No more home alone:

We all know that dogs – and even cats – can be a highly valued family member, so much so that it’s tough to leave them when on holiday.

But Velocity Frequent Flyer has given owners who want to take their beloved pet on holiday a big boost with the introduction of Australia’s first frequent flyer program for pets.

Velocity members can now earn 300 points each time their dog or cat flies on Virgin Australia’s domestic network.

Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Neil Thompson was joined by celebrity vet and animal lover, Dr Chris Brown to launch the program.

“Virgin Australia flies almost 30,000 pets each year around Australia, and a large proportion are owned by Velocity members, so we know how important their companions are to them.

“We are delighted to make their flying experience even more rewarding by unleashing Australia’s first frequent flyer program for pets, giving our members another truly unique way to earn points.

“The program builds on the unique family benefits currently available to our members, such as the ability to pool points and status credits with family members.

“We will continue to come up with creative and compelling ways to deliver meaningful rewards and recognition to our members”, Mr Thompson said.

Dr Chris Brown said: “It’s fantastic to see a frequent flyer program recognise how much pets enrich our lives. Now, not only will our dogs and cats give back to us in the form of unconditional love, but also in the form of our next holiday or retail purchase through points!”

Velocity Frequent Flyer has also launched a nation-wide search to find an official pet ambassador for the program. Members can also earn double points on pet accessories purchased through the Velocity global e-store.