- Virgin Australia is set to operate more than 19,000 flights and 3.2 million seats across the busy Christmas school holiday period.
- Capacity across Virgin Australia’s network is up 3% on the same period last year.
- Popular domestic holiday destinations include the Gold Coast, the Whitsundays, Cairns, Sunshine Coast, Perth and Hobart.
- All short-haul international destinations – Bali, Fiji, Vanuatu, Queenstown and Samoa – have recorded strong demand for the festive period.
- In preparation for the busy period, 185 new Virgin Australia team members have been recruited and trained across major airports.
- The busiest travel days are expected to be the days before and after Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Thursday, 4 December 2025: Virgin Australia will connect millions of travellers this summer, with more than 19,000 flights and 3.2 million seats scheduled over the 2025 Christmas school holiday period (15 December 2025 – 26 January 2026).
Strong travel demand over the festive season has led to capacity being added across both domestic and short-haul international networks.
Commentary attributable to Virgin Australia Chief Operations Officer, Chris Snook:
“It’s been a busy lead-up to the end of the year, and our teams have delivered strong operational results in 2025,” Mr Snook said.
“For the calendar year to date, we have maintained the lowest average cancellation rate of the major airlines, while managing consistently high passenger loads.
“We also recorded the busiest day in the airline's history on 3 October 2025, with 79,000 guests flying across our network for the school holidays, the long weekend, and footy finals.
“We know the holiday season is a busy and important time for travellers, and our exceptional team will be working hard to maintain a safe and smooth schedule and deliver a wonderful experience with our signature Virgin Flair.”
Popular holiday destinations
Popular holiday destinations with added capacity during the holiday period include Adelaide, Bali, Cairns, Fiji, Gold Coast, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Perth, Proserpine, Queenstown, Samoa, Sunshine Coast, and Vanuatu.
The busiest travel days are expected to be Friday 19 December, the four days leading up to Christmas, Boxing Day, Monday 29 December, and Friday 2 January, as travellers head away or return home from holidays.
Top New Year’s Eve destinations include Cairns, Sydney, Queenstown, Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Melbourne.
Virgin Australia will continue daily Qatar Airways-operated Boeing 777 services between Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth – Doha over the Christmas school holiday period.
These flights will provide seamless connections to more than 170 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and facilitate around 10,000 seats per week.
This festive season is also shaping up to be a furry special one, with over 40% of the total Pets in Cabin bookings falling across the Christmas and New Year period.
Since the trial launched, more than 600 pets have been booked to fly, with that number expected to continue climbing into January and beyond.
Strengthening operational resilience
- Ahead of the 2025 peak travel period, we have recruited and trained 185 new team members across our major airports.
- We have expanded our Guest Ambassador Program, which sees corporate team members lend a hand on peak travel days to our frontline team members including providing directional support to guests and check-in assistance.
- We have launched new technology across our major airports. This upgrade streamlines check-in and bag drop processes, reduces queue times, and equips our Guest Services team with iPads to resolve issues on the spot, minimising the need for guests to visit a service desk.
- Delivery of new Ground Services Equipment continues across our major airports.
- New security screening lanes in Brisbane and Sydney will be operational ahead of the peak travel period, enhancing the overall guest experience. Virgin Australia is also more than doubling access to priority screening for eligible travellers across major domestic airports.
Festive on-board and lounge menus
A festive onboard dining experience is on offer to Virgin Australia travellers with a curated holiday menu for Business Class travellers and complimentary festive chocolates for guests seated in Economy.
Menu highlights include roast turkey with cranberry sauce, served with roasted vegetables. This item will be available from 25 – 26 December for Business Class guests and for visitors in Virgin Australia lounges across the network.
Our crew will also be looked after with special meals and treats on 25 December, 26 December and 1 January.
Tips for travellers
- Journey tracker – Virgin Australia’s Journey Tracker makes travel smoother with real-time updates on gate changes, delays, and boarding times, all seamlessly integrated with the Virgin Australia app.
- Check-in online – wherever possible, utilising online check-in helps to fast-track the airport experience and reduce congestion at check-in desks and kiosks in the departure terminal.
- Arrive early – allow sufficient time to clear airport security and check-in bags. We recommend allowing up to three hours for those travellers with checked baggage.
- Be aware of carry-on limits – to ensure there is space for everyone’s bags, be mindful carry-on baggage meets the weight requirements or check it in. Virgin Australia’s end-to-end baggage tracking tool means guests receive push notifications throughout their travel journey giving customers peace of mind.
- Leave gifts unwrapped – place wrapped presents in checked baggage or wait to wrap them until after travel. Certain items may need to be unwrapped during security screening.
- Check the Virgin Australia app – the Virgin Australia app keeps travellers up to date on the status of their flight. Sometimes unforeseen changes to the schedule are required, particularly with increased storm activity over the summer months, so guests are encouraged to keep an eye on their flight status.
