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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.

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Stephanie Yip
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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.Virgin Australia
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
  • B737-800
  • 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 5 Velocity Points per $1 spent on all eligible domestic fares, Trans-Tasman and International Short Haul flights.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 Early 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

Up to 50% off: Flights from $55 each way

Available on flights from April - September 2021. Destinations include Hobart, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Gold Coast, Cairns, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and more. Sample fare is Melbourne-Launceston. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

Cheap FlightsCheap Flights

New Zealand flights from $353 return

Available until December 2021 to Queenstown, Wellington, Christchurch and more with Jetstar, Air New Zealand and Qantas. Sample fare is Melbourne-Auckland. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

KayakKayak

Up to 50% off Australia flights

Available on Qantas flights from April - September 2021. Destinations include Sydney, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Launceston, Hobart, Cairns, Darwin, Broome, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

KayakKayak

Melbourne flights from $39 each way

Available on flights until June 20210 departing from Hobart, Gold Coast and more. Sample fare departs from Adelaide with Virgin Australia. Other airlines include Rex, Jetstar and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

Trip.comTrip.com

Domestic flights from $46 each way

Available on select flight until 30 September 2021 with Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Rex. Destinations include Gold Coast, Sydney, Darwin, Launceston, Broome, Sydney, Perth and more. Sample fare is Melbourne-Launceston. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

Trip.comTrip.com

Flights to New Zealand from $301 each way

Available on select travel dates to Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and more. Sample fare is Brisbane-Christchurch with Air New Zealand. Other airline includes Qantas Airways from $341. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

Cheap FlightsCheap Flights

Broome flights from $347 return

Available on flights until September 2021 with Virgin Australia. Sample fare departs from Perth. Other flights depart from Darwin, Adelaide, Sydney and more. T&Cs apply.

Last verified

Get deal

Deal ends

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