Virgin Australia has announced that small cats and dogs will soon be able to travel in the main cabin with their owners.
However, before you start looking for flights for you and Whiskers, the airline said the proposal is months away, is subject to regulatory approval and will only be on certain domestic flights.
Under the proposal, only a limited number of pets will be allowed on board and they will have to remain in a Virgin-approved pet carrier for the whole flight.
Virgin Australia group chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka said this was a change travellers wanted.
“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,” Ms Hrdlicka said.
“Overwhelmingly, our guests tell us they want to travel with their pets, and we are now on a journey to make that a reality.”
Virgin Australia surveyed its Facebook followers in 2021 and 85 per cent of respondents voted in favour of the airline allowing pets in the cabin.
Melbourne Airport chief executive Lorie Argus said the airport was working with the airline to implement the proposal. So there’s at least one route that’s going to be pet friendly.
To be honest, I’m not a fan of the proposal. I love dogs but I’m becoming increasingly frustrated with the number of ‘not my dog’ people who seem to think everyone around them should worship their pets as they do.
Time will tell how it goes, I suppose.
Meatstock back in Bendigo and Sydney
Vegetarians and vegans look away now.
Meatstock is excited to bring the festival back to both city and country in 2024, announcing events at Sydney and a new location in Bendigo, Victoria.
After the smashing success of the festivals in 2023, which saw a staggering 60,000 attendees storm through the gates, Meatstock is thrilled to announce the interstate 2024 instalments.
If an offset smoker and an electric guitar had a baby, it would be Meatstock. It’s a sensory explosion that combines the best live-fire barbecue experts and pitmasters in the country with an epic line-up of live music, wild entertainment, and nail-biting competitions.
Meatstock is shaking things up for Victoria, as it heads out west to its new home of Bendigo, an Australian town steeped in history and cultural heritage. On 16-17 March, Meatstock will be taking over the Bendigo Showgrounds, with this shift to a rural setting adding a fresh landscape to the festival.
Look out for:
· Big country music acts, spotlighting international and local legends, Chayce Beckham, James Johnston and Casey Barnes.
· Barbecue cook-offs and butcher wars, enjoying the best barbecue in the country.
· Strongman championships, witnessing the strongest Australian man and woman to be crowned.
· Dad-bod contests, discovering what a true dad bod should look like.
· Competitive eating events.
· Beard and Mo Wars presented by Better Beer.
For Bendigo tickets, visit here. Tickets for the next event in Sydney in April are also available.
For camping, RV, and caravan junkies, the Bendigo event has you covered with a range of camping options, from ‘big rig’ sites for the pros to spacious powered camping sites, right by the festival gates.
Question: Would you like to travel next to a pet? Why not share your opinion in the comments section below?
Also read: Five destinations where the Australian dollar buys you more