Privacy Policy | Virgin Australia Group

We’re Virgin Australia Group, a group of companies that operates:

• domestic and international airlines and associated products and services
• loyalty and VIP programs, including the Velocity Frequent Flyer loyalty program for individuals, and the Velocity Frequent Flyer loyalty program provided as part of the Virgin Australia Business Flyer program.

We offer leisure and business products and services to guests, Organisations, and members of our loyalty programs.

Our companies have different names, so let's look at how everything fits together. 

Sensitive information is a special type of personal information under privacy laws.

There are some situations where we need to collect your sensitive information, such as if you need a medical clearance to fly. In these situations, we usually collect your sensitive information with your consent. However, some laws require or allow us to collect it without your consent, for example, in an emergency, or if another exception under the Privacy Act applies. 

Sometimes, even if we don’t ask for your sensitive information, you may still choose to provide it to us when you interact with us, such as when you make an enquiry or complaint. We ask that you only share sensitive information if it’s relevant. If you do, we’ll collect and handle this sensitive information for the purposes you’ve shared it with us (unless you tell us not to) or otherwise in accordance with our legal obligations.  

We won’t use your sensitive information for direct marketing without your consent. For example, we may collect and use your sensitive information if you tell us you’re a nervous flyer and want to receive communications to help with this.

We may collect your sensitive information in different situations, for example, when you:

• ask for specific assistance when using our services, an Airline Partner’s services, or a Travel Partner’s services
• tell us about dietary requirements that indicate religious beliefs, ethnic background, or a medical condition
• take part in our nervous flyer program
• seek medical clearance to fly
• provide information for a public health or safety requirement
• are involved in a safety investigation, accident, complaint, claim or health-related matter.

   

We collect personal information from you in many different situations, for example, when you:

• make or manage a travel booking (including a flight or cargo booking) on our websites or apps, or through our contact centres
• apply for a membership with us
• subscribe to our communications
• use our products or services
• earn or redeem points with our loyalty programs
• visit our locations
• visit our websites or apps
• contact us
• take part in our surveys, incentives, or competitions.

We may collect your personal information from someone you have a relationship with, for example:

• a friend or family member
• your travel agent
• an Organisation
• another airline
• a travel booking website.

Usually, this type of collection happens when someone enquires, makes, or manages a booking or account for you. It can also occur when someone transfers loyalty points or benefits to you. 

We may collect your personal information from third parties who work with us, for example: 

• Service Providers
• Airline Partners
• Marketing Partners
• Travel Partners
• Velocity Partners.

We may also collect your personal information from government, law enforcement and regulatory agencies and authorities. They may include police, immigration, customs, and border security.  

We do this to carry out the activities outlined in section 6.

We use cookies and similar technologies to collect usage and device data.
 

Digital channels we collect usage and device data from include our websites and mobile apps, social media platforms, our direct marketing communications sent to you by email or shown on social media, and advertising on third party websites and applications.

Please read section 6 of this Policy for more information. You can also read more about this in our Cookie Policy.

We may handle your personal information in connection with travel bookings made with us, our Airline Partners, or our Travel Partners, where you have made the booking or someone else had made the booking on your behalf (such as a family member or friend, or an Organisation), including:

• flight bookings
• other travel bookings, such as:
  • cargo bookings
  • insurance
  • hotel stays
  • experiences
  • car hire
• flight and other travel bookings made by an Organisation.
   

We handle your personal information so we can:

• make and manage your booking
• communicate with you (or persons acting on your behalf, including an Organisation or anyone else you have given your Itinerary or Booking Reference to) about your booking
• communicate with our Airline Partners, Travel Partners, and Service Providers about your booking (if relevant)
• carry out operational, government and regulatory requirements
• provide you with products and services related to your booking, such as:
  • flights
  • food and drinks
  • wi-fi and entertainment
  • lounge access
  • specific assistance in connection with your flight, such as where you require wheelchair access.
  • flight disruption support (if you’re eligible)
  • lost or mishandled baggage support
• process loyalty points transactions or benefits for you or an Organisation
• investigate and respond to safety investigations, incidents, feedback, complaints, or claims
• ensure the safety of our team members and guests.

We may handle your personal information to manage your memberships and accounts with us, for example, to:

• create, access, and manage your personal memberships and accounts which you may use in a personal or business context, such as:
  • Velocity Frequent Flyer memberships
  • VIP memberships
  • lounge memberships
  • Travel Bank accounts
  • V-mail subscriptions
• create, access, and manage Organisation memberships and accounts and user logins, including for Virgin Australia Business Flyer and our charter arrangements
• allow you to use your login details to access other products or services, such as a Velocity Partner or Travel Partner app or portal
• provide you or an Organisation with member benefits associated with a loyalty program (depending on the program and your eligibility), including:
  • Velocity Points transactions, including earn, redemption and transfers (including retro claims)
  • status credits
  • tier recognition
  • extra baggage allowance
  • priority boarding
  • appointing a travel coordinator
  • family pooling
  • lounge access
  • benefits with Airline Partners, Velocity Partners, and Travel Partners
• link you with a Velocity Partner in your personal capacity or where you’re connected with an Organisation
• communicate with you about your memberships and accounts, or an Organisation’s account you are connected with, for example:
  • responding to enquiries and feedback
  • contacting you with reminders, requests, offers, and updates  
• carry out administrative and office functions, such as:
  • providing member benefits (as outlined above) in accordance with relevant membership terms and conditions
  • checking that you meet membership requirements in accordance with relevant membership terms and conditions.
  • administering accounts.

We may handle your personal information to:

• understand how you interact with our:
  • products and services
  • partners
  • offers, marketing and ads
  • websites and apps
• measure, test, analyse and improve our:
  • products and services
  • partners
  • offers, marketing and ads
  • websites and apps
• conduct research and surveys, for example, sending you feedback surveys after you fly with us
• identify trends in customer behaviour and expectations
• remember your preferences
• offer useful features, such as:
  • sign-in across our online services using one set of credentials
  • remembering you when you move between our online services
  • remembering you when you return to our online services using the same device
• improve and protect the security of our online interactions and services, locations, and assets
• make business decisions
• carry out quality assurance.

We may make completely automated decisions on certain matters. For example, the Virgin Australia Group and our Service Providers, Velocity Partners, Airline Partners, Travel Partners, and Marketing Partners may assess existing or potential customers' interest in us and our and related products and services based on your usage and device data.
 

The outcome of these activities helps us and our Partners to market products and services to you. See further details on this in the next section. 

We may handle your personal information to market, personalise and promote our or third party products and services, for example, to:

• identify where you have more than one membership or account with us so we can better understand you and make your experience more seamless
• work out what products, services, partners and offers might interest you and personalise your experience with us
• send you direct marketing communications unless you have opted out.
• allow our Airline Partners, Marketing Partners, Travel Partners, or Velocity Partners to:
  • work out what might interest you based on your interactions with us
  • Personalise your experience with them
  • send you direct marketing communications, based on your communication preferences with them.

Depending on your marketing preferences (see more on this below), we may personalise your experience on our digital channels or send you direct marketing communications (which may include reminders to complete a booking) in any of the following ways:

• email  
• SMS text message
• app push notifications
• postal mail (including membership card packs)
• phone
• targeted online ads.

We may also use personal information to exclude you from seeing or receiving personalised content and direct marketing communications if we think it’s not relevant for you. 

We do our best to send or show you relevant and useful content and offers.

Of course, we understand that you may want to change what marketing you’re receiving from us and how you’re receiving it. You can control the direct marketing you’re getting from us by:

• using the unsubscribe facility in emails or SMS text messages
• logging into your membership or account with us to update your communication preferences. If you are a Velocity member or V-mail subscriber, this includes being able to opt-out of seeing targeted online advertising
• unsubscribing from receiving marketing communications in relation to your flights on our website
• changing the push notification setting on your mobile device or in the ‘Settings’ section of our mobile apps to opt-out of our mobile app notifications on your mobile device. You’ll continue to receive in-app messaging and personalised offers, unless you log out of the mobile app
• calling or emailing to ask to opt out of direct marketing 
• opting out of some types of cookies. See our Cookie Policy for more information.
   

Please keep in mind that:

• we may market to you through different channels depending on our relationship. It means that if you opt out of one type of marketing, you may still receive other marketing from us. For example, you may opt out of all Velocity marketing but then book a flight with us. So, you may receive a marketing email relating to your flight booking, such as a Travel Partner car or hotel offer, or a post-flight survey.
• even if you opt out of all direct marketing communications, we'll still contact you about important things, such as:
  • changes to our terms and policies
  • password reset requests
  • booking confirmations
  • flight updates
  • membership status changes
• even if you opt out of all direct marketing communications, you may still see our general marketing and advertising campaigns. 

We will handle your personal information as part of our business operations, for example, to:

• confirm your identity or authority so we can give you access to a booking or account, a secured area or information
• make sure people and locations are safe
• respond to a possible or actual emergency or crisis, including threats to health, safety, or security
• investigate, review, and respond to enquiries, feedback, complaints, and claims
• block, suspend or cancel an account, membership or booking according to applicable terms and conditions
• give you a new account, membership or booking according to applicable terms and conditions
• carry out reporting, planning, administration, and operations, for example:
  • business planning and corporate governance
  • record-keeping and archiving
  • systems development and testing
  • team member coaching and training.
• to facilitate corporate transactions. 

We may handle your personal information to meet or enforce legal requirements or take appropriate action, for example:

• to detect, prevent, investigate, and respond to possible:
  • suspicious, unlawful, misleading, malicious, or dishonest activities
  • security, health, or safety incidents, including possible data breaches or cyber-attacks
  • a breach of our terms, contracts, or policies
• to comply with any relevant laws, regulations, legal process, government, or authority request, for example:
  • to help find a missing person
  • to respond to a possible or actual unlawful activity or serious misconduct
  • to respond to a request for information made under a relevant law or a court or tribunal order
  • to respond to an emergency event or a threat to health, life, or safety
  • to comply with the Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005, Customs Act 1901, Migration Act 1958, Civil Aviation Act 1988, and Civil Aviation Regulations 1988
• to evaluate our compliance and manage risk
• protect and enforce our legal rights, our interests, or the interests of others. 

We may handle your sensitive information for personal or Organisation travel bookings made with us, our Airline Partners, or our Travel Partners, including:

• flights
• other travel bookings, such as:
  • cargo bookings
  • insurance
  • hotel stays
  • experiences
  • car hire

We may handle your sensitive information so we can:

• assist with specific assistance requests such as accessibility, mobility, or meal requirements. 
• help you fly with us, for example, where you need medical clearance. Please refer to our Medical Clearance Guidlines for further information. 

We may handle your sensitive information to manage your memberships and accounts with us, including your Velocity membership. Examples include:

• pausing your membership
• processing a request to appoint an authorised representative to manage your account.

We may handle your sensitive information to give you medical help at the airport, on a flight, or at any of our locations. 

We may handle your sensitive information to respond to and investigate incidents or claims, including health or safety issues.

We may handle your sensitive information to meet or enforce legal requirements or take appropriate action. We may do this for the same reasons that we collect personal information to meet legal requirements. Those reasons are outlined in the section above.

If you apply for a job with us, we'll need to collect some personal information, and sometimes also sensitive information, including:

• your name, identity and contact details
• information about your education and qualifications
• information about your past and current work roles, including, with your consent, from:
  • previous employers
  • nominated referees
• if it's relevant to the role you're applying for and you consent to share it, information about your:
  • health and medical history, including any accessibility or vaccination requirements
  • criminal history
• public information that is employment-related, including:
  • social media information, such as your Instagram handle or Facebook page
  • professional networking information, such as your LinkedIn profile
• information for our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, such as gender, age, and ethnicity, if you consent to share it
• any other information we request from you during the recruitment process.
• any other information you include in your application or provided to us or Service Providers helping us with the recruitment process
• other information from third parties described below.

When we collect personal information for your job application, we may handle it to:

• receive, consider, verify, and progress your application.
• get in touch about your application and the job:
  • by email, phone, or in person
  • to request further information or to let you know the outcome of your application
  • to give you feedback about your application
  • to induct you into the role
• contact you about future opportunities unless you ask us not to
• analyse and improve our recruitment process, including as part of our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
• meet our legal obligations.

We may:

• collect your personal information from third parties
• share your personal information with third parties.
   

We may do this for the reasons above in How we handle job applicant information. We may also do this for other reasons that we will tell you about, if relevant.

Third parties may include:

• other companies in the Virgin Australia Group
• people or companies acting on your behalf, such as recruiters
• previous employers and your referees (with your consent)
• other third parties who help us carry out our recruitment activities, such as:
  • recruitment agencies
  • Service Providers that conduct interviews and recruitment-related testing and checks
• law enforcement or credit reporting agencies to carry out identity, police, and background checks (if it's relevant to the role you're applying for, and you consent)
• any others required or permitted by law, such as in response to a warrant, subpoena, or court order.