Flying With a Dog in Australia: Qantas and Virgin

Can you take a dog on a plane in Australia?

Yes, on domestic flights, in one of two ways. A small dog or cat can ride in the cabin with you on Virgin Australia's Pets in Cabin service, on the routes that offer it. Any other pet flies in the temperature-controlled cargo hold, booked with Qantas Freight or Virgin Australia Cargo, either by you or through a pet transport company. Qantas Freight says it does not accept pet bookings on any Jetstar service.

Sources: Qantas Freight FAQs, Qantas service dogs, Virgin Pets in Cabin, Virgin Australia Cargo, all read 11 November 2026. We do not quote prices; airline rules and fees change, so check with the airline before you book.

LocalPetFinder lists rescue pets; we are not a travel agent or pet transporter and have no arrangement with any airline. This is general information from the airlines' and governments' own pages.

How does Qantas pet travel work?

Qantas carries pets in the hold through Qantas Freight, which covers dogs (other than service dogs), cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, some birds and fish. You can book dogs and cats online yourself, except snub-nosed breeds. The main rules from its pet travel FAQs:

• Age: at least 12 weeks; pets over 12 years need a vet certificate saying they are healthy enough to fly.
• Crate: you supply a suitable IATA-approved crate. Bookings do not include one; Qantas sells crates by phone on 13 12 13.
• Flights: only selected Qantas domestic flights (QF400 and above), never Jetstar, and space is limited. Qantas suggests checking which flights can take your pet before you book your own seat. It cannot guarantee your pet travels on your flight.
• Weight: if pet plus crate is over 50kg, call first. Rex aircraft cannot take a total over 32kg.
• Weather: no animals are carried when the temperature is expected above 35°C or below 5°C; pets are rebooked at no extra cost.
• No sedation, no coat: Qantas asks you not to sedate your pet, and says the hold is kept at 18 to 22°C so a coat or blanket is not needed.
• Connections: 120 minutes to transfer a pet in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, 90 minutes elsewhere.
• Insurance: Qantas Freight does not insure your pet's travel.
• Restricted dogs: active racing greyhounds are not carried; retired greyhounds only on selected routes through specialists. American Staffordshire Terriers (pure or cross) must travel in a reinforced CR-82 or approved guard dog cage.

How does Virgin Australia Pets in Cabin work?

Virgin Australia calls itself Australia's first airline to take small pets, dogs and cats only, in the cabin. When we checked its Pets in Cabin page on 11 November 2026, the service was available from Cairns, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Adelaide. The rules:

• Size: a small cat or dog, with the pet and carrier together weighing no more than 8kg.
• Carrier: soft-sided, well ventilated, escape-proof and leak-proof, no more than 44cm long, 28cm wide and 28cm high, big enough for the pet to stand, sit, turn and lie down, with all but one opening secured with cable ties before you arrive. Virgin measures carriers at the airport.
• On board: the pet stays in its closed carrier under the seat in front for the whole flight. Pet owners sit in designated seats. One pet per guest.
• Booking: by phone on 13 67 89, more than 72 hours before travel; check in in person at least 75 minutes before departure.
• Who cannot book: anyone travelling alone with an infant, under-18s travelling alone, and people travelling alone with an assistance animal.
• Vet certificate (within 14 days) if the pet is unwell, recently injured or operated on, a snub-nosed breed (with a fit-to-fly form), between 8 and 12 weeks old, over 12 years, pregnant, or if your vet recommends sedation.
• Not allowed: bark collars of any kind; prohibited breeds (see below).
• Price: Virgin publishes its Pets in Cabin fee on the same page, charged per pet, per flight, on top of your fare. Virgin says it may change the fee at any time, so check the current fee with Virgin before booking.

Virgin says a pet that is not approved or eligible for the cabin may be able to travel in the cargo hold instead.

How does Virgin Australia Cargo carry pets?

Virgin Australia Cargo says booking through one of its listed animal transport partners is preferred, because they can supply crates, collect and deliver door to door, and book any flight, including yours. You can book directly with Virgin Cargo on 13 82 87 if you know the requirements, but then you cannot put your pet on a flight you are taking.

• Pet plus container no more than 65kg; animals older than 8 weeks.
• Usually one animal per container. Exceptions: up to three animals from the same litter, under 6 months old and under 14kg each; or two compatible animals of comparable size, each under 14kg.
• Containers must meet Virgin and IATA rules and fit the aircraft; strong animals that can break plastic need a metal or wooden crate. Virgin's A320 and Saab 340 aircraft do not carry animals.
• Lodge no earlier than 120 minutes before departure (latest acceptance is generally 90 minutes before). Collect from 30 minutes after arrival; animals not collected within 90 minutes may be handed to a transporter at your cost.
• Virgin recommends no food for at least eight hours before travel. A pet that soils its crate before boarding is not loaded until the crate is cleaned.

Can snub-nosed breeds fly?

Yes, but under stricter rules on both airlines, and it is worth asking whether the trip is necessary. Qantas Freight says flat-faced breeds have a significantly higher risk of health complications because of their short snouts and compromised airways, a condition called Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS), and that breathing difficulty gets worse in warm weather, when a pet is anxious, or when it is not used to its crate.

Sources: Qantas Freight brachycephalic breeds, Qantas Freight FAQs, Virgin Australia Cargo, Virgin Pets in Cabin, read 11 November 2026. Each airline's full list is on its page.

Heat is the shared thread. Book cooler times of day, get the crate training done well before the flight, and see our guide to dogs in hot weather. If you are thinking of adopting a flat-faced breed, our Pug, French Bulldog and British Bulldog guides cover their breathing and heat risks in more depth.

Which breeds can't fly?

Both airlines refuse breeds that cannot be imported into Australia under federal law. Qantas Freight lists the Pit Bull and American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Brazilian Fila and Presa Canario. Virgin Australia lists those plus several wolfdog breeds (Czechoslovakian, Saarloos, Kunming and Italian), and domestic cats crossed with wild cat species. These overlap with the restricted breeds in state law; our Staffy vs Pit Bull guide explains the difference, and wolf dogs in Australia covers the import ban.

What about assistance animals?

Assistance animals travel in the cabin free on both airlines, under their own rules. Qantas accepts service dogs (guide, hearing or assistance dogs) trained and accredited through set pathways, such as an Assistance Dogs International member or a pathway under Queensland or South Australian law, with a current Public Access Test, a weight of no more than 45kg, and an application at least 14 days before travel. It does not accept emotional support, therapy or comfort dogs that are not trained to alleviate a disability, or any animal other than a dog, in the cabin.

Virgin Australia accepts assistance animals trained to help a person alleviate the effects of a disability that meet public hygiene and behaviour standards, with documents from a listed organisation or further evidence such as a Public Access Test. Therapy animals are not generally treated as assistance animals. Virgin reminds handlers that assistance animals going to Tasmania or WA, even in transit, must meet that state's biosecurity rules.

What does a pet transport company do?

A pet transport company (sometimes called a pet travel specialist or pet shipper) books your pet's flight with the airline's cargo arm and handles the parts you would otherwise do yourself. Virgin Australia Cargo says its partners can offer different services, including:

• Crate hire, sized to your pet and the aircraft.
• Door-to-door collection and delivery, and lodging at the cargo terminal.
• Kennelling services, and help with comfort stops.
• Booking any available flight, including the one you are on.

For snub-nosed breeds, an approved specialist is not optional on either airline. Qantas Freight says its approved specialists must belong to the International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) or the Animal Transport Association, use an Australian Veterinary Association member vet for the BOAS check, and hold a signed agreement with Qantas. Ask any company which airlines approve it, what is included in the quote, and how your pet will be cared for if the flight is delayed. Get a written quote: we do not recommend individual companies.

How do you get a dog ready for a flight?

The crate matters most. Qantas says breathing trouble in flat-faced dogs gets worse when a pet is not used to its crate, and the same stress affects any dog. Start weeks ahead, so the crate is a familiar, safe place: our guide to crate training a puppy works for adult dogs too.

1. See your vet for a health check, any certificate your airline needs, and advice on managing stress. Qantas asks owners not to sedate; Virgin says sedation is not recommended and needs a vet certificate if your vet advises it.
2. Get the right crate early: IATA-approved for the hold, or a soft carrier within Virgin's limits for the cabin. Your pet must be able to stand, turn around and lie down.
3. Check the weather at both ends. Qantas will not fly animals above 35°C or below 5°C.
4. Feed lightly. Virgin recommends no food for eight hours before a cargo flight, and a toilet stop before you leave.
5. Check identification: microchip details current, and a tag with your phone number.
6. Check the destination rules if you are flying to Tasmania or WA (next section).

What are the rules for taking a pet to Tasmania or WA?

These are the two states whose biosecurity rules both airlines point to. They apply whether your pet flies, drives or comes on the ferry.

Sources: Biosecurity Tasmania: dogs, Biosecurity Tasmania: animals, WA DPIRD, read 11 November 2026.

Why Tasmania is strict: Biosecurity Tasmania says it is the only Australian state provisionally free of hydatid disease, and that the brown dog tick, which spreads the dog disease ehrlichiosis, is not known to be established there. A dog that arrives without proof, or treated more than 14 days earlier, is given treatment by Biosecurity Tasmania at the port of arrival; a fee for service is charged and the owner risks an on-the-spot fine. Biosecurity Tasmania notes its full import conditions are now in the Tasmanian Animal Biosecurity Manual, linked from its page. Ask your vet for a worming product that meets Biosecurity Tasmania's rule and keep the evidence with the dog.

What about flying a pet into Australia from overseas?

That is a separate, federal process. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) says cats and dogs must arrive with a valid biosecurity import permit and meet all import requirements, and it runs the post-entry quarantine facility at Mickleham in Victoria. Requirements depend on the country the pet comes from, so start with DAFF's page well ahead. Qantas Freight says international pet travel from Australia must be booked through a pet travel specialist.

Is driving a better option?

For many trips, yes, especially for flat-faced, very young or nervous dogs. The RSPCA's road trip advice and its transport policy come down to a few rules:

• Never leave your dog unattended in the car. The RSPCA says dogs can very quickly suffer potentially fatal heat stress, even in mild weather.
• Restrain your dog. The RSPCA's restraint article describes a crash-tested car harness on the back seat, a secured crash-tested crate, or a cargo barrier (which protects people but may not protect the dog). Road rules on restraint differ by state.
• Practise first. Get a dog used to the car with reward-based training, well before the trip.
• Stop often for toilet breaks, water and on-lead exercise, and keep your dog on a lead in unfamiliar places.
• Plan the health side: vaccinations and parasite treatment up to date, enough medication, and advice from your vet about the place you are going, such as paralysis tick or heartworm prevention.
• Check identification: the RSPCA says to make sure your microchip registry is recognised nationally, not just in your state.

Adopting a pet from another city

Adopting close to home avoids a flight altogether, and lets you meet the animal first. If the right animal is listed with a rescue in another city or state, ask the rescue before anything else whether it adopts interstate, whether it needs to meet you in person, and how it would want the animal to travel. If a flight is agreed, the rules above apply, and a dog that already rests calmly in a crate will find the trip easier.

Our adopting a dog and adopting a cat guides cover the steps and fees, and a rescue dog's first weeks covers settling in after the trip.

Other guides for dog owners

• Barking dogs and the law and bark collars in Australia (Virgin bans bark collars in the cabin).
• Grass seeds and dogs: worth knowing before a country road trip.
• Dog separation anxiety: if your dog struggles when left, plan the trip around it.
• Dog-friendly camping in Australia: where you can take a dog once you arrive.
• Cat enclosures and catios: for cat owners.