Small Pets to Fly in the Cabin for the First Time

Pets will need to weigh less than 8 kilograms and be up to date with vaccines.

Passengers board a Virgin flight in Perth, Western Australia, on Oct. 24, 2024. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

Virgin Australia will allow small pets to fly with passengers on set flights between Victoria and Queensland from Oct. 16.

The airline will become the first in Australia to allow regular pets on aircrafts after receiving regulatory approval. Pets already routinely fly on flights within the United States and parts of Europe.

Each flight will welcome a maximum of four pets and be restricted to certain seats. The cost begins at $149 per animal each flight.

Virgin aims to broaden this pet plan to all eligible Virgin domestic flights after a trial ending January 2026.

For now, pets can only fly between Melbourne and the Gold Coast and Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast.

In March 2024, Virgin first revealed it would welcome pets on flights.

Since then, it has consulted with international airlines offering the same service along with animal welfare groups and frequent travellers.

“Virgin Australia will use the trial to capture important customer insights and feedback before planning a broader rollout of the service across its domestic network next year,” the airline said.

Pets Will Need to Be Vaccinated

Pets will need to be either a small cat or tag with a weight of less than 8 kilograms, including the carrier.

However, during the trial, cats will not be allowed on routes to and from the Gold Coast.

The animals on board will also need to be over eight weeks old, up to date with vaccinations, and carry a valid veterinary certificate. The pet is not allowed to have given birth in the last seven days.

Virgin Australia Group Chief Executive Officer Dave Emerson said the airline was elated to go on sale with the “first ever” Pets in Cabin flights in Australia.

“Our guests have been telling us for years how much they want to travel alongside their pets and now they finally can. It’s a model that’s proven successful in the US and Europe and we’re thrilled to bring it to Australia,” he said.

“With almost 70 percent of households owning a pet, we expect the service to be embraced by pet lovers all around the country.

Veterinarian and pet expert Katrina Warren said as both a vet and pet owner she understood how deeply Australians love their pets and treat them as cherished family members.

“Flying with pets in the cabin has already proven successful overseas, and I’m thrilled to see Virgin Australia leading the way with this Australian first. It’s a meaningful step forward, making travel more accessible for pet owners and acknowledging the important role pets play in our lives,” she said.

What is Qantas Doing?

Virgin competitor Qantas does allow accredited service dogs to travel in the aircraft cabin.

The dogs must have a certification from a training organisation. This involves passengers completing an application to travel 14 days in advance.

All other pets need to fly via freight.

At this stage, Qantas has not announced any plans to allow regular pets to fly in the cabin.

Meanwhile, Qantas has recently announced the first two A321XLRs planes will fly in the air on commercial flights on Sept. 25.

The new fleet, a major milestone in the company’s renewal program, will fly the Sydney to Melbourne and Sydney to Perth routes, subject to regulatory approval.

The aircraft are set to be more comfortable for passengers, with wider seats, larger windows, fast WIFI, and bigger overhead bins.

Qantas Domestic CEO Markus Svensson said their customers would be the first in the Asia Pacific to experience the next-generation A321XLR.

“The extended flight range will also enable us to operate these aircraft on both domestic and short haul international routes, including destinations across South East Asia and the Pacific Islands that are not currently viable with our current narrowbody fleet,” he said.