We put two top Australian airlines head-to-head to see which airline is the one that you should be flying with.
We looked at every aspect of airline travel to determine which Australian airline, Virgin Australia or Qantas, came out on top. From comfort to food, inflight entertainment, price, travel with pets, destinations offered and more, we know which airline wins each round after a comparison.
There’s no need to look further than this page to determine which is the right airline for you to fly with based on you personal needs, wants and budget.
Virgin Australia vs Qantas
| Feature | Virgin Australia | Qantas | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where does it fly to? | 220+ destinations in these regions:
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70+ destinations in these regions:
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Virgin Australia flies to more destinations. |
| What star rating is it? | 4-star | 4-star | Both airlines are rated the same. |
| What classes are available? | Business, “The Business”, premium and economy classes are available. | First class, business class, premium economy and economy classes. | Both airlines offer the same amount of classes. |
| What is the baggage allowance? | Economy allows one 7kg carry-on. A minimum of one 23kg checked bag is allowed on economy domestic and long-haul international flights. Short-haul international flights do not include checked baggage for the cheapest fare option. | Economy allows one 7kg carry-on and one 30kg checked bag. | Qantas allows the same carry-on allowance but more checked bag allowance for all flights. |
| Where does it fly from in Australia? |
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Virgin Australia flies to and from more destinations in Australia. |
| What's the in-flight entertainment like? | Virgin Australia offers an in-flight entertainment app to use on your own device, or on iPads that are provided. Movies, TV shows, music and games are available. | Qantas offers movies, TV, entertainment app, the Qantas magazine, radio and more. | Both airlines offer similar entertainment options, however Qantas provides screens on their aircrafts. |
| Can I make changes/cancellations? | Yes, on most tickets, though fees apply and some tickets are non-refundable. | Yes, on most tickets, though fees apply and not all ticket types receive a refund. | Both airlines offer flight cancellations and changes but fee prices and refunds depend on the ticket type. |
| What type of plane will I fly on? |
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Virgin Australia flies more plane types but only Qantas flies an A380. |
| Which frequent flyer programs is it with? | Velocity Frequent Flyer | Qantas Frequent Flyer | Virgin Australia’s frequent flyer program is more flexible when it comes to collecting points, point expiry and sharing points. |
| Is there Wi-Fi? | Virgin Australia is in the process of rolling out Wi-Fi on both domestic and international flights. | Qantas is in the process of rolling out Wi-Fi on select planes and domestic flights. | Both airlines are starting to offer Wi-Fi but it will be available on more Virgin Australia flights. |
| Can I price match? | Yes. If a lower price for the same flight is found on another website, Virgin Australia will match the price and Velocity Frequent Flyer members will receive 500 points per booking. | Yes. If the same flight on another site is cheaper, Qantas will refund you the difference and Qantas frequent flyers will receive 1,000 Qantas points. | Both airlines offer the same price matching but Qantas offers more points as a bonus for their members. |
| Does it serve alcohol? | Yes, on domestic and international flights. Only complimentary on long-haul international flights or domestic flights between 5pm and 7pm Monday to Friday. | Yes. On international flights a welcome drink is also served. | Qantas offers complimentary drinks on more flights than Virgin Australia. |
| Is there online chat? | Contact is available by phone and email. | Contact is available by email and phone. | Both airlines offer the same contact services. |
| Does it charge for infants? | Infants travel for free on domestic flights if they are under 2 and do not occupy a seat. On international flights 10% of the adult fare is charged. | Infants under two years are charged 10% of the adult fare when they are accompanied by an adult and sitting on the adult’s lap. | Virgin Australia allows infants to travel for free on domestic flights. Both airlines offer the same charge for international flights. |
| Does it fly pets? | Yes, though all animals must travel as cargo unless they are an authorised assistance dog. | Yes. Service dogs are permitted in the main cabin. All other animals must travel as cargo. | Both airlines offer the same restrictions for travelling with pets. |
| What are my payment options? |
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Qantas offers more payment options. |
| Can I book round the world fares? | Yes | Yes | Both airlines offer round the world fares. |
| Can I book multi-city fares? | Yes | Yes | Both airlines offer multi-city bookings but Virgin Australia allows up to 11 segments whereas Qantas only allows 6. |
| Any features to find the best price? | Virgin Australia offers Best Fares and Happy Hour fares every Thursday from 4pm to 11pm. | Qantas offers Flight Deals. | Both airlines offer flight deals. |
Who offers the best price?
Both airlines are flexible with times of day to fly and different class options, such as a saver options for budget flyers. We compared flights on both airlines from Sydney to Los Angeles round-trip for the exact same dates to see which airline came out cheaper.
Virgin Australia:
Qantas:
The verdict?
Virgin Australia wins this round, beating the Qantas flight prices by $148. Though this isn't an overwhelming difference, we love to know when you can save a little for extra spending on your trip.
Is it a good airline to fly with?
Based on Skytrax reviews, Qantas has a higher rating and leads with a 7/10 while Virgin Australia is just a step behind with 6/10.
The verdict?
Qantas pulls ahead in this round as their above-average ratings for inflight entertainment, seat comfort, staff service and value for money are rated 4 out of 5 stars. Virgin Australia ranks with only average ratings of 3 out of 5 stars for all categories.
Qantas Points vs Virgin Velocity
We discuss everything from cost and destinations to credit cards and earning partners.
Top flight deals with Qantas and Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia - Deals
10% off domestic flights with code
Valid for travel until December 2019. Destinations include Perth, Gold Coast, Melbourne and more. T&Cs apply.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
Up to 20% off business with code
Valid for travel between 1-26 June 2019. Discount applies to Domestic, Trans Tasman, Fiji and Hong Kong Business Saver and Business Class fares. T&Cs apply.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
Up to 15% off economy with code
Valid for travel between 1-26 June 2019. Destinations include Trans Tasman, Australia, Fiji and Hong Kong. T&Cs apply.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
Up to 10% off international flights with code
Valid for travel until December 2019 on Getaway fares. Destinations include Australia, Bali, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Port Moresby and Pacific Islands. T&Cs apply.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
Seattle flights from $1,216 return
Valid for travel on select dates from July 2019 - March 2020. Sample fare departs from Melbourne.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
USA flights from $1,079 return
Valid for travel on select dates from July 2019 - March 2020. Sample fare is Brisbane-Los Angeles.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
New York flights from $1,466 return
Valid for travel on select dates from July 2019 - March 2020. Sample fare departs from Melbourne.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
Las Vegas flights $1,217 return
Valid for travel on select dates from July 2019 - March 2020. Sample fare departs from Melbourne.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
San Francisco flights from $1,216 return
Valid for travel on select dates from July 2019 - March 2020. Sample fare departs from Melbourne.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
Tasmania flights from $111 each way
Valid for travel between July - August 2019. Destinations include Hobart, Launceston and more. Sample fare departs from Melbourne.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
Bali flights from $300 return
Valid for travel from 15 - 20 September 2019. Sample fare departs from Darwin.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
5% off worldwide flights with code
Valid for travel until December 2019. Destinations include Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia and more. T&Cs apply.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
New Zealand flights from $249 each way
Valid for travel from on select dates from May - December 2019 across New Zealand including Christmas holidays. Destinations include Christchurch, Wellington and more. Sample fare is Melbourne-Auckland.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
Hamilton Island flights from $135 each way
Valid for travel on select dates from May - December 2019 across Hamilton Island in Queensland. Sample fare departs from Brisbane.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
Ayers Rock flights from $239 each way
Valid for travel on from 28 May - 25 June and 10 November - 17 December 2019 across Ayers Rock in Uluru. Sample fare departs from Sydney.
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Virgin Australia - Deals
3-months of Netflix FREE when you connect to Virgin Australia Wi-Fi
Connect to Virgin Australia's in-flight Wi-Fi next time you travel and treat yourself to a free three-month subscription of Netflix.
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Popular Virgin Australia - Deals coupon codes
| Last checked | Code description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| 24 May 2019 | 10% off domestic flights with code | GPR**** |
| 24 May 2019 | Up to 20% off business with code | MPZ**** |
| 24 May 2019 | Up to 15% off economy with code | MPZ**** |
| 20 May 2019 | Up to 10% off international flights with code | HNV**** |
| 15 May 2019 | 5% off worldwide flights with code | CMT**** |
Budget Air
San Francisco flights from $1,071 return
Valid for travel from 18 August - 29 September 2019 with Qantas. Same fare departs from Melbourne. T&Cs apply.
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Flight Centre - International
North America flights from $849 return with Qantas
Valid for travel from May - December 2019 and January - March 2020. Destinations include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, New York and more. Sample fare is Brisbane-Honolulu.
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Popular Flights coupon codes
| Last checked | Code description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| 24 May 2019 | 10% off domestic flights with code | GPR**** |
| 24 May 2019 | Up to 20% off business with code | MPZ**** |
| 24 May 2019 | Up to 15% off economy with code | MPZ**** |
| 20 May 2019 | Up to 10% off international flights with code | HNV**** |
| 15 May 2019 | 5% off worldwide flights with code | CMT**** |
