I made a spreadsheet of Australian domestic carriers and Virgin Australia's column had the detail I wanted: a clear cabin weight, a clear booking channel, and a brachycephalic list that admits it is incomplete. Luna disapproves of taxiing, and she would disapprove of the phone call — because you cannot add a pet online here. That is the column most people miss.

Virgin Australia's pet policy splits into cabin and cargo. This page summarizes the weight limits, fees, brachycephalic-breed restrictions, and carrier specifications for both modes — sourced from the airline's official pet pages.

How Virgin Australia handles your pet

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

In the cabin Accepted
In the hold / cargo Accepted
Snub-nosed breedsAccepted

Cabin policy

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-10
Snub-nosed breeds banned Noverified 2026-10-23
Snub-nosed breeds list
  • Affenpinscher
  • American Bully
  • American Bulldog
  • Australian Bulldog
  • Boston Terrier
  • Boxer
  • Brussels Griffon / Griffon Bruxellois
  • British / English Bulldog
  • Chow Chow
  • Dogue De Bordeaux
  • English Toy Spaniel / King Charles Spaniel
  • French Mastiff
  • French Bulldog
  • Japanese Chin / Japanese Spaniel
  • Lhasa Apso
  • Neapolitan Mastiff
  • Pekingese
  • Pug
  • Shih-Tzu
  • Tibetan Spaniel
  • Valley Bulldog
verified 2026-10-23
Minimum age8 weeksverified 2026-10-10
Advance booking notice72 hoursverified 2026-10-10
Booking methodContact Centreverified 2026-10-10
Sedation needs vet approval Yesverified 2026-10-10
Carrier size44 × 26 × 28 cmverified 2026-10-10
Max weight (pet + crate)8 kgverified 2026-10-10
Crate must have/besoft-sided ok, ventilated, absorbent liner, a carrierverified 2026-10-10

Hold & cargo policy

Hold: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-10
Hold: Sedation needs vet approval Yesverified 2026-10-10
Hold: Crate must have/bewater bowl, ventilated, IATA-compliant, absorbent liner, live-animal labelverified 2026-10-10
Cargo: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-10
Cargo: Snub-nosed breeds banned Noverified 2026-10-23
Cargo: Minimum age8 weeksverified 2026-10-10
Cargo: Sedation needs vet approval Yesverified 2026-10-10
Cargo: Max weight (pet + crate)65 kgverified 2026-10-10
Cargo: Crate must have/behard-sided ok, water bowl, IATA-compliant, live-animal label, a carrierverified 2026-10-10

Health & documents

Health certificate required Yesverified 2026-10-10
Health certificate validity14 daysverified 2026-10-10

Service & assistance animals

Fee waived Yesverified 2026-10-10
Recognized Yesverified 2026-10-10
Cabin allowed Yesverified 2026-10-10
Esa recognized Noverified 2026-10-10
Forms required Yesverified 2026-10-10
Advance notice hours72 hoursverified 2026-10-10
A pet is added to a booking by contacting the Guest Contact Centre at least 72 hours before departure, not through the website. Standard cabin and checked baggage limits also apply to pet restraint devices such as strollers. Call to add the animal as soon as the flight is ticketed, because 72 hours is the floor rather than the target.
The published brachycephalic list includes, but is not limited to, the Affenpinscher, American Bully, American Bulldog, Australian Bulldog, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brussels Griffon, British or English Bulldog and Chow Chow. The wording is open-ended, so an unlisted flat-faced breed can still be refused. Confirm the specific breed with the carrier rather than reading the list as exhaustive.
Columns that matter on Virgin Australia: 8 kg in the cabin including the carrier, a 72-hour phone booking through the Guest Contact Centre, and a non-exhaustive brachycephalic list for cargo. That last one is the honest detail and the risky one — "not limited to" means the list is a guide, not a guarantee. Build a personalized plan and we'll confirm your breed against the carriers on your route.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Virgin Australia →

Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.