Virgin Australia eyes ‘pets on planes’ trial

Passengers on selected Virgin Australia flights may soon be allowed to travel with their pets in the cabin rather than the cargo hold.

The airline confirmed to Executive Traveller it is currently in discussions with a number of airports, although Virgin dismissed as speculation reports that Sydney-Melbourne will be the launch route for a trial.

Just don’t get your hopes up for those pet-friendly flights: your furry friend won’t be able to sit on your lap or curl up on an empty seat next to you.

Virgin says animals will have to remain in a small, ventilated airline-approved pet carrier, which must be stowed under the seat in front of the owner for the duration of the flight.

That'll no doubt prove a tight fit for poodles and pugs, let alone medium-sized dogs.

The pet carrier will count as one of your two carry-on bags and attract an additional cost.

As a benchmark, most US carriers charge US$125 (A$180) per pet on one-way domestic flights, while Lufthansa charges €50-€70 (A$80-$115) per pet.

Small dogs will be welcome in the cabin on selected Virgin Australia routes.

Virgin’s ‘pet zone’ will be restricted to a limited number of designated rows on each plane, making it easier to separate passengers who’d rather not be near those animals, such as travellers with allergies.

“It won’t be a menagerie on board, we’re just talking dogs or cats,” clarified outgoing Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka when first announcing the plans in March this year.

At the time, Virgin said its pet-friendly flights were “expected to launch within 12 months” on “specific domestic routes.”

Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus has previously said the airport was looking forward to helping Virgin Australia deliver the Australian-first.

“We’ve been investing significant effort into providing relief areas for assistance animals and these facilities have ample capacity to serve Virgin Australia’s new guests,” she said.

“We expect the pets in cabin concept will prove a popular offering and we look forward to working with Virgin Australia to make it a reality.”

Virgin wants to be the first Australian airline to allow pets in the cabin.

Virgin also claimed a poll taken via its Facebook page saw 85% of respondents in favour of the airline allowing pets in the cabin; additional research claiming nearly 70% of Australian pet owners would travel with their pet in the cabin, while 57% said they would fly more regularly if the service was a reality.

However, public response to Virgin’s announcement is divided. Social media comments are almost evenly split for and against, while a snap poll conducted by Executive Traveller saw 53% of people against Virgin’s new pet-friendly policy and 47% in favour.

Virgin, Qantas, Jetstar and Regional Express currently allow service dogs to travel free with their owners, but all other animals must be transported in the cargo hold – a measure that's costly and often distressing for both the pets and their owners.