Theoretically, pets could have been able to sit with their owners in the cabins of planes since December.
But currently, Australia's major airlines don't allow it.
And that's unlikely to change any time soon.
Here's why.
Can pets fly in the cabins of planes?
According to the body that regulates aviation safety in Australia — Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) — yes, but there are some conditions.
In December last year, CASA updated its regulations for the carriage of animals on aircraft, which essentially gave airlines permission to carry animals in cabins if they chose to.
But that doesn't mean people are able to jump on a plane with their dog under their arm — the rule changes just give airlines the ability to allow that.
When discussing the changes back in July last year, CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said airlines would still have to make sure it was safe to have pets in the cabin.
"If they're going to do it, they're going to have to do it safely and they'll have to show us how they're going to be able to do it safely," he said.
But major airlines don't allow it
Back when the changes were being discussed, Qantas and Jetstar indicated they weren't keen on the idea, but Virgin was considering it.
Six months after the changes came into effect, neither of those three major airlines allow pets in the cabin.
What are the current rules for travelling with pets?
- Virgin: All pets must travel in the cargo hold of the aircraft. Virgin only allows cats and dogs under 65 kilograms (and that weight limit includes the crate they're travelling in) to travel on their planes
- Qantas: All pets must travel in the cargo hold of the aircraft. Qantas allows cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, domestic fish with no aeration requirements and domestic birds on their planes
- Jetstar: Jetstar's website says the airline "is not equipped" to transport pets, directing customers to Qantas Freight instead
However, all three airlines allow service dogs — so that's guide dogs, hearing dogs and assistance dogs — in the cabins of their planes.
Jetstar has ruled out emotional support pets, but Virgin allows them on flights to and from the US — where they're permitted on planes.
A bunch of restrictions apply to service dogs, including wearing their harnesses, being appropriately certified and being properly restrained.
It's all up to the airlines
The CASA rules are quite broad, so it would be up to the airlines to decide their pet travel policies.
"[The ruling] just talks about animals — so theoretically, it could be a boa constrictor," Mr Gibson said.
He said it airlines would need to take a "common-sense approach" to animal travel.
"At a serious level, you've got people who can be highly allergic to animals, so you've got to take that into account," he said.
"Some people get bad asthma, so that's a serious issue.
"Other people just get freaked out by snakes."
What could the rules be?
Airlines would need to make sure animals don't block the aisles, don't block the exit rows and can be properly restrained in the case of emergency.
So some pets might be small enough to sit on a passenger's lap.
But larger pets might need to have their own seat booked.
Then there's also the issue of animal droppings — service dogs have to have a "moisture absorbent mat" for this, so it's likely they'd be required for all pets.
Mr Gibson hinted that coming up with policies and procedures for ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers and crew on planes might be too much for airlines.
"It's up to them to develop those and, of course, make the threshold decision," he said.
"Do they actually want to do it or not — can they be bothered going through all this effort?"
