Virgin Australia has become the only Australian airline to offer eligible economy flex fare holders the ability to switch to an available earlier same-day domestic flight at no extra cost, through a new Fly Ahead feature on its app.
Fly Ahead was first launched for high tier Velocity Frequent Flyer members in May and is now available to all eligible domestic economy flex fare guests.
Libby Minogue, Virgin Australia Group Executive, said the enhancement gave travellers more control when plans changed.
“We’re proud to be the only Australian airline offering superior flexibility to our Flex ticket holders, allowing them to switch to an available earlier same-day flight via the Virgin Australia app, without incurring a change fee or fare difference. The change will help our guests get home sooner, make an earlier meeting or maximise their time,” Ms Minogue said.
The move represents a significant shift from traditional flexible fares, which typically require travellers to pay both a change fee and fare difference when switching flights.
Data shows more than 44,000 Virgin Australia guests moved to earlier flights over the past 12 months, saving a combined 143,000 hours of airport waiting time.
On flights between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, eligible guests can request a flight departing up to two hours before their original booking.
On all other eligible domestic routes, guests can request the first available earlier flight on the same route.
Requests must be made via the app at least 60 minutes before the desired flight’s scheduled departure, or at the airport at least 40 minutes before departure.
