The experience onboard your next Virgin Australia flight could feel a bit more roomy, with the airline announcing this week that on select domestic and international services, you can bid for ‘neighbor-free seating’. The initiative will allow economy guests to pay for extra comfort on their journey, by ensuring that there is no one seated next door.
Eligible economy class ticket holders will be able to submit a bid to reserve the seat next door, adding extra comfort and privacy for their next flight. This comes after the airline surveyed its Velocity Frequent Flyer members in 2023, wehere 42% of them expressed interest in paying a fee if it meant the seat next door was vacant on international flights over three hours.
Neighbour Free Seating
Based out of Brisbane, Australia, the airline operates a robust network of domestic flights across the Australian continent. It has additional short-haul international services to New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and several island nations in the South Pacific. Available now, passengers can bid to secure a vacant seat next to them, ensuring a more spacious economy experience. This is seen as a way to give passengers even more value and comfort when they want to fly.
The launch of the neighbour-free seating comes at a time when the airline continues to see strong growth at home. The airline is investing heavily in customer innovation, and not only has it launched neighbour-free seating, but also now includes pet-friendly flights, where passengers can bring their furry friends into the cabin (albeit caged). Libby Minogue, Chief Marketing Officer at Virgin Australia, explained:
“Our priority is to give Virgin Australia guests even more value and choice when they choose to fly with us. Neighbour-Free Seating is a clever add-on for Economy travellers who want the certainty of extra space without the price tag,”
How Does It Work
Passengers can bid for a neighbour’s free seat after booking their eligible economy class flight. This bid can be placed on the Virgin Australia app or website. Bids can start from as low as AU$30 ($19), and the bid will be considered and confirmed no later than two hours before the scheduled flight.
Frequent fliers part of the airlines Virgin Velocity programme, with tiers of Velocity Gold, Platinum, Platinum Plus, and Forever Gold, will have pre-selected their seats, do not need to bid for Neighbour free seating, and will not see any new neighbours appear next to them, due to others bidding as part of the initiative. Neighbour free eligible flights include:
|
From |
IATA Code |
To |
IATA Code |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Melbourne |
MEL |
Adelaide |
ADL |
|
Melbourne |
MEL |
Sydney |
SYD |
|
Brisbane |
BNE |
Sydney |
SYD |
|
Brisbane |
BNE |
Cairns |
CNS |
|
Melbourne |
MEL |
Perth |
PER |
|
Sydney |
SYD |
Perth |
PER |
|
Brisbane |
BNE |
Apia |
APW |
|
Melbourne |
MEL |
Bali |
DPS |
Passengers are entitled to bid for one seat per flight and per booking. And only bookings that include just one or two passengers are eligible. Passengers seated in Economy X, or Business Class, cannot bid for neighbour-free seating. It’s also worth noting that the entitlement is just for a spare seat next door, it does not result in additional baggage allowances or onboard meals.
More Options For Redeeming Velocity Frequent Flyer Points
According to the airline, its Velocity Frequent Flyer programme has more than 13 million members. Since last month, members can now redeem more points nationwide, as the Australian department store, Myer, now allows members to spend their points in-store. The department store, previously launched in 2022, can redeem points online.
Myer, which has 56 stores nationwide, has a wide range of products, including apparel, toys, beauty, electrical appliances, and home furniture. For members to redeem their miles, they just need to scan the QR code via the Velocity app when paying at the counter. Members can either use solely points or mix their points with cash through ‘Points + Pay’.
Further afield, Velocity Frequent Flyer members can redeem flights to more than 600 destinations around the globe, thanks to the carrier’s extensive list of partner airlines, which include Qatar Airways (which owns 25% in the Australian carrier), Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines.
