Australian pet owners will soon have more options to travel with their animals after Virgin Australia announced an expansion of its Pets in Cabin program.
The airline’s first Pets in Cabin flight from Adelaide to Melbourne is scheduled to depart on 23 June, with the service also becoming available on flights between Adelaide and the Gold Coast.
The expansion follows the launch of pet-friendly cabin flights between Melbourne and Queensland in October last year, allowing small cats and dogs to travel alongside their owners.
The change became possible after the Civil Aviation Safety Authority updated regulations in 2021, removing the requirement for airlines to seek explicit approval before carrying animals on flights.
Virgin Australia has since become the first major Australian airline to allow eligible pets to travel inside the cabin rather than in the cargo hold.
The airline’s current Pets in Cabin network includes routes between Adelaide, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.
Bookings for Adelaide-Melbourne pet flights are currently available through to 31 January 2027, while bookings for other participating routes are open until 30 September this year.
Virgin Australia is also seeking final airport approvals to make the service a permanent option on eligible flights from next year.
Virgin Australia chief marketing and customer operations officer Libby Minogue said customer demand for the service had been strong.
“We’ve seen an overwhelmingly positive response to the Pets in Cabin service, with almost 1,500 pets travelling on Virgin Australia flights since the program launched in October,” Minogue said.
“Pets are part of the family and we know how important it is for many Australians to be able to travel with them interstate.”