Qantas and Jetstar show no signs of jumping on the pets on planes bandwagon, with neither airline changing its stance on pet-friendly cabins despite Virgin Australia welcoming cats and dogs into cabins from today.
Virgin Australia has become the first commercial airline in Australia to allow small pets to travel inside cabins, with the pet-friendly service starting on flights travelling between Melbourne and the Gold Coast and Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast today. The price to fly with pets starts at $149 per animal.
The plan was revealed in March last year, with eligible dogs and cats required to be no heavier than eight kilograms, combined with the weight of their carrier, and fit comfortably under the seat. Bookings for the pet-friendly flights opened last month, and Virgin Australia frequent flyers can also use their points to secure a seat on the flights. Virgin Australia reports that over 50 per cent of the pet-friendly flights are already booked over the summer holiday period.
Have you booked one of Virgin Australia’s pet-friendly flights? Contact sophie.coghill@yahooinc.com
Pets need to fit under the the chair in front of them. Source: Getty & Virgin Australia
However, Qantas and Jetstar confirmed to Yahoo News neither will follow suit with a pet-friendly service. At least, not yet. Only eligible service dogs are permitted to travel in cabins with these airlines, with all others required to travel in the hold.
Further pet eligibility for Virgin Australia includes the animal being older than eight weeks, being up-to-date with their vaccinations, having a valid veterinary certificate (where required) and not having given birth within the last seven days.
Aussies divided over Virgin Australia’s new pet-friendly flights
In August, Yahoo News hit the streets of Sydney to find out how Aussies responded to imminent pet-friendly flights, and there were mixed reactions.
“I think it’s a good idea, I like it,” one man told Yahoo. One woman claimed she’d even “prefer [a pet] over a human” and said she would be excited to sit near a pet on her flight.
However, another Sydneysider called it out as a “terrible” idea, as another shared a similar sentiment, believing it “can be disruptive and it’s just not a natural environment for them to be in”.
“Honestly no, only because if you have allergies, that can be a really big problem,” another woman said.
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