Pets in cabin update from March 2024
Virgin Australia plans to introduce pet-friendly flights, pending regulatory approval, expected to launch within 12 months.
Small cats and dogs will be allowed on certain domestic routes, confined to designated rows and carriers under the seat.
Contact the Guest Contact Centre for more information at 13 67 89.
Choose your pet travel experience
Virgin Australia can accommodate pet travel on most domestic flights, where we have appropriate pet handling arrangements in place at each end of the journey.
Is your pet suitable for travel?
All pets (excluding authorised Service/Assistance Dogs) travel in the cargo hold of the aircraft, which is temperature controlled like the aircraft cabin.
Unfortunately, due to container restrictions, only dogs and cats are accepted for transport when accompanying guests. All other animals will need to be transported using an animal transportation supplier.
To be able to travel, your pet must:
- Be over eight weeks old (this is due to possible dehydration while travelling);
- Be in good health;
- Not exceed 65kgs (including the container);
- Not be unduly aggressive;
- Be transported in a container which complies with the Virgin Australia guidelines for pet containers and is the correct size for your pet; and
- Be treated for the Hydatids Tapeworm prior to arrival if travelling to Tasmania.
If your pet has any of the below conditions,
a Veterinary Certificate confirming that your pet is fit for air travel (dated within two weeks of the travel date) is required for your pet. This is a restriction that applies on all Virgin Australia flights. All pets with the below conditions are flown at the shipper’s risk.
- Pregnant or has given birth within 48 hours of the planned departure time;
- Over 12 years of age;
- Between 8 and 12 weeks old;
- Sick, injured or recovering from surgery;
- Has been sedated.
We recommend you familiarise yourself with our conditions of carriage prior to travel.
Some states have specific quarantine requirements. Please ensure you check quarantine requirements prior to travel.
Restrictions
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Quarantine restrictions
Before pet travel, there are some domestic quarantine restrictions you should be familiar with. Please note, it is your responsibility to ensure that your pet meets all quarantine requirements.
Visit the Australian Interstate Quarantine website to check if your pet will be welcome at your destination.
Due to the complexity of quarantine laws (and to guarantee the health of your pet), Virgin Australia will only accept pets for international travel from approved International Pet & Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) pet agents.
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Brachycephalic breeds
The following breeds have been identified by Virgin Australia Cargo, in consultation with industry experts, as higher risk/ vulnerable Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) animals requiring specific welfare considerations when being uplifted as air cargo.
While any dog or cat is susceptible to heat stress, Brachycephalic (snub-nosed / flat-faced) breeds are generally at great risk of heat stress when compared to dogs and cats with a normal muzzle length. Abnormal brachycephalic anatomy makes it difficult for these animals to adequately thermo-regulate and oxygenate sometimes even under normal conditions.
For this reason, Virgin Australia Cargo has introduced additional measures and requirements to ensure the welfare of Brachycephalic animals during transport. Due to the inherent anatomical features of these animals, Virgin Australia Cargo has chosen to include cross-breeds with the below animals in these requirements.
These breeds include, but are not limited to the following:
Dog breeds
- Affenpinscher
- American Bully
- American Bulldog
- Australian Bulldog
- Boston Terrier
- Boxer
- Brussels Griffon/ Griffon Bruxellois
- British/ English Bulldog
- Chow Chow
- Dogue De Bordeaux
- English Toy Spaniel/ King Charles Spaniel
- French Mastiff
- French Bulldog
- Japanese Chin/ Japanese Spaniel
- Lhasa Apso
- Neapolitan Mastiff
- Pekingese
- Pug (Chinese Pug, Dutch Pug, Japanese Pug)
- Shih-Zhu (Tsu) (Tzu)
- Tibetan Spaniel
- Valley Bulldog
Cat breeds
- Exotic Shorthair Cat
- Himalayan Cat
- Persian Cat
All of the above mentioned breeds (and cross-breeds) are flown at the shipper's risk.
Virgin Australia approved Brachycephalic Pet Transport Specialists
To enable air travel for Brachycephalic animals Virgin Australia has provided a list of approved pet transport providers. The below list of pet transporters can assist with all relevant travel conditions for these Brachycephalic creeds and all other breeds. These pet shippers are aware of all special conditions that relate to this vulnerable breed to ensure that the specific welfare requirements are met for the safe air travel for your animals.
Company Phone number Email address Aeropets 1800 237 673 info@aeropets.com.au All Care Pet Transport (08) 9454 5736 info@allcarepettransport.net.au Animal Travel 0499 229 287 animal-travel@bigpond.com Aussie Pet Connections 0400 966 738 carmel@aussiepetconnections.com.au Azzabern Animal Transport 0476 546 015 azzabernat@gmail.com Departure Pets 1300 900 400 admin@departurepets.com.au Dogtainers 1300 135 252 enquiry@dogtainers.com.au Feather and Scales 0405 738 968 linda@feathersandscalesfreight.com.au Hanrob Animal Transport 1300 738 468 transport@hanrob.com.au Hunter Pet Motel 0488255666 enquiries@hunterpetmotel.com.au Jetpets 1300 668 309 info@jetpets.com.au Moorholme Pet transport (03) 9338 0823 info@boardingkennels.com.au Pet Express Transport Services 1300 073 839 info@petex.com.au Petflyers 1800 135 252 enquiries@petflyers.com.au Tail Travel 0456 665 971 sales@tailtravel.com.au World Class hounds 1300 976 037 info@wchounds.com.au
If you are currently an account holder with Virgin Australia and are pet transporter and wish to transport Brachycephalic breeds, please contact your Account Manager or email cargosales@virginaustralia.com for more information. -
Restricted breeds
Please note the following dog breeds (including cross-breeds) are prohibited for import into Australia under “The Customs (prohibited imports) Regulations 1956” and will not be accepted for travel:
- Fila Brasilerio
- Japanese Tosa
- Dogo Argentino
- American Pit Bull and other Pit Bull Breeds
- Perro de Presa Canario (Presa Canario)
Domestic/non-domestic hybrids (e.g. dog-wolf crosses) are also prohibited under the “Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999”.
- Czechoslovakian wolfdog or Czechoslovakian Vlcak
- Saarloos wolfdog or Saarloos wolfhound
- Lupo Italiano or Italian wolfdog
- Kunming wolfdog or Kunming dog.
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Refusal of carriage
At all times, Virgin Australia reserves the right to refuse carriage of your pet. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Safety and security reasons;
- Compliant container is not supplied; and
- Animals displaying aggression and visible signs of chewing or container destruction (for breeds not accepted for travel refer to Restricted Breeds).
How to book
Following consultation with industry experts, independent advisory bodies and pet transport experts, Virgin Australia Cargo has introduced a pet travel policy for brachycephalic (snub-nosed/flat-faced) breeds.
This policy has been designed to address the inherent risks associated with carrying these types of animals and their cross-breeds whilst working to ensure their utmost welfare during travel.
All approved Brachycephalic pet transport specialists are fully aware of these measures which include Vet assessments prior to travel, crate sizes, time of travel, number of flights per day and weather conditions.
Virgin Australia currently requires all guests wishing to book travel with their pet to make a booking with a Commercial Pet Transport Company.
Booking with a Commercial Pet Transport Company will ensure your pet is collected directly from your home prior to departure and delivered to a pre-arranged recipient at your destination to avoid the risk of separation with your pet should you be required to quarantine.
If you wish to send a pet on Virgin Australia domestic services, please contact Virgin Australia Cargo directly on details listed below.
Please note, you will need to arrange your own airline approved crate for travel and arrange all airport pickup and deliveries and adhere to all IATA requirements.
Virgin Australia Cargo
Phone: 13 82 87
Email: cargo@virginaustralia.com
Preparing your pet for flights
To avoid adverse temperatures that may pose a risk to your pet, please avoid booking travel for them during peak temperature periods, such as in the middle of the day.
We strongly recommend that if the temperature is forecast for significant heat and humid and/or it is a multi-sector journey, guests should consider changing their flight to an early morning or late afternoon/evening departure time to ensure your pet’s comfort.
Sedation is NOT recommended for pet air travel unless specifically recommended by your vet. If you wish to sedate your pet for travel, contact your vet for expert advice. A vet certificate will be required for pets sedated for travel. Virgin Australia does not take responsibility for any consequences as a result of sedation.
Much like any passenger, your pet should be fit to travel. To prepare for the trip, we recommend your pet:
- Visit the vet for a health check-up prior to any air travel to ensure they are fit and healthy and ready for travel
- Spend time in their pet crate (crate training) prior to travel so they are comfortable and familiar with being in a confined pet carrier for the duration of the flight
Animals can become dehydrated during travel, so a water container needs to be fitted to the pet crate.
For further information on ensuring your pet is suitable and prepared for travel, Virgin Cargo recommends owners to review the following guidance information, along with any additional information that your selected pet transporter has available for you:
What do I need to consider before transporting my pet by air? – RSPCA Knowledgebase
Why and how should I crate train my dog? – RSPCA Knowledgebase
FAQ
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What will be my pet’s experience when travelling in the cargo hold?
We will endeavour to maintain the temperature in the cargo hold to be consistent to the temperature experienced in the passenger cabin, lighting will dim lit this is to maximise your pet’s level of comfort.
Your pet maybe be exposed to high levels of airport operation noise whilst waiting to be loaded into the aircraft hold, please take this into consideration when organising your pet’s journey.
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What happens to my pet during a disruption?
Our priority is to safely and securely transport your pet from Point A to Point B.
However, due to the complex environment surrounding airport operations, there may be instances where our flight operation is subjected to unforeseen disruptions e.g. adverse weather activity.
Your pet will be moved to a shaded, well ventilated area and frequently monitored if disruptions do occur.
If the delay exceeds greater than 2 hours or if we are unable to accommodate your pet on another service on the same day (including but not limited to cancellations and or connection flights missed at a transit port), our team will contact you to organise an alternative option of travel.
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Should I sedate my pet?
No, Virgin Australia does not recommend sedating your pet for travel. If you wish to sedate your pet for travel, please contact your vet for expert advice. A vet certificate will be required for pets sedated for travel. Virgin Australia does not take responsibility for any consequences as a result of sedation.
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What can be included in my pet’s container?
We understand that your pet may have a favourite toy/blanket/bed, however to keep free from hazards we will only accept an absorbent mat and water container to be included in the container.
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Are there weight limitations?
The total weight of the animal and the container must not exceed 65KG.
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Can I change my pet’s flight?
Yes, you are able to change your pet’s flight up to two hours prior to scheduled departure (subject to pet space availability and the Fare Rules of your ticket. Please contact our Guest Contact Centre on 13 67 89 (if calling from Australia) if you have any questions on changing your pet’s travel itinerary. For contact numbers for outside of Australia see our Contact Us page.