Virgin Australia has confirmed that it will introduce its long-awaited pet-friendly flights soon.
After announcing the flights last year, Virgin initially said it would take 12 months to get regulatory approval for the pet-friendly flights following a change in the Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations. However, a Virgin Australia spokesperson told 9news.com.au that it's taking longer than expected.
"We have been working hard alongside regulators, industry partners and stakeholder groups to ensure we can offer a compliant, safe and comfortable experience for guests travelling with or without a pet," the spokesperson said.
"Due to the new nature of this service in Australia, the approval process is taking longer than anticipated.
"Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at Virgin Australia and we look forward to updating travellers on a launch date for our highly-anticipated pets in cabin services soon."
The airline is preparing a Pet Travel Guide containing tips and suggestions for travelling with pets before trialling selected flights to gather feedback on the flights.
The pet friendly flights will have two rows designated for passengers travelling with pets in the economy seats only, the total weight of the pet with their carrier must not exceed 8kg, the carrier must remain under the seat in front of the passenger for the duration of the flight.
The pet carrier will also count as one of your two carry-ons and attract an additional yet to be announced fee. It will likely cost an extra $100 to $150 per ticket to bring a pet on the plane.
Pets will only be able to sit with owners on domestic flights only and must remain in their carriers at all times.
A snap poll conducted by Executive Traveller found that 53% were against Virgin Australia’s pet friendly policy and 47% were in favour.
Qantas and Jetstar have said they will continue to allow service dogs to travel in the cabin with owners but all other animals must be transported in the cargo hold.
