Virgin Australia is the only Aussie airline that has left the door open to the idea of letting people bring their pet onboard with them.
If you've travelled through the US or Europe, it wouldn't be uncommon to see loads of dogs or cats (or other animals) in a passenger's lap or even taking up a whole seat during a flight.
This has always been avoided in Australia and animal owners usually have to chuck their pet underneath in one of the plane's cargo holds. That can be a costly and distressing experience for both animal and owner.
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But, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is relaxing its rules around animals in the cabin later this year.
The new approach will come into effect on December 2 and the Authority states: "When giving permission, you may need to consider the type of animal and how it is carried, contained and restrained; its reaction to noise and being out of its natural environment; nuisance to other passengers; distraction to flight crew; and how excrement or fluids will be contained.
"A large animal should always be secured so as not to damage or affect the balance of the aircraft in flight. A small or medium-sized animal carried in the cabin would normally need as a minimum to be restrained during takeoff and landing and in turbulence."
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While Jetstar and Qantas have already said they won't be changing their practices, Virgin Australia has hinted it could make the move.
In a statement, the company said: "We'll consider the regulatory changes as part of a wider pet travel review we're currently undertaking.
"Regardless of the outcome, designated service dogs will still be able to travel in the cabin."
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International airlines have different rules on what you can and can't bring inside the cabin.
Dutch airline KLM allows passengers to bring a whopping three animals onboard, as long as they're all contained in a travel bag. Can you imagine three puppies or kittens or ducklings just chilling next to you.
The first thing most people wonder is what happens if an animal has to relieve itself during the flight. Well, animals on nearly every carrier that permits them have to be contained in a bag or box, which means they can go to the toilet in there.
The only exception to this is if it's a service pet, who are permitted to roam the cabin with its owner.
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In Europe, some airlines charge as little as €40 ($63) for an animal companion, according to News Corp, while it can be up to $US200 ($263) in America.
Featured Image Credit: RedditTopics: Australia