A chihuahua called Jet has joined its owner on the first flight from Adelaide that has allowed pets inside the cabin.
“I love seeing the people’s faces light up when they see a little live creature in my hand luggage here, so he’s been very popular,” Jet’s owner, Prue Burton, said.
The six-year-old dog was one of two chihuahuas on board the 11:50am Virgin Australia flight to Melbourne that was the first to allow pets to sit with their owners, outside of a pilot program between Melbourne and the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast that began last October.
“He’s super chill and comfortable — he’s loving it,” Ms Burton said while waiting for the flight.
Pickle the chihuahua with owner Zahra McDonald on the same flight. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Cats and dogs up to 8 kilograms (including their carrier) will also be allowed on Virgin flights from Adelaide to the Gold Coast from today.
Ahead of the flight, Ms Burton got Jet accustomed to being in the carrier.
“He growled at me when I tried to get him out of it so he does love it,” she said.
He used the pet relief area outside at Adelaide Airport and may use another similar area at the boarding gate.
Ms Burton said he would not eat on the plane.
She and her husband had long wished to be able to travel with their pet.
“It just makes travel a lot easier for us,” she said.
Zahra McDonald and Prue Burton with their dogs Pickle and Jet. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Virgin Australia chief marketing and customer operations officer Libby Minogue said the addition of Pets in Cabin services in Adelaide reflected the successful rollout of the program across the airline’s network.
“Since launching Pets in Cabin services, we’ve welcomed almost 1,500 pets on board and have continued to receive positive feedback from customers across our network,” Ms Minogue said.
“Importantly, 90 per cent of travellers without pets who have travelled on a Pets in Cabin service reported they were unaware a pet was on board, demonstrating how seamlessly the program has been integrated into the travel experience.
“The introduction of the service in Adelaide is another positive step forward as we continue to provide more Australians with the opportunity to travel alongside their pets.”
There are several rules around the types of dogs that can travel on board. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Other passengers on the flight that they ABC spoke to were not concerned about sharing their plane with small animals.
“I think it’s a good thing to do,” entertainer Pauly J said.
“They do it overseas so why not do it here in Australia?
“Everyone loves their pets. I love my pets, so yeah.”
Lyn Journeaux saw a message from Virgin Australia about pets now being allowed on some flights when she checked in.
“I thought ‘Oh, that’s interesting, it might be my flight’ and I’m fine about it.”
Other airlines allow pets to travel on domestic flights as cargo. (ABC News: Billy Cooper)
On its website, Virgin Australia says allergies should not be an issue for most people because air is filtered and recirculated 20–30 times per hour within the cabin, but people with severe allergies should notify the airline when booking.
“I think if you’re allergic that might be a problem, but I’m sure you could go on another flight,” Ms Journeaux said.
Virgin Australia initially announced in February that Launceston would also be included in the Pets in Cabin program but that route was not among those announced earlier this month.
The service may be expanded to other routes in the future.
