Virgin Australia is set to become the first airline in Australia to welcome pets onboard with the inaugural flight scheduled to take off from Melbourne Airport on Thursday, 16 October 2025.
The Australian-first service will initially launch as a trial on flights between Melbourne and the Gold Coast, and Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast. Official sale of ticket bookings for furry companions (small dogs and/or cats only) started on 17 September for an introductory price of $149 per animal, per flight.
The ‘Pets in Cabin’ service is set to transform Australia’s domestic aviation market, unlocking economic opportunities for the tourism and pet travel industries. This will also make travel more accessible for pet owners and acknowledging the important role pets play in our lives.
Virgin Australia Group Chief Executive Officer, Dave Emerson said the airline is thrilled with Australia’s first-ever ‘Pets in Cabin’ flights.
“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.
“With almost 70 percent of households owning a pet, we expect the service to be embraced by pet lovers all around the country. Beyond convenience for pet owners, the service is also set to boost the pet-friendly travel sector, including hotels and tourism operators.”
The airline has taken a rigorous approach to addressing allergy and hygiene considerations of travelling passengers.
“Our aircraft are fitted with advanced HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration systems, which capture more than 99 per cent of airborne particles, including pet dander,” Virgin Australia Group Medical Officer, Dr Kelly Bofkin, said.
There are certain restrictions when you travel with your pet including the combined weight of pet and carrier should not be more than 8kgs, be older than 8 weeks, fit comfortably in an approved pet carrier under your front seat.
To ensure the comfort of all passengers, there will be specific designated areas for passengers travelling with their furry companions. Pets will remain/secured in the pet carrier.
In a 2021 social media survey of Virgin Australia Facebook followers, 85 per cent voted in favour of the airline launching Pets in Cabin flights. More recent research from Tourism and Transport Forum Australia found that over 63% of pet owners are leaving their furry companions with a sitter or loved one due to the lack of inflight pet travel options available in Australia.
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.
‘Pets in Cabin’ services are already a standard airline offering across major carriers in North America and Europe, including United Airlines, Air France and Air Canada, which offer pets to travel onboard on domestic routes.
In New Zealand, domesticated cats, dogs and small caged birds can travel on domestic flights as checked-in baggage. Certified service dogs are an exception and may travel in the cabin.
