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Virgin Australia vs Qantas

We put two top Australian airlines head-to-head to see which airline is the one that you should be flying with.

Stephanie Yip
Stephanie Yip

Updated

Fact checked
Compare airline features See Virgin vs Qantas deals

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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: Compare airline features

FeatureVirgin AustraliaQantasVerdict
Where does it fly to?55+ destinations in these regions:
  • Africa
  • Asia and the Pacific
  • Europe
  • The Americas
  • The Middle East
70+ destinations in these regions:
  • Africa
  • Asia and the Pacific
  • Europe
  • The Americas
  • The Middle East
Virgin Australia
What star rating is it?4-star4-starBoth
What classes are available?Business, “The Business”, premium and economy classes are available.First class, business class, premium economy and economy classes.Both
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
Where does it fly from in Australia?
  • Adelaide
  • Brisbane
  • Melbourne
  • Perth
  • Sydney
  • Plus 39 other destinations
  • Adelaide
  • Brisbane
  • Melbourne
  • Perth
  • Sydney
  • Plus 31 other destinations
Virgin 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.Qantas
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
What type of plane will I fly on?
  • A320
  • A330-200
  • ATR72
  • B737-700
  • B777
  • Embraer 190
  • Fokker 100
  • A330
  • A380
  • B787
  • B747-400
  • B737-800
  • B717
Virgin Australia
Which frequent flyer programs is it with?Velocity Frequent FlyerQantas Frequent FlyerVirgin Australia
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.Virgin Australia
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.Qantas
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
Is there online chat?Contact is available by phone and email.Contact is available by email and phone.Both
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
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
What are my payment options?
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Diners Club
  • American Express
  • Travel Bank
  • POLi
  • PayPal
  • Credit Voucher
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Diners Club
  • American Express
  • JCB
  • UATP
  • Qantas Cash
  • Qantas Points
  • POLi
  • BPAY
  • Credit Voucher
Qantas
Can I book round the world fares?YesYesBoth
Can I book multi-city fares?YesYesVirgin Australia
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

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:

Virgin Australia Syd-LA

Qantas:

Qantas Sydney-LA

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.

Which airline offers better deals, Virgin Australia or Qantas?

While both airlines offer sales, Virgin Australia has them more regularly.

Every Thursday, the airline offers a "Happy Hour" sale with discounted fares in the afternoon and evening. On top of that, the airline has frequent sales on domestic flights and to the South Pacific.

Qantas, too, offers sales for both domestic and international fares, but they aren't as frequent.

Fares tend to be lower in Virgin Australia sales than Qantas sales, often dipping as low as $79-$89 for domestic fares where Qantas rarely drops below $99 for flights within Australia.

Latest deals with Qantas and Virgin Australia

Virgin AustraliaVirgin Australia

Australia-wide flights from $89 each way

Available on flights from January - September 2021 to Gold Coast, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Townsville, Darwin and more. Sample fare is Sydney-Ballina. T&Cs apply.

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KayakKayak

Australia-wide flights from $89 return

Available on select flights until May 2021. Destinations include Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Perth, Broome and more. Sample fare is Sydney-Melbourne with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $146 and more. T&Cs apply.

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Virgin AustraliaVirgin Australia

Guaranteed flexibility of flights

Change fees and cancellation fees waived on flights until 30 June 2021. Destinations include Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin, Broome, Cairns and more. T&Cs apply.

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Deal ends

KayakKayak

Australia-wide flights from $139 with Qantas

Available on select travel dates in 2021 to Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Coffs Harbour and more. Sample fares is and Melbourne-Launceston. T&Cs apply.

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Deal ends

KayakKayak

Melbourne flights from $89 return

Available on select dates until June 2021. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $146 and more. T&Cs apply.

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Deal ends

KayakKayak

Brisbane flights from $69 each way

Available on select dates until June 2021. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $143. T&Cs apply.

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Deal ends

KayakKayak

Sydney flights from $50 each way

Available on select dates until May 2021. Sample fare departs from Ballina with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia with $87 and more. T&Cs apply.

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KayakKayak

Hobart flights from $96 return

Available on select flights until April 2021. Sample fare departs from Melbourne with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $218 and more. T&Cs apply.

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KayakKayak

Broome flights from $304 return

Available on select dates until June 2021. Sample fare is Darwin-Broome with Airnorth. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $369 and more. T&Cs apply.

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KayakKayak

Ballina flights from $110 return

Available on flights until June 2021. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $216 and more. T&Cs apply.

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KayakKayak

Gold Coast flights from $51 each way

Available on select dates until May 2021. Sample fare departs from Newcastle with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $109 and more. T&Cs apply.

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KayakKayak

Cairns flights from $80 each way

Available on select dates until May 2021. Sample fare departs from Brisbane with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $140 and Qantas from $149. T&Cs apply.

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Deal ends

Cheap FlightsCheap Flights

Cairns flights from $173 return

Available on select travel dates in 2021. Sample fare departs from Brisbane with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $259 and more.

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Deal ends

Cheap FlightsCheap Flights

Sydney flights from $109 return

Available on select travel dates until August 2021. Sample fare departs from Melbourne with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $139 and more. T&Cs apply.

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Deal ends

Cheap FlightsCheap Flights

Hamilton Island flights from $286 return

Available on select travel dates in 2021 departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and more. Sample fare departs from Brisbane with Virgin Australia.

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Cheap FlightsCheap Flights

Flights to Townsville from $185 return

Available on select flights in 2021. Sample fare departs from Brisbane with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $364 and more. T&Cs apply.

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Cheap FlightsCheap Flights

Flights to Perth from $315 return

Available on select flight dates in 2021. Sample fare departs from Adelaide with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $543 and more. T&Cs apply.

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Cheap FlightsCheap Flights

Canberra flights from $227 return

Available on select flights until August 2021. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Virgin Australia. Other airlines include Qantas Airways from $383 and more. T&Cs apply.

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Deal ends

Virgin AustraliaVirgin Australia

Extra 5% international flights with code

Available for travel on select dates in 2021. Destinations include Australia, Asia, Europe and more. 20-day advance purchase period applies. Discount does not apply to Go, Go Plus and Sale fares. T&Cs apply.

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Virgin AustraliaVirgin Australia

Extra 15% off business flights with code

Available for travel on select dates in 2021 across Australia, New Zealand, London, Japan and more. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and more. Discount only applies to business class fares. T&Cs apply.

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Virgin AustraliaVirgin Australia

10% off early booking flights with code

Available for travel on select dates in 2021. Must book 20 days in advance. Discount applies to Getaway, Elevate, Freedom, Business Saver and Business fares. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne and more. T&Cs apply.

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Trip.comTrip.com

Queensland flights from $76 each way

Available on select flight dates from January - March 2021 to Brisbane, Cairns, Hamilton Isaland, Gold Coast and more. Sample fare is Sydney-Sunshine Coast with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $113, Qantas from $123 and more. T&Cs apply.

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Lastminute.com.auLastminute.com.au

Cairns flights from $91 each way

Available on select flights in 2021. Sample fare departs from Brisbane with Jetstar. Other airlines include Qantas from $159, Virgin Australia from $199 and more. T&Cs apply.

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Deal ends

Lastminute.com.auLastminute.com.au

Adelaide flights from $55 each way

Available on select dates in 2021. Sample fare departs from Melbourne with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $119 and more. T&Cs apply

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Expedia.com.auExpedia.com.au

Coffs Harbour flights from $79 each way

Available on select dates in 2021. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Virgin Australia. Other airlines include Qantas from $149. T&Cs apply

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Expedia.com.auExpedia.com.au

Canberra flights from $125 each way

Available on select dates in 2021. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Virgin Australia. Other airlines include Qantas from $193. T&Cs apply

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Expedia.com.auExpedia.com.au

Gold Coast flights from $62 each way

Available on select dates in 2021. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $79 and more. T&Cs apply

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Deal ends

Expedia.com.auExpedia.com.au

Sunshine Coast flights from $80 each way

Available on select dates in 2021. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $99. T&Cs apply

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Expedia.com.auExpedia.com.au

Perth flights from $176 each way

Available on select dates in 2021. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $179 and more. T&Cs apply

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Virgin AustraliaVirgin Australia

Western Australia flights from $199 each way

Available on select dates until November 2021 Perth, Broome and Kununurra. Plus get flexible dates on flights until 31 January 2021. T&Cs apply.

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SkyscannerSkyscanner

Greece flights from $1,247 return

Available on select travel dates to Santorini, Thessaloniki, Crete and more. Sample fare is Perth-Athens with Malindo Air and Turkish Airlines. Other Airlines include British Airways from $1,583, Qantas from $1,633 and more. T&Cs apply.

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