Virgin Australia has today announced the introduction of a new Regional Fares Program to provide residents in select communities in regional Australia with access to more affordable and flexible air travel.
The program, which is available for residents in regional areas in Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, is designed for residents with essential travel needs, such as for medical treatment or a family emergency, to book travel to a capital city at short notice and at a capped fare price.
Virgin Australia General Manager Network and Revenue Management, Russell Shaw said the program was launched in response to community feedback to make travel more accessible for those in remote parts of Australia.
"We understand residents in our regional communities sometimes need to make last-minute travel plans, but short booking timeframes and demand for these services can mean fares become very expensive, and often the lowest fare types aren't as flexible if plans change.
"We're pleased to be able to help alleviate some of the stress involved when having to book last minute and to keep our guests located in regional areas connected when it matters most," he said.
Fares are available to residents who are members of the Velocity Frequent Flyer program and who have their profile linked to a regional address that is within range of an eligible port. Bookings must be made directly through the Regional Fares Program page on the Virgin Australia website here.
Eligible routes[i]
Western Australia
| Return Route | Minimum Return Fare | Maximum Return Fare (Last Seat Availability) |
Broome-Perth |
$500 | $700 |
| Kalgoorlie-Perth | $400 | $600 |
| Kununurra-Perth | $550 | $750 |
| Karratha-Perth | $500 | $700 |
| Port Hedland-Perth | $500 | $700 |
| Newman-Perth | $500 | $700 |
Queensland
| Return Route | Minimum Return Fare |
Maximum Return Fare (Last Seat Availability) |
| Mount Isa-Brisbane | $500 | $700 |
| Emerald-Brisbane | $300 |
$600 |
Northern Territory
Return Route |
Minimum Return Fare | Maximum Return Fare (Last Seat Availability) |
| Alice Springs-Adelaide | $450 |
$650 |
Virgin Australia understands that our guests' travel plans can change last minute, so to provide greater flexibility, applicable change fees will be waived for bookings with travel between now and 31 January 2021. The airline will further extend booking flexibility until 31 March 2021 should a customer's travel plans be impacted by COVID-19.
