Thursday, 7th of March 2024: Virgin Australia has let the cat out of the bag with its latest announcement, aiming to be the country’s first airline to let pets tag along in the skies. This pawsome plan, still waiting for a green light from the powers that be, could be taking off within the next year.
Pet enthusiasts across Australia are barking with joy over this tail-wagging news, eagerly waiting for the chance to fly high with their furry friends. Back in 2021, a poll on Virgin Australia’s Facebook page showed that a whopping 85% of voters were all for bringing pets into the cabin. And the appetite for this service has only grown; recent sniffing around by Virgin Australia found that nearly 70% of Aussie pet owners would love to travel with their pets right by their side, and 57% would even take to the skies more often if they could bring their animal companions along.
It seems that Virgin Australia is looking to follow in the pawprints of several major North American airlines, like United Airlines and Air Canada, which already offer a cozy corner for pets on domestic flights.
For the comfort of all guests, Virgin Australia has today announced a number of parameters for pets in cabin flights:
The service will be limited to small cats and dogs on specific domestic routes;
Pets will be restricted to a limited number of designated rows and will not be allowed to roam freely or sit on laps;
Pets must also be carried in a Virgin Australia approved pet carrier under the seat in front of the owner for the duration of the flight.
