Virgin Australia has begun operating Australia’s first Pets in Cabin service, allowing small dogs and cats to travel in the aircraft cabin on selected domestic flights.
The service commenced on 20 November 2025 on routes between Melbourne and the Gold Coast and Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast. It will run as a trial until 30 January 2026 while the airline gathers customer feedback and refines procedures.
Subject to the trial results, Virgin Australia plans to extend the service to eligible domestic flights across its network by late 2026.
Pets may travel for an introductory fee of 149 AUD per animal, per flight. Bookings to date indicate strong interest during the summer period, with more than half relating to holiday travel.
The service allows up to four pets per flight, with a combined pet-and-carrier weight limit of eight kilograms. Animals must be transported in an approved soft-sided, leak-proof carrier that fits beneath the seat in front of the passenger. Travellers with pets will be seated in designated window seats only, and pets must remain secured in their carriers for the duration of the journey. Proof of vaccination is required, and pets with certain health conditions must be assessed as fit to fly by a veterinarian.
Virgin Australia has outlined a detailed process covering airport arrival, check-in, security screening and onboard requirements. At security, pets must be removed from their carriers and screened with their owners before being resealed into the carrier. At the gate, travellers with pets will pre-board and place the carrier under the seat in front, on top of an absorbent mat. Pets must remain contained until the aircraft has landed and most passengers have disembarked.
The airline states that its aircraft are equipped with HEPA filtration systems designed to reduce airborne particles, and passengers with allergies may request alternative seating within the same cabin class. Pets are not permitted in Virgin Australia lounges due to food safety rules.
Assistance animals are unaffected by the introduction of the new service and will continue to travel in accordance with existing procedures at no additional cost. Virgin Australia will also continue to offer pet transport as cargo through approved providers.
To mark the first Pets in Cabin flight, passengers on flight VA733 from Melbourne to the Gold Coast received an audio message from Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson and were given 10,000 Velocity Frequent Flyer points.
