From pet-friendly travel to insurance, Australians are reshaping their trip habits around pets with new data showing furry companions now rank higher than family when it comes to festive holiday priorities.
As Aussies start summer holidays and airlines expand pets-on-planes routes, new PassportCard Australia research reveals pets aren’t just influencing travel plans, they’re steering them.
More than half of respondents (54%) said their pet is the one thing they would take on holiday if they could – ranking well ahead of their own bed (32%) and family (31%).
Nearly one in four Aussies travel away from their pets every year over Christmas or summer with almost half (46%) regularly leaving their animals behind during peak periods.
When they do, more than half (54%) rely on family or friends for care, while 19 per cent book a pet sitter and 17 per cent opt for boarding kennels.
Almost one in two (49%) said the thing they’d be most upset about after returning home would be something happening to their pet, outstripping concerns such as a break-in (29%) or property damage (10%).
As more airlines introduce (highly divisive) pet-friendly travel routes, demand is rising fast. Nearly one in five Australians (19%) have already flown with, or booked, a pet-friendly airline service.
Another 36 per cent say they’re open to travelling by air with their pet, either having already flown, booked, planning to book soon or waiting for more pet-friendly travel routes to launch.
The attachment continues after landing: Aussies are more excited to reunite with their pets (50%) than with their spouse (22%) or children (20%) after a trip. And one in five parents (21%) said their child’s biggest Christmas wish is for their pet to come on holiday, too.
These emotional connections are translating into behavioural shifts in pet-friendly travel planning.
Pet cover is now on par with luggage, money and cards (all 37%) and other top travel priorities, such as flights (43%), accommodation (42%) and home protection (41%).
KARRYON UNPACKS: Australians’ growing pet obsession is reshaping pet-friendly travel priorities from flight choices to insurance coverage, creating fresh opportunities for airlines, advisors and insurers to cater to a pet-first travel culture.
