Paws in the air: Virgin Australia makes history with pet-friendly flights
Virgin Australia opened a game exchange for Aussie travelers and officially launched the country’s first pets on cabin flights.
On Wednesday, passengers can book tickets for furry friends on certain ways between Melbourne, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, and the opening flight began to leave Melbourne Airport on 16 October 2025 Thursday.
The service, allowing small cats and dogs to promote $ 149 per flight, will work until January 30, 2026 before being submitted to Virgin Australia’s local network next year.
However, not without proposal restrictions. Small cats and dogs, which are only under 8 kg (including carriers) in the cabin, will be allowed and a maximum of four pets will be allowed per flight.
For the entire journey, they must remain in a confirmed soft -sided, leak -resistant carrier placed under the seat in front of the owner.
Passengers traveling with domestic animals will sit in the designated window seats (18a, 18f, 20a and 20f) and during the trial, cats will not be allowed in Melbourne -gold Coast Services.
All animals should be up to date with vaccines, and those who have races such as eight weeks or under the age of 12, as well as specific health conditions or races such as brachycephalic dogs, will require the certificate of a veterinarian that confirms that they are suitable for flying.
Movement, 2021 Virgin Australia Facebook survey, 85 percent of the participants in favor of domestic animals show.
According to Virgin Australian Group Medical Officer Kelly Bofkin, animal welfare and passenger health services were in mind.
Dr. Bofkin, “All guests’ health and comfort is at the center of the development of this service, and since the 2024 announcement to inform every decision we have examined customer feedback carefully,” he said.
He said that the advanced HEPA air filtration systems on the Virgin aircraft removed more than 99 percent of the air particles in the air, including Pet Dander, and that the allocated pets will protect the new “buffer zones” passengers with allergies.
Dave Emerson, General Manager of Virgin Australia, said that the airline was excited to provide a service that Australians are looking for.
Emerson said, “Our guests tell us how much they want to travel with their pets for years and finally they can. We are excited to bring Australia to Australia, which has been proven to be successful in the United States and Europe.”
“Almost 70 percent of the households who own a pet owner, we expect the service to be adopted by domestic lovers around the country. For pet owners, it will increase the domestic -friendly travel sector, including hotels and tourism operators.
“Virgin is another example of Australia, which pioneered with domestic animals, new and improved service offers and first market experiences for our guests.”
The veterinarian and the media personality Katrina Warren described it as a milestone for domestic -loving travelers.
“I understand how deeply the Australians love their pets and act as loved family members, Dr said Dr Warren, as both a veterinarian and a pet owner,” Dr Warren said.
“Flying with domestic animals in the cabin has already proved that he was successful abroad, and I am excited to see that Virgin Australia is leading this with this Australia first. First, a meaningful step makes a travel more accessible for pet owners and accepts the important role that domestic animals play in our lives.”
Virgin, United Airlines, Air France and Air Canada, are already participating in large international airlines that allow domestic animals on certain domestic flights.
Mr. Emerson said that Virgin was the first local airway to be the first local airline to present the new offer to the promotion of an interesting “middle seat lottery”.
For now, it may soon be widespread to see that cats and dogs are “claw sorcerers ında in the sky of Australia.
