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Virgin Australia to start trials of pets as cabin passengers
September 18th 2025
Virgin Australia (VA) will be the first airline in Australia to allow pets on board. Read More » The service will be trialled on flights from Melbourne to Queensland’s Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast starting on October 16. Tickets for the pet friendly flights went on sale on September 17. VA said the trial program will capture customer insights and feedback valuable for the planning of its broader rollout of the service. “Our guests have been telling us for years how much they want to travel alongside their pets. Now they finally can. It is a model that has proved successful in the U.S. and Europe and we are thrilled to bring it to Australia. With almost 70% of households owning a pet, we expect the service to be embraced by pet lovers around the country. Beyond convenience for pet owners, the service will boost the pet-friendly travel sector, including hotels and tourism operators,” Virgin Australia Group CEO, Dave Emerson, said. The pets must travel in a carrier with specific requirements, including size. To ensure a comfortable experience for all guests, the airline has limited pets allowed per flight to four and will assign pet owners to designated seating areas across two rows of VA aircraft offering the service.
