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Virgin Australia has resurrected its package holidays business six years after it was axed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launched alongside travel marketplace Hopper, Virgin Australia Holidays will give passengers the ability to book flights and accommodation together, and comes as the airline releases a YouGov survey which it says shows “strong demand” for package travel.
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“50 per cent of surveyed Australians say they’re looking for simpler and more time efficient ways to plan their holidays, while 75 per cent are more likely to book a holiday package through their preferred airline, where price-competitive packages are offered,” the carrier said.
The return of Virgin Australia Holidays, first launched in 2003 and dropped in 2020, comes as the airline also plans to upgrade its app and overhaul its check-in processes.
According to Virgin Australia’s chief marketing and customer operations officer, Libby Minogue, the holidays business is “directly responding to evolving consumer expectations”.
“Virgin Australia Holidays marks an important step in expanding our offering beyond flights and into a more complete travel experience,” she said.
“With more Australians seeking value and convenience, we’re bringing together flights, accommodation and Velocity benefits in one seamless booking experience, delivering greater value and at a time when cost of living remains front of mind.”
Upgrades to the Virgin app include new functionality for higher-tier Velocity members to shift to earlier or later flights; to manage complimentary flight changes for eligible passengers; and to bid for seat upgrades. The airline is also looking to replace airport check-in kiosks with bag tag printers.
The move is “a major step forward in [Virgin’s] mission to be Australia’s most-loved airline”, said Virgin Australia’s general manager, digital, Alex Plummer.
“We’re incredibly focused on investing in the customer experience and that starts with digital ease – something our customers expect today. The Virgin Australia app has always been focused on delivering an excellent day of travel experience,”
“Nearly 80 per cent of our guests use the Virgin Australia mobile app and website to check in for flights and manage their booking, so we’re doubling down on improving our digital experience to slash the time it takes to check-in and bag drop by up to 50 per cent.”
When it entered administration in 2020, Virgin Australia also shuttered low-cost arm Tigerair and axed its wide-body international services, with the airline recently dipping its toe back into the long-haul market through a wet-lease deal with Qatar Airways.
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