{"id":10546,"date":"2024-03-07T08:59:11","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T22:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.travelnuity.com\/?p=10546"},"modified":"2024-03-25T07:17:27","modified_gmt":"2024-03-24T21:17:27","slug":"flying-with-a-dog-in-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelnuity.com\/flying-with-a-dog-in-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"Flying with a Dog in Australia: The Ultimate Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When planning to travel between different parts of Australia<\/a>, whether for a holiday or some other reason, you\u2019ll probably consider flying<\/a>. After all, Australia is a big country, and it takes days to drive from one side of the country to the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you\u2019re travelling with a dog, is it possible for them to also fly? What\u2019s involved when travelling with a dog and on what flights are they allowed? After flying multiple times in Australia with my dog, I share the steps you need to follow and lots of tips to make everything go smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BREAKING NEW: On 7th March 2024, Virgin Australia announced<\/a> that it plans to allow small pets and dogs to fly in the cabin on domestic flights in Australia. The service is expected to launch within the next 12 months, although subject to regulatory approval. I’ll add further details once more details come to light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this stage, it may only apply to specific domestic flights. Pets will naturally need to be small enough to remain in an approved carrier for the whole flight (underneath the seat in front) and at the terminal, so a weight limit of 8kg including the carrier will likely apply. Pets will also only be allocated to certain rows, with a likely limit to the number of pets in the cabin, like happens overseas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More details: https:\/\/newsroom.virginaustralia.com\/release\/cats-out-bag-virgin-australia-signals-intent-launch-nations-first-ever-pets-cabin-flights<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Flying<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

Are Dogs Allowed to Fly in the Cabin in Australia?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Late in 2021, a major regulation changed for flying with pets in Australia. Previously, dogs were not allowed to travel in the cabin<\/a> on flights within Australia (as well as to and from Australia), unless they were a recognised service dog. This applied no matter how small your dog was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in December 2021, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (or CASA) changed the rules<\/a> so that pets can now fly in the cabin, but only if individual airlines allow it. Unfortunately, as of June 2023, no airline has yet changed their rules to allow pets to travel in the cabin on regular commercial flights in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also likely that this rule change only applies to domestic flights, not flights to or from Australia, with pets not able to travel in the cabin on flights to Australia<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Dog
Pets are technically allowed to fly in the cabin in Australia, but no regular airline yet allows it<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Pet-Friendly Flights in the Cabin to Tasmania<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The one instance I’ve come across where pets are allowed to travel in the cabin are on the pet-friendly flights to Tasmania operated by Pawmobile<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since early 2021, Pawmobile has offered weekly chartered flights from Melbourne (Essendon Airport) to Devonport, along with occasional flights to Hobart. Pets fly in the cabin of the small plane, in their crates, accompanied by an experienced handler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note however that human passengers are not accepted at this time, unless you charter the entire plane. Additionally, this is a premium service with prices higher than those for flying pets in the hold – but in return your pet is treated as a passenger, rather than luggage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pawmobile also has plans to launch flights to other destinations in the future. For now, connecting road transport from other Australia cities to or from Melbourne can be arranged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pets on Regular Commercial Flights in Australia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On regular commercial flights, for now pet dogs and cats can only fly in the hold of airplanes in Australia, generally as cargo. This means that you need to make a booking with the freight division of the airline (or a pet transport company) and drop them off at the cargo terminal. They\u2019re loaded along with cargo into the hold (but with extra care) and then you pick them up at the cargo terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Qantas
Pets generally fly as cargo in Australia<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

There is also a third way that dogs can fly, as “checked baggage”. This means that they fly in the hold but you drop them off and pick them up inside the terminal, like oversized items. This is generally not possible in Australia, except with Regional Express (REX) on selected routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Airlines Allow Pets to Fly in Australia?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When flying your dog domestically in Australia, there are three main options: Qantas (including Qantaslink), Virgin Australia and Regional Express (REX). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jetstar, the discount airline run by Qantas, don\u2019t allow pets to fly on its flights. This is the same as many other discount airlines overseas, like Ryanair and Easyjet. This also extends to Qantas codeshare flights operated by Jetstar.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Jetstar
Pet dogs are not allowed on Jetstar flights<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The latest discount airline to launch in Australia, Bonza<\/a>, also doesn’t fly pets or other animals, other than approved assistance dogs. Interestingly, they include the word “currently” in their FAQ, so maybe this will change in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s also a number of small regional airlines that operate in Australia, often just from one airport. Most of these airlines don’t mention whether they transport pets, or just transport pets through Qantas freight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flying Pets with Qantas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pets are allowed to fly on most Qantas flights within Australia. On Qantas flights, pets fly through Qantas Freight<\/a>, the cargo division of Qantas. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Wing
Qantas allows pets on its flights in Australia<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As of June 2023, it is once again possible to make bookings directly with Qantas Freight<\/a> for pets flying accompanied (on the same flight as you) or unaccompanied (such as a puppy flying to its new home). (For a few years from 2020 to early 2023, bookings were only permitted through one of their preferred pet travel specialists, due to the many flight disruptions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that pets may not be permitted on some Qantas flights. In particular, there may be some regional airports that don’t have the necessary facilities, or some flights may arrive or depart outside of freight terminal hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One other issue that you may encounter if you are flying a larger dog is that some of the smaller planes cannot accommodate the larger size crates. This is unlikely to be an issue if you are flying between the state capitals, but could be the case if you are flying on a Qantaslink flight in or out of a regional area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flying Pets with Virgin Australia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Virgin also flies pets within Australia<\/a>, through their cargo division. Since 2020 they have required all pet bookings to be done through a commercial pet transport company, and this requirement still hasn’t been removed as of June 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Virgin
Virgin Australia also flies pets in Australia<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Unlike Qantas, Virgin Australia have a maximum weight limit for flying pets. This is 65kg including your dog’s crate. Additionally, depending on the aircraft operating the flight, larger crates may not be accepted on some flights. See this page<\/a> for various crates sizes that are or are not permitted on their different aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also some Virgin flights that can’t accept pets on board. In particular, they have a couple of A320s they seem to mainly fly within Western Australia, that don\u2019t have the temperature control necessary for flying pets. They also only fly pets to and from the airports listed here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flying Pets with Regional Express (REX)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Regional Express, or REX for short, is a smaller airline that mainly operates flights from capitals and major cities to regional airports. They also fly pets<\/a> within Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Rex
Pets are permitted on Regional Express (REX) flights<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

As REX does not have a freight division, they either accept pets as “checked baggage” on some flights, or require other flights to be booked either through Qantas Freight or through a pet transport company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the moment, the only pet bookings that can be made directly with REX for carriage as “checked baggage” are regional flights within NSW and Victoria operated by Saab 340 turbo-prop aircraft. For these flights, pets are dropped off at the check-in in their crate and they fly as excess baggage, similar to flying a golf bag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, like for all excess baggage, there is a weight and size limit, otherwise your pet must fly as freight. The maximum weight of both your pet and crate is restricted to 30kg. The maximum crate size is restricted to 85cm high x 77cm wide x 131cm long. (And crates often need to be larger than you expect, to meet the IATA guidelines<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Rex
The REX check-in counter at Sydney Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

For regional flights in South Australia and Western Australia, you will need to book and lodge your pet with Qantas Freight. This is because both Adelaide and Perth Airports don’t allow animals other than assistance dogs in the terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For regional flights in Queensland, dogs are similarly not allowed in the terminals of Brisbane, Cairns, Gold Cost and Townsville Airports. For pets flying on these flights, you need to book and lodge your pet with Dogtainers<\/a>, a pet transport company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, if you want to fly with your pet on the newer Boeing 737-800 jet operated flights between capital cities, you need to contact either Jetpets<\/a>, Dogtainers or Moorholme Pet Transport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are All Dog Breeds Allowed to Fly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The majority of dog breeds are permitted to fly in Australia, with some conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flying Dangerous and Strong Dog Breeds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are a short list of dangerous dog breeds, that are prohibited from being imported into Australia, and are also not allowed to fly at all in Australia (if they are already in the country):<\/p>\n\n\n\n