Virgin Australia to allow pets to fly in cabin in an Australian-first

Emily Murphy found her passion for writing at a young age and knew her future was in travel after she moved overseas solo at 18. Em loves to write about beautiful, under-the-radar destinations and anything that will ignite a desire in more people to explore the vastness and beauty that is Australia. She is a devoted bun mum and in her spare time you'll find her by the sea, reading a good book, binge-watching a TV show or exploring Sydney's dining scene.

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Comments (22)
  • Dave Robinson says:

    Ridiculous.
    Time to change to another airline after 10 years as a Virgin customer.

  • Cath says:

    What about passengers with Allergies? They all share the same Air, Will they be advised when booking that pets will be travelling?

  • Marilyn Andronico says:

    I am 100% for pets being able to travel with their owners. I have spent time in the USA… and
    this plan works perfectly.
    It is barbaric to carry the pets in the luggage hold. I have experienced my pet being very ill and dehydrated after such an incident…and still carry the guilt after many years, to this day, Thank you for this opportunity to express my feelings on this subject. A salute to Virgin Airways! Marilyn.

  • Sue says:

    How will they fit under the seat in front of you – I can’t even get my handbag under let alone a pet carrier?

  • John says:

    NO way this should be implemented. Out of control in the USA. … and why should we copy them. The current system works ok. NO pets on planes. Incidentally, I love dogs and cats.
    John

  • Hamlet says:

    Even though I have a savage allergy to cats, I’m all for it. Looking forward to traveling with Cleopatra, my support diamond python who would quite like to share a space with a cat as long as fluffy is less than two metres long.

  • Dr David Reiter says:

    Dogs will have to be very small indeed to fit in a carrier that has to be stowed under a seat. I doubt that the dogs in Virgin’s promo pics would fit, or be content to be stowed for hours in a tight cage.

  • Wendy Rix says:

    I will never fly Virgin again

  • Janice says:

    Hi Emily
    I am a dog lover however I and other members of my extended family, most have dogs, will definitely not be travelling on any airline that allows this. Having travelled overseas quite a few times we have never heard of this or encountered it in our air travels. It’s already very squeezy to place items under the seat in front and have room for your feet, let alone a pet in a cage. Don’t mind dogs/cats on a train as there is plenty of room and more circulating air. A big NO from us.
    regards
    Janice

  • Lorelei Bache says:

    I definitely disagree with allowing cats and dogs on flights and would not fly on such a flight.

  • ken willes says:

    Sorry. There is no way I will ever fly Virgin.

  • Terry Page says:

    I won’t be flying with them & I love animals but this is ridiculous.

  • jenny marks says:

    I think you should have a pets only flight with owners, so that customers that dislike dogs and cats can be offered an alternative flight. I would not be be happy to have animals in the cabin

  • RPaul says:

    We have travelled extensively in our lives and have only come across pets being allowed on board aircraft cabins once flying from Vienna to Stockholm. The pets were not allowed to stay with their owners in their seats but cabin staff placed them in cages in the front of the plane. They also only allow pets on short haul flights. Aircraft cabins are so small and cramped that we consider this practice totally unacceptable and very cruel for the animals. We would not fly with any airline that allows pets to travel with the passenger in their seat. This practice is just as bad as European restaurant and cafe customers being allowed to bring their dogs into the establishment. The world has gone completely bonkers in our opinion.

  • Yvonne Morris says:

    I will definitely be accessing this service for my very small dog depending on the flight routes.

  • Posh says:

    Won’t be flying Virgin anymore then just imagine 6 dogs all barking at once!

  • Jeff says:

    Not for me
    Thank goodness Qantas has said no to pets in the main cabin

  • KAROLINE TERRELL says:

    This makes me so happy and excited to potentially be able take my beautiful toy poodle girl on a flight with us. I would absolutely definitely use the pets onboard service with Virgin Australia.

  • John Mardell says:

    At last, we’ll certainly make use of this! Haven’t flown for seven years as we wouldn’t leave our dog in a kennel, and she wouldn’t handle going in the hold of an aircraft as well as being separated from us. Drove the Nullarbor last year, but …. No more!

  • Karen harris says:

    I am so pleased that Virgin has progressed to allowing pets in the cabin. After living in USA for 4 years it was hard to come back to OZ and be restricted about pets and travel.

  • Linda P says:

    Definitely.
    It will be less stressful for the owner and their pet if they can travel domestic together onboard.
    Happy for Virgin to update regarding onboard pet travelling by email when it will start.
    Thank you.

  • Luke Brady says:

    It’s so interesting reading all the comments to this post. Humans are so interestingly unique. Animals best friends, family members and deserve to be traded a accordantly. I agreed that the final details will need to be managed and worked through. The captain crew will do their best to make sure everyone’s comfortable. Thank you VIRGIN for pushing and evolving the industry all the while keeping things safe.