There is nothing quite like getting away from it all, but that doesn’t mean that we want to get away from everything. Those of us who have pets would like nothing more than to have them by our side while we are enjoying some time away.
Having our pets with us as we travel is going to be easier now that a major commercial airline announced the future plans for customers to take their pets on board. Virgin Airlines is trying to do this, and it may begin launching within the next year.
If Virgin Airlines is able to make this work, they will be the first airline in Australia to have pets in the cabin of a plane during flight. The airline made this known in a press release, entitled ‘Cats out the Bag.’
They intend to be the first airline in the country to operate flights with pets on board. They figured it was a good idea after looking at a survey from 2021. In that survey, 85% voted in favor of allowing pets in the cabin.
57% also said that they would be more frequent flyers if it became possible to bring pets along. They would be joining many other major carriers in North America that already offer the service on domestic flights.
Jayne Hrdlicka, the CEO, said: “Our love for animals has always been in the Virgin Australia DNA and we are excited at the prospect of taking off with Australia’s first-ever pets in cabin flights.
“Overwhelmingly, our guests tell us they want to travel with their pets, and we are now on a journey to make that a reality. It’s something that commonly happens overseas and is proven to work well.”
She also said that having pets in the cabins will not change anything in allowing assistance animals to travel at no cost. Both small dogs and small cats, provided they can fit into a space under the seat in front of the passenger would be welcome.
There is also an approved carrier that would be used, so they aren’t walking around freely during the flight. A fee would be charged to those who qualify, but the cost has not been revealed yet.
After being posted, many had questions about the service. These include if someone has an allergy, could they find out if there would be a dog or cat sitting next to them?
Virgin Atlantic replied: “It’s really important to us that there is minimal impact to guests who are not carrying a pet, and for this reason we will be using the next few months to design a safe proposition with strict rules. Rest assured; all of this is being taken care of!”