After Virgin Australia announced plans to become the first airline in the country to allow pets on board domestic flights, rivals Qantas and Jetstar have joined the debate and announced their own positions on the issue. did.
Virgin today revealed its intention to offer Australians the country's first pet on-board service, with the changes expected to come into effect within the next 12 months, subject to regulatory approval.
Virgin Australia CEO Jane Hrdlicka said: “Overwhelmingly, our customers have told us they want to travel with their pets and we are on a journey to make that a reality. .This is common overseas and has been proven to work.” The airline claimed in an internal survey that 80% of travelers voted in favor of allowing pets on board.
Qantas and Jetstar exchange views
However, in response to questions from Yahoo News Australia, both Qantas and its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar said they had no intention of changing their policies following this morning's announcement. Yahoo asked the airlines if they planned to review their strategies, but the airlines chose not to respond.
Consumer expert Taylor Blackburn said he was “not surprised” by the stance, and both airlines are waiting to see reaction from the public and within the tourism industry before management considers similar changes. He said he is likely to see it.
“Policies, like any policy, are subject to change, especially if it impacts your bottom line,” Mr Blackburn, Finder's finance expert, told Yahoo News Australia. “So if more travelers want that, we can expect people to pivot, but Virgin has the advantage of being the first mover here.”
“Customers won with this policy may be captivated for life, but with that said, some customers probably don't want to sit next to their furry friends.”
Virgin's announcement is 'good for the brand'
Mr Blackburn said this could work to Qantas and Jetstar's advantage, as Australians who object to the idea of traveling with pets could now be incentivized to switch airlines. That's what it means. Overall, he said the move was definitely “good for the Virgin brand”.
“This is a good move from a marketing standpoint. I imagine they're going to be strategic about how they roll it out as well,” Blackburn said. “People love their pets, some more than life itself. So whenever you market to a group that's passionate about something, you can get brand love from that.” is.”
Logistical considerations follow
Mr Blackburn explained that “a number of considerations” will be considered over the coming months before the new policy is formally rolled out. For example, how to manage the logistics of animals throughout the airport, he said, but there are already many “assistance dogs.” And the “stunt dogs” who have to travel as they are.
“Some people are more sensitive to being around pets than they used to be, so that's something to consider as well,” he said. “But I think for most people, especially for Australians, pets are like family.”
Mr Blackburn said Virgin's plans as a whole were “definitely innovative”.
“And like all innovations, you have to try it out before you evaluate it,” he says. “Qantas said, 'Look, we'll leave things as they are.' If you're not a fan of pets, you don't have to worry about that with our airline. So we'll see. Let's see who wins. ”
Virgin's data may reflect a change in attitude towards the idea of bringing pets on board flights, with a 2021 survey conducted by Finder finding that the majority of Australians at the time actually thought this was a no-brainer. It became clear that he did not agree with the idea.
More than one in two Australians (52%) think dogs and cats shouldn't be allowed on planes, compared to 52% who think pets should be allowed, according to a national survey. 44% of people said yes. 9% thought only dogs should be allowed and 5% thought only cats should be allowed.
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