat in front would be permitted to travel with their owners.

United Airlines stipulated that dogs must be kept in hard-sided carriers no more than 22cm high, 44cm long and 30cm wide.

Cats could travel in soft-sided carriers up to 27cm high, 45cm long and 27cm wide.

The cost of carrying on a pet in a carrier, was expected to be between $100 to $150 one way.

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka, left, at Melbourne Airport. Picture: Alex Coppel

Melbourne and Sydney Airports already have pet “relief” areas where people could take their animals for a toilet break.

In both airports, it was expected that guide and assistance dogs would continue to get priority access to the relief zones ahead of carry-on pets, which would have to remain in their carriers at all other times in the airport.

Security screening of pets was still being finalised but the process was again likely to mirror that of the US, where dogs or cats were briefly removed from carriers and carried through in the arms of their owner.

The carrier itself would go through the X-ray tunnel with any carry-on luggage with the pet to be returned to the crate afterwards.

Virgin Australia has previously said that travellers who decide to fly with their pet in a carrier would be assigned to specific rows, and would not be permitted to sit in an exit row.

Qantas and Jetstar remained adamant they would not bend from their “no pets in the cabin” stance, other than certified assistance and guide dogs.

Both Virgin and Qantas allow pets to travel in the cargo hold of domestic flights, through approved pet carrier services.

The change to CASA regulations handed responsibility for ­animals in the cabin to the airline and pilot-in-command.

A CASA spokesman confirmed no regulatory approval was required for Virgin Australia to commence the practice.

Private jet operators already offer “pet friendly flights” including the Perth-based Skye Pets, and Navair and FalconAir based at Bankstown Airport in Sydney.

Owner of Skye Pets Joanna Maddison said there was a lot of demand for their charter flights which were purely for pets of any size, and their owners.

“There’s definitely high demand, people just treat their pets differently to what they used to and the pet market has gone up so much in value,” said Ms Maddison.

“It would be great if domestic airlines allowed larger pets but I don’t think it’s going to happen because some people are fearful of animals and some have allergies.”

Originally published as Virgin eyeing Australia’s busiest route for pets on planes trial