Virgin Australia is gearing up for one of its biggest holiday seasons yet, adding major capacity across its network as Aussies lock in Christmas and summer getaways.
With 19,000 flights and 3.2 million seats scheduled between 15 December and 26 January, the airline says demand continues to surge across both domestic and short-haul international routes.
According to the airline, travellers are leaning into classic summer favourites, with capacity boosts for Adelaide, Cairns, Gold Coast, Hobart, Sunshine Coast and Hamilton Island.
Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Queenstown are also drawing strong interest as families and friends head offshore for a warm-weather break.
Peak days
Virgin Australia expects its busiest days to fall on 19 December, the four days before Christmas, Boxing Day, 29 December and 2 January. New Year’s Eve hotspots include Cairns, Sydney, Queenstown, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Brisbane.
International connections also get a lift, with Qatar Airways continuing daily Boeing 777 services from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth to Doha. These flights link travellers to more than 170 onward destinations and provide around 10,000 seats each week.
The airline has also invested in operational resilience ahead of the rush. Virgin Australia has trained 185 new airport team members, expanded its Guest Ambassador Program and rolled out upgraded check-in, bag-drop and queue-reduction technology. New screening lanes in Sydney and Brisbane will also be ready for peak travel.
And in true festive fashion, the season extends to pets, with more than 40 per cent of Pets in Cabin bookings landing across Christmas and New Year.
Onboard and lounge menus will also feature holiday dishes, including roast turkey with cranberry sauce for Business Class and lounge guests on 25–26 December.
For travellers, the airline recommends checking the Virgin Australia app, using Journey Tracker, arriving early and keeping carry-on luggage within limits to help summer departures run smoothly.
“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,” Virgin Australia Chief Operations Officer Chris 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.”
This week, Virgin Australia’s first Melbourne-Doha flights took off for the first time. The airline’s highly anticipated, long-haul service between Victoria and Qatar gives Australian travellers a new way to fly to the Middle East and beyond.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Virgin Australia is going big this Christmas with extra seats, upgraded tech and more hands on deck. The network boosts align with strong demand for both domestic hotspots and island escapes, while the Qatar Airways partnership shores up long-haul options. For agents, it’s a clear signal that summer is set to be huge – and travellers should prepare early to avoid bottlenecks.
