A new era of international travel is ready to take off, with the partnership between Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways[1] set to deliver more value and choice for Australians, providing opportunities to travel to over 100 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Starting today, Aussies can book Virgin Australia’s new services to jet directly from Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth to Doha for travel from June 2025, with Melbourne[2] set to join the party later that year. These flights will be operated by Virgin Australia using Qatar Airways’ spacious Boeing 777s, renowned for their Qsuite[3] Business Class. Qatar Airways has been voted the best airline in the world eight times including this year, setting the benchmark for the world’s best travel experience.

From sipping espresso in Rome to strolling down the Champs Élysées in Paris, Aussies with a passion for travel now have unrivalled ease, value and choice to explore the world.

Key benefits and launch sale offers

• Economy flights: launch fares on sale from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth via Doha to multiple European destinations. With fares from as low as:
  • Perth to Paris Economy Choice return from $1,791
  • Sydney to London Economy Choice return from $1,982
  • Brisbane to Rome Economy Choice return from $1,945
• Points galore: Rack up to 20,000 bonus Points on Business return flights and 10,000 bonus Points on Economy return flights (when you book on an eligible Virgin Australia international long haul flight by 20 January 2025 for travel between 21 June – 30 September 2025).
• Maximise your miles: Earn up to a whopping 63,708 Velocity Points on your next European jaunt[4].

More than just flights

The Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways partnership, pending final regulatory approval, positions Virgin Australia to strongly compete in the international travel market while also improving its domestic strategic position, delivering increased competition, improved connectivity, and enhanced customer choice.

Travellers aren’t the only winners; the new Virgin Australia flights also boost Aussie tourism, jobs and businesses. More than $3 billion is expected to be injected into the economy over the next five years from increased visitors, creating jobs and more opportunity along the way.

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the new airline partnership is a game-changer, driving benefits to consumers, the economy and Australian aviation.

“This is a huge win for Australian travellers which brings more value and choice for passengers wanting to fly internationally. Through this partnership Virgin Australia becomes stronger, improving our ability to compete domestically – which is great news for Virgin Australia, our people and consumers,” she said.

“For Virgin Australia this gives us the ability to start long haul flying, which we have not been able to do over the past four and a half years. Our 28 new weekly services to Doha will open up a world of opportunity for those wanting to travel overseas, with more passengers able to connect to over 100 destinations around the world on Qatar’s network.

“Partnering with Qatar Airways means we’re delivering the gold standard in global travel – seamless connections and world-class service – and increasing market competition to provide better value and fares. Exploring the world has never been more accessible.

“Virgin Australia’s additional flying into Doha is also great news for small businesses who are looking for opportunities to get their goods into the Middle East, especially the agricultural sector. The services sector will benefit from the additional $3 billion in economic value that will be delivered over the next five years from the increased inbound visitors, which means more jobs and more opportunities for the travel and tourism industry.

“This also creates the potential for more jobs and promotional opportunities for our Virgin Australia team as we increase domestic flying to accommodate passengers connecting from an expanded international network. “This partnership is a critical piece in Virgin Australia’s long-term strategy and a huge vote of confidence in Australian aviation, further strengthening Virgin Australia’s long-term competitiveness and growth of the aviation industry in Australia.”

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said that, if approved, the investment will support a collective ambition between the two airlines to deliver the best service and value to Australian customers. “We are proud to support Virgin Australia with their ambition to return to long-haul international flying, a crucial next step in their successful transformation program,” he said

Engr. Al-Meer said the new Virgin Australia services would also boost cargo capacity, increasing opportunities for exporters in the Australian market, and that Australian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and corporate travellers could also take advantage of access to competitive fares and a stronger international airline network.

Virgin Australia’s Brisbane to Doha flights are supported by Queensland’s Attracting Aviation Investment Fund.

Minister for the Environment and Tourism, Minister for Science and Innovation Andrew Powell said:

“This is a great way to get more people into Queensland to see all our State has to offer,” Minister Powell said.

“In addition to growing tourism jobs, the added bonus is that those planes go back to the Middle East, Europe and Africa with cargo holds filled with Queensland exports. “Whether it’s seafood, fruit or beef this lets our great growers access markets across the globe.

“We know that the Aviation Attraction Investment Fund delivers a great return and this is proof of that.”

Brisbane Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff said Virgin Australia’s re-entry into long-haul flying was an exciting time for Queensland.

“We’re thrilled to be part of Virgin Australia’s return to long-haul flying. This is fantastic news for the Brisbane-headquartered airline and even better news for Queensland’s tourism-driven economy. It’s a big win for local jobs and for connecting Brisbane to the world.”

Don’t miss out – book now

Special launch fares* and promotions are live now on the Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways websites. While final regulatory approvals are pending, early birds are fully protected with options for either refunds or reaccommodation on suitable alternative flights and reimbursement for reasonably foreseeable costs if the new services aren’t able to go ahead as planned.

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ENDS

FOOTNOTES

[1] Subject to regulatory approvals.

[2] Melbourne to Doha on sale in early January 2025 for travel later in the year.

[3] Virgin Australia’s flights will all include the QSuite configuration by default. The aircraft will only switch to a non-QSuite fitted aircraft if operationally required.

[4] Based on booking a Business class fare which is eligible for the above promotion, and earning base Velocity Points and bonus Points.

Terms and conditions:

Fares for flights between Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth to Paris (CDG), Rome (FCO), London (LHR), and Athens (ATH), via Doha, Qatar are on sale from 07:01am AEST 12 December 2024 to 11:59pm AEST 19 December 2024, unless sold out prior. For travel on selected dates between 6 July 2025 and 30 November 2025 (inclusive). Flights are subject to regulatory approval. Prices are based on a return Economy Choice fare booked on virginaustralia.com, for flights marketed by Virgin Australia (operated by Qatar Airways for Virgin Australia) with a VA flight number VA1 to VA29 (inclusive). For travel between 27 June and 2 August 2025 on flights from Doha to Australia, an additional USD$25 surcharge will apply to Economy fares, and an additional USD$50 surcharge will apply to Business fares. Seats are limited and may not be available at peak times or on all flights. Return fares may vary with the addition of local taxes and charges or due to currency fluctuations. Payment surcharge may apply. Fare inclusions (like different baggage allowances), and change and cancellation fare rules will be different depending on the partner airline operating your flight. See Virgin Australia’s fares pages for information about fees and charges you may incur when you change or cancel your fare operated by a partner airline (https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/travel-info/flying-withus/fare-types/international-fares/partner-fares/). You may also request a refund for other reasons, including under the Australian Consumer Law. Check your fare rules for more information. Full T&Cs at www.virginaustralia.com.

Velocity offer terms and conditions

Velocity members can earn bonus Velocity Points (“Bonus Points Offer”) when they: 1) book an Eligible Flight between 12.01am AEST 12 December 2024 and 11.59pm AEST 20 January 2025 (“Booking Period”); 2) add their Velocity membership number to the booking before travel; and 3) travel on the Eligible Flight booked in the Travel Period between 12.01am AEST 21 June 2025 and 11:59pm AEDT 30 September 2025 (“Travel Period”). An Eligible Flight is a Virgin Australia international long haul flight, operated by Qatar Airways for Virgin Australia (with a VA flight number VA1, VA2, VA15, VA16, VA 21, VA22 or a QR flight number QR8400, QR8401, QR8404, QR8405, QR8406, QR8407), between an Australian port and starting, ending or transiting through Doha, Qatar, that normally earns Velocity Points. Eligible Flights can be booked on the Virgin Australia website, Qatar Airways website or via a travel agent. Changes made within the Booking Period to an existing booking originally made before the Booking Period do not qualify the booking as an Eligible Flight. If Velocity members meet the Bonus Points Offer criteria, they will receive: 5,000 bonus Velocity Points for a one-way Economy Eligible Flight; 10,000 bonus Velocity Points for a return Economy Eligible Flight; 10,000 bonus Velocity Points for a one-way Business Eligible Flight; or 20,000 bonus Velocity Points for a return Business Eligible Flight. Velocity members who meet the Bonus Points Offer criteria will be allocated the bonus Points within four weeks of their travel date. The bonus Points will be awarded to the Velocity membership number listed in the Eligible Flight booking that meets the Bonus Points Offer criteria. The member details on the Velocity membership number must match the passenger travelling on the Eligible Flight booking. Bonus Velocity Points will be applied to the originally purchased fare class and any upgrades (example: from Economy to Business or First Class) will only attract bonus Velocity Points as originally booked and ticketed. Additional airline partner and Velocity membership terms and conditions apply