Flying domestically or internationally with a beloved canine or a cat can seem like a stressful process. In this article, we will guide you through the steps you need to take to travel with your pet, emotional support animal, or service dog on a flight operated by Virgin Atlantic. You may be curious to know that the smallest commercial aircraft in Virgin Atlantic's fleet is the Airbus A330-300, while the largest commercial aircraft is the Airbus A350-1000. Responsible pet owners and service dog handlers have to be prepared with the proper equipment and documentation to ensure a smooth journey.

Emotional Support Animals (ESA) on Virgin Atlantic

Emotional Support Animals (or ESAs for short) are no longer treated the same way as service dogs. The United States Department of Transportation (US DOT for short or just DOT) published an updated policy (PDF file) on December 2nd, 2020 regarding service animals, pets and emotional support animals (ESAs), and the rights of disabled passengers. The ruling of the Department of Transportation came into effect on March 1st, 2021 and it changed the way emotional support animals and pets are treated for the purposes of domestic and international travel. Emotional support animals are subject to pet travel policies now.

The new policy triggered a domino effect across domestic and foreign airlines servicing flights to the US and from the US. Inevitably, this decision affected policies for international travel unrelated to US international airports too.

At the time of writing this, Virgin Atlantic Airlines does not transport any pets or emotional support animals. Any passengers looking for their pet travel policy are presented with the page here.

It reads:

“When our pet service resumes, all the information you need will appear on this page.”

We can still use Google to find a public guide on their pet travel policy online. The guidance is enclosed in a PDF file. It is important to note that the airline is still accepting service dogs (also called assistance dogs in Europe) on their flights.

How to Fly with a Pet or Emotional Support Animal on Virgin Atlantic?

As mentioned above, Virgin Atlantic is not accepting any ESAs or pets on their flights as of the time of writing this article. We encourage you to double-check with them directly. We suspect the discontinuation of their pet transportation service may be linked to their troubled financial history and their cost-cutting policies. The airline reported significant losses after the COVID pandemic mounting to 4.6 billion (GBP) in 2023. The future of the airline appeared to be brighter after another report in April 2024 that stated the company reduced its losses to 206 million (GBP). In an interview from November 2024, CEO Shai Weiss described the airline’s future as “too hard to tell”.

If the airline resumes its pet travel service, you will probably want to know that they used to have breed restrictions for their feline passengers. Additionally, the airline refused to transport short-nosed canines such as Pugs, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso, Boston Terriers, and a few others. Anyone looking to travel with their pet or emotional support animal should take into account that the airline used to accept only cats and dogs for transport. No domesticated species of birds or exotic animals were permitted boarding.

Passengers boarding with a pet/ESA had to sign a waiver of responsibility prior to boarding and submit an application (printed and digital) to an agent of the airline that dealt with pet bookings specifically. More details are available in the PDF file mentioned earlier.

Does Virgin Atlantic Accept Psychiatric Service Dogs?

Yes, they do! Fully trained service dogs are welcome on all flights. You do not have to pay anything extra for bringing in a service/assistance dog. Depending on your route and completed service dog training, limitations may apply for connecting flights so make sure to learn about the service dog regulations at your destination. Virgin Atlantic is known to operate connecting flights with the cooperation of Lufthansa, Delta, and Air France.

Important Notice for SD Teams

Our graduated service dog teams have reported that VA is not friendly to self-trained service dogs. The boarding process with them has been described as challenging. Virgin Atlantic often requires self-trained service dog teams traveling between the US and the UK as well as teams traveling to the US to present additional paperwork which is not mandatory under US laws.

Our school has received feedback from VA passengers that the airline is asking service dog teams to provide proof of completed Public Access Test on any of its routes. The Public Access Test is requested to be performed in person. This is not a legal requirement for passengers in the US and those traveling to the US. However, the airline insists on receiving such paperwork.

We encourage all service dog teams to reach out to Virgin Atlantic before purchasing a ticket and if possible to consider alternative transport that is more friendly to self-trained service dog teams.

Do Psychiatric Service Dogs Fly for Free?

Please, keep in mind that the airline uses the term – Assistance Dog – to refer to individually trained canines that assist a person with a disability. Most people are familiar with Guide Dogs for the Blind, Hearing Aid Dogs, and Diabetic Alert Dogs. All these dogs fall under the blanket term – Service Dog – which is primarily used in North America. In other words, the term “assistance dog” means the same thing as “service dog”.

Service dogs of all types fly free of charge but you should make sure your dog complies with the animal import regulations. Many governments require dogs entering their territory to be microchipped and fully vaccinated against – rabies, heartworm, and titer. You may want to carry printed proof of the completed vaccination. The airline is likely to ask you to present proof of completed external and internal parasite treatment as well.

Since the company is operating connecting flights for many of its routes, you will have to check with their partners whether your dog meets their boarding criteria. In other words, you will have to talk to each connecting airline yourself. This may include emailing and phoning the support teams for: Delta; KLM; Air France; Air New Zealand; Singapore Airlines; WestJet Aeromexico; Korean Air; and Middle East Airlines.

Depending on your selected route, you may need to obtain an import permit from the government in your country of destination so be careful and reach out to the airline at least one month before your flight.

You can email Virgin Atlantic here: [email protected]

Alternatively, you can call them by finding their local help desk.

How to Fly with Your Service Dog on Virgin Atlantic

The service/assistance dogs have to be supervised at the airport and for the entire duration of the flight. You are responsible for notifying the airline about your service dog at least 72 hours prior to departure. Passengers from the US will be asked to submit completed:

U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form (PDF File)

-and-

U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (PDF File)

The forms have to be emailed to the airline, and it's advisable that you carry a printed copy to the check-in desk. We also urge passengers from/to the US to check the latest regulations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC for short).

Please, be advised that you will be asked to show proof of completed training for your service/assistance animal. Depending on your departure country you may be legally obliged to present such proof. If you are traveling to the UK you have to obtain a pre-approval letter from the airport authorities in order to bring your service animal to the UK.

At the time of writing, Virgin Atlantic is servicing flights from the Heathrow International Airport and that means all passengers with a service dog have to email or call the Heathrow Airport’s Animal Reception Centre to obtain a pre-approval letter. This process takes time so we advise you to start your application for the letter no later than 72 hours prior to your departure.

Contact Details for Heathrow Airport

Tel: +44 208 745 7894

Fax: +44 208 759 3477

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/animal-health-welfare/heathrow-animal-reception-centre

How to Get Your Legitimate Psychiatric Service Dog with the ServiceDog Training School International

Our company offers owner-trained psychiatric service dog courses to disabled citizens in the US, Canada, Ireland, the UK, and many other countries. Service dog regulations in the US permit domestic and foreign passengers to travel with self-trained service dogs within the US, provided they meet the US DOT, CDC, and public safety requirements. We discuss the primary law on service dogs and disability rights – the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – in the articles linked below:

ADA Service Dog Laws

US Laws for Service Dogs-in-training

You may also wish to refer to these pages:

Service Dog Laws in Canada

Service Dog Laws in the UK

Get Your Psychiatric Service Dog Certification

You are welcome to check the learning plan (syllabus) for the Psychiatric Service Dog training course and consult our team. We would be happy to assist you in properly training your canine and meeting industry standards for safe conduct. At the end of your course you will be provided with a certificate for completed service dog training to attest to your achievements. Each certificate has a unique number that companies like Virgin Atlantic can use to quickly verify the status of your service dog.

What is the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)?

The Air Carrier Access Act from 1986 (49 U.S.C. § 41705) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel which includes a policy on service dogs. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is the government body that enforces and protects your rights as a passenger. The policies of the DOT apply equally to domestic and foreign-based airlines servicing flights to and from the US. We sincerely recommend reading the “Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights”. You can find a fact sheet published by the Research and Training Center on Promoting Interventions for Community Living.

You may want to read about: What is the Difference Between an Emotional Support Animal and a Psychiatric Service Dog?

Under the ADA service animals are defined as follows:

“Service animal - means a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Animal species other than dogs, emotional support animals, comfort animals, companionship animals, and service animals in training are not service animals for the purposes of this part.”

Emotional Support Animals can be any domesticated species while service dogs can be only canines. ESAs do not undergo any specialized training beyond basic obedience while service dogs undertake individual training to directly aid the daily lives of their users and be safe to use in public.

More on the subject is presented in our article: Service Animals vs Emotional Support Animals vs Therapy Animals

Virgin Atlantic’s Service Dog Policy

The VA agents are known to ask their passengers for proof of completed training from these organizations:

1) Assistance Dogs International (ADI) Member Facility or the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) Member Facility

or

2) Accreditation from the Assistance Dogs Assessment Association (ADAA)

or

3) Proof of completed training at higher or the same standards employed by the organizations listed above.

At the time of writing, it is possible to fly with a self-trained service dog to the UK but you will be asked to pay a fee of 429 GBP (about 530 USD) for bringing in “an unrecognized service dog” before you are granted a pre-approval letter from the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre. Certificates issued by our school have been accepted for direct travel between the US and the UK. Any flights by Virgin Atlantic that have a layover/transit will be subject to additional requirements and self-trained service dogs may not be permitted in the passenger cabin. Please, make sure to check the regulations in advance.

Virgin Atlantic — Required Documentation

The service dog handlers have to fill out a DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form and a Service Animal Relief Attestation Form if they are flying to/from the US. In order to be allowed entry into the UK please obtain a pre-approval letter from the UK airport authorities as mentioned above.

If you wish to represent your service/assistance dog we sincerely recommend making sure your dog has an ID card and wears a vest that identifies them as a service dog/assistance animal. This is the best to represent your achievements as a handler and trainer and communicate to the public that your accompanying canine is safe to use.

As you already know, Virgin Atlantic is UK-based and you may want to read this: Service Dog Laws in the United Kingdom

In the interest of locating your animal and their safety, please make sure your service dog is microchipped. US passengers are required to procure a health certificate that is signed and dated by a federally certified veterinarian when they are flying to the UK. You can use this page to locate one: https://vsapps.aphis.usda.gov/vsps/public/VetSearch.do

If you will be using Virgin Atlantic to fly to Asia, Australia, and South America, please check the import regulations and service dog laws there. The required documentation can vary and self-trained service dogs may be expected to be locally assessed before they are granted public access rights.

Other Virgin Atlantic Policies To Know

All assistance dogs must be restrained once onboard and the safest way to do that is for your assistance dog to be tethered to a seat belt as dictated in the guidance paper. Assistance dogs should use an animal relief area before boarding the aircraft. Virgin Atlantic encourages all service/assistance dog handlers to bring absorbent mats with them in their cabin luggage in the event their assistance dog unexpectedly needs to relieve themselves. The dogs will be allowed to use the biggest toilet available regardless of the booked class.

If you want to be familiar with the airport and its available toileting facilities, please check the published maps. Maps of the seating in the airplanes are also available.

The airline explicitly states that they do not accept service/assistance dogs from these breeds:

Pekingese, Pug breeds, Boston Terrier, Brussels Griffin, English toy Spaniel, Japanese Spaniel, English Bulldog, French Bulldog and Shih Tzu

Additionally, they do not welcome any dogs listed under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

You may want to give a quick read to this as well: URGENT!! Why Was My Service Dog Denied Access to the Passenger Cabin?

F.A.Q.

Can My Dog Sit on My Lap During a Virgin Atlantic Flight?

-They can if they are sufficiently small and approved to do so by the crew on your flight. In general, service/assistance animals are expected to fit within the footprint of the seat in front of you. Service animals onboard are expected to lie down for the entire duration of the flight.

Can Virgin Atlantic Ask for Proof of Completed Training?

-The airline can ask you to show proof of completed training but you are not legally obligated to present one as long as you are flying within the US). If you are doing an international flight, please check the regulations before booking a flight so you have time to prepare and comply.

Can Virgin Atlantic Deny a Psychiatric Service Dog?

-Yes, they can. This usually depends on the size of the dog due to space limitations, the route you are taking as some countries have strict regulations, missing documentation, or legitimate concerns about the dog's health. Disruptive behavior from the dog at the airport can be grounds for refusing boarding too. Make sure your dog is properly trained.

You may want to see our page: Flying With A Large Service Dog

Where to Call or Visit for More Information on Virgin Atlnatic’s Policies?

-We strongly recommend using the airline’s mobile app which you can download from the official source. The main UK office for the airline can be reached at this number: 0344 209 2722 Alternatively, passengers can email [email protected] with the following details:

1) Your booking reference, flight number, and date of flight;

2) Breed and weight of your assistance dog;

3) What task your assistance dog assists you with regarding your medical condition;

4) Attach details of the behavioral training your assistance dog has completed.

How to Notify Virgin Atlantic You Will Be Bringing Your Service/Assistance Animal?

-You can do so after booking your flight online. You will have to use the mobile app to reach their support team or you can call their offices directly. Please, remember to obtain a pre-approval letter if you will be flying to the UK.