Jetstar and Qantas respond to Virgin's huge pet announcement
The announcements come as Australians in general contemplate allowing our pets into more shared spaces, such as public transport.
After Virgin Australia announced it is planning to allow pets in cabins on board domestic flights, marking a nationwide first, competitors Qantas and Jetstar have weighed in to the conversation and revealed their own stances on the matter.
Earlier today Virgin shared its intention to provide Aussies with the country's first-ever pet onboard service, with the change expected to come into effect within the next 12 months, subject to regulatory approval.
"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," Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said. The airline claimed 80 per cent of travellers voted in favour of pets being allowed in cabins in a company survey.
Qantas and Jetstar weigh in
But when questioned by Yahoo News Australia, both Qantas and its budget subsidiary Jetstar revealed neither airline will change their policy in the wake of this morning's announcement. Yahoo asked each airline whether there were any plans to review that strategy, but each chose not to respond.
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Consumer expert Taylor Blackburn said he "wasn't surprised" by that stance and said it's likely both carriers will wait and see what the response is from the public and from within the tourism sector before management look at any similar revisions.
"Like all policies, they are subject to change — especially when it affects the bottom line," Blackburn, Finder's finance specialist, told Yahoo News Australia. "So, if that's what travellers want in greater numbers, you can expect people to pivot, but Virgin has the benefit of being the first mover here."
"The customers that they win over with this policy, they may have won them over for life, but that said, there's also customers that probably won't want to be sitting next to a furry friend too."
Virgin's announcement 'good for the brand'
That point is something that could work in Qantas and Jetstar's favour, Blackburn said, with Aussies against the idea of flying with pets now potentially given incentive to swap airlines. Overall though the move is undoubtedly "good for Virgin's brand", he said.
"It is a good move from a marketing perspective, I think they'll be strategic in how they roll it out, too, I would imagine," Blackburn said. "People love their pets, some more than life itself. So anytime you're marketing to a group who's passionate about something, you're gonna get some brand love off the back of that."
Logistical considerations to follow suit
A "number of considerations" will be looked at over the coming months before the new policy is formally rolled out, Blackburn explained, such as how the animals will logistically be managed throughout airports, though, he said there are already many "assistance dogs" and "stunt dogs" that have to travel as it is.
"Some people are more sensitive to being around pets than in years past, so those are also considerations, too," he said. "But l think for the most part, especially for Australians, pets are like family."
On the whole, Blackburn said Virgin's plans are "definitely an innovation".
"And like all innovations, you kind of have to let it play out before you can judge it," he said. "Qantas have said 'look, we're going to keep it as is' and if you're somebody who isn't a fan of pets, you don't have to worry about that on our airline. So we'll see who wins out."
Data from Virgin may reflect how attitudes have changed when it comes to the idea of pets on flights, with 2021 research conducted by Finder revealing the majority of Aussies at the time actually weren't in favour of the idea.
The national survey found that more than one in two Australians (52 per cent) did not think that cats and dogs should be allowed to travel in flight cabins, compared with 44 per cent who thought pets should be. Nine per cent thought only dogs should be allowed, and five thought only cats.
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