Virgin Australia got tails wagging earlier this year when it revealed that it will be launching pet-friendly flights. The soon-to-be-launched service will allow Virgin Australia passengers to bring small cats and dogs on-board domestic flights as long as they can travel in carriers that can fit under the seat in front of the passenger. 

Virgin Australia has now confirmed that its plans are well on the way, with a limited trial for its new service being actively discussed as well as how much it will cost passengers to bring their fur baby along for the flight. 

Multiple reports first indicated that the airline planned to trial pets-in-cabin on flights between Sydney and Melbourne. It was reported that the popular route would be first to launch before other routes were added, but Virgin Australia has since dismissed this. 

In terms of cost, it’s speculated that it will cost travellers up to $150 extra to check your pet in and your pet carrier will count as one of your two carry-on bags. Pets will be restricted to a limited number of designated rows and will not be allowed to roam freely or sit on laps, so if snuggling with your pet during the flight is what you had in mind, unfortunately this won’t be the case. 

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At the time of launch, outgoing Virgin Australia Group CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka said in a statement, “Almost 70 per cent of Australian households have a pet, so this announcement is really significant for a large proportion of the country.

“It’s also a great thing for pet-friendly accommodation providers who will benefit greatly from increased connectivity and the ease for travellers to fly with their pets. It really will be a whole new economy for pet travel in Australia.”

It’s good to note that 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. The existing procedure for assessing the eligibility of these assistance animals to travel onboard will not change. Additionally, Virgin Australia will continue to offer pets to be transported as cargo through approved pet carrier services.

If Virgin Australia sticks to the original proposed timeline, you can expect to bring your four-legged friend along on your holiday around March 2025, but stay tuned for a firm launch date. 

For more details, head to the Virgin Australia website.

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