Virgin Australia

✅ Trip Verified | Sydney to Hobart. What a fantastic flight! Sparkling wine offered upon boarding, with a refill. Excellent food, free flowing drinks and the best cabin crew I've encountered for a very long time. Service was attentive without being obtrusive, warm and friendly. Left and arrived on time, plane spotless and the food was great.

✅ Trip Verified | Adelaide to Brisbane. We had a flight book for 10 people through flight center but virgin charge 3 different prices so we end up with 3 different bookings. At the check in counter in Adelaide airport we were told that we all have to checkin at seperate counter so we check in one booking at the time and let other people pass on to available counter. We just want to check in with the same person so we can all seat near each others. Certainly upset the staff at the counter and the whole service after that was a rough one. Our combined bags were way under, we even have one checkin bags weight 3 kg for 23 kg allowance. Only one bag 26 kg and to get it in we need to pay $70 extra. We have to throw stuff out at the airport and see the people at the x-ray gate collecting it.

✅ Trip Verified | Flew Virgin Australia from Canberra to Sydney. Arrived at airport 15 mins before check-in closed. 5.15am. Kiosks had already closed so had to go to the counter. I had no luggage. Business trip. While waiting another passenger pushed in and was served. When I got to the counter I was told they had over booked. Last ticket was given to the queue jumper! I had to catch the next flight an hour later - 7am. No apology. Made to wait, hungry and cold in departure lounge for over an hour. Missed my first meeting in Sydney. Have travelled for 20 years and never had such poor service. I will never fly Virgin again. Disgusting customer service and no accountability. Lucky to given them even one star.

✅ Trip Verified | I am extremely disappointed in Virgin Australia. The check in service was extremely disappointing and the main issue of this complaint and cause of why I am unlikely to fly Virgin Australia in the future and do not recommend Virgin Australia. When checking in, I was asked about the contents of my luggage. I disclosed that I was taking some frozen food (meat and fish) from MEL to HKG which I regularly have been for years on other airlines. The food was vacuum sealed, frozen and packed into a freezer satchel. I fly between HKG and MEL usually twice per month or more and have had no issue with doing so. I was told that the check in representative needed to check about my baggage which was a surprise. After some time, I was told that I could not take the frozen goods to HKG. I had driven to the airport and park in the Long Term car park so there was not someone at the airport with me whom would be able to take them back for me. It was suggested that I leave it in my car (for 10 days while I travelled). The expensive contents (costing a significant portion of the flight cost) would perish in that time. There was little concern for my goods nor my situation. I was offered to be removed from the flight and travel the next day, which was not an option as I need to be in HKG that evening for an event. I had chosen the VA87 flight as the arrival time suited me and enable me to attend the event. Second, I was upset about the situation and then was further annoyed when I was told that I should have read all of the terms of carriage. I have since checked the information provided on baggage and have not found information readily available relating to not being able to check in frozen goods to take from MEL to HKG. There is one section under the "Conditions of Carriage" page that I had to dig to find that referred to seafood, however this was in references to the "Limitation of Liability" of Virgin (refer clause 19.5(a)(iv)). This does not relate to preventing or prohibiting the checking in of frozen goods. I think that it was unreasonable for my baggage to be refused. Third, then separately, when waiting at the gate to board, an announcement was made (well after the scheduled boarding time) that the boarding time (originally 10:15 am) and departure time (originally 11:00 am) would be delayed. The passengers were loaded onto the plane and then while on the plane, further delays were announced leading to the passengers being requested to disembark after 12:00 noon. We were told that the delays were due to engineering requirements, however we were later advised the original delay was due to the delay of the income plane. The further delays were due to engineering attending to something on the plane. The staff on the plane were very good about managing the passengers and the delay. We eventually arrived into very late HKG to which I missed the event I needed to attend. Post flight, the Virgin Australia Customer Service, an automated impersonal email based mechanism has been atrocious. Do not fly Virgin Australia overseas.

✅ Trip Verified | Sydney to Ayers Rock. The crew was friendly and helpful. Pleasing was the spending of a small snack and drinks were served several times and in sufficient quantity. Unfortunately, the ground staff cannot keep this standard. My frequent flyer number was not accepted into my booking, though. The flight was still about 1 hour late

✅ Trip Verified | Sydney to Apia. The crew was friendly and helpful. The aircraft made a newer impression. We had booked an emergency exit as a seat (13C) and the seat pitch was very pleasant. Unfortunately, the backrest can not be adjusted in this row of seats. It would have been possible in row 14. There was only drinks and no snacks on this night flight. Also, the air conditioning was set too cool and blankets were not available.

✅ Trip Verified | Auckland to Sydney. The aircraft had a technical problem on the way to Auckland 5 days ago, causing a delay of over 4 hours. We handed up arriving after 5 pm and not being able to collect the Campervans we had prepaid for. Today, from Auckland to Sydney, the flight was delayed by 45 minutes. But once on the plane, we experience technical issues once again. After our of wait, they made us offload the plane and going back to the gate. At the gate no one gave us instructions on what to expect next. After a couple of hours and lots of waiting around, we manage to find out which flight and gate we had to go to. We arrived in Sydney with several hours of delay, no apologies, no compensation not even a voucher for buying some food in the whole day we spent at the airport waiting around. They wasted 2 of the 6 days of our holidays, making it not worthwhile having the break. They should be held accountable and offer a compensation. On top of everything else, the aircraft was more similar to a bus, with no room for legs or arms. Very uncomfortable.

✅ Trip Verified | Adelaide to Perth via Sydney, starting with VA401, the scheduled 6am service to Sydney. Flight was on one of the more modern Boeing 737-800's of the fleet. A snack and beverages were provided on this flight, and overall, it was a good flight. The next leg, VA555 to PER was exceptional in every way! The A330 is certainly the only way to do a transcontinental flight, with unsurpassed comfort in economy and seatback entertainment screens. A full hot meal was served on this flight, and the flight attendants were all fantastic. The following evening, it was VA696 from Perth to Melbourne, the scheduled 22:35 service. To my surprise, the crew (once again warm, friendly and attentive) served us a hot supper before dimming the lights, ahead of a 5am landing in Melbourne. Finally, VA444 on November 28, the scheduled 20:15 service from Sydney to Adelaide. Once again, the crew were flawless on this flight, and a light snack was served along with drinks. Overall, Virgin Australia is certainly becoming a fierce competitor to Qantas, and they clearly mean business when it comes to service!

✅ Trip Verified | Sydney to Auckland. The surprise we had at th airport just wrecked our day. I purchased the flight several week in advance directly on Virgin website. Closer to the flight I was emailed the itinerary and I realised the flight was going to be provided by Air New Zealand rather than Virgin. I no problem with that, but when I tried to proceed with online check in I wasn’t able to complete it because I had a Virgin booking number and not a AirNZ one. This meant not being able to check luggage allowance and seats. At the airport we were surprisingly charged with $140 luggage excess for trying and check in 10kg when Virgin allows 24 kg in international flights in economy class. Not having a chiuse we paid AirNZ and were redirected to Virgin to pre purchase a luggage for the return flight. Virgin refused to allow prepurchase forcing us to pay $140 excess on the way back. I would have never taken $10kg to check in for $280. I could have easily fit everything in the carry on like I usually do. After a massive argument Virgin went from ‘there nothing we can do’ to ‘we can charge you $25 for the luggage on the return flight’. It’s a shame it coasted me $140 + $25 and ruined the mood for the rest of the day. Very poor service. The e-ticket should have been clear and I should have been allowed to online check in. On top of it I couldn’t choose my seats upfront and even asking for a sole seat I got given a middle seat. I am claustrophobic and I almost felt like barring off the holiday and going back home and the pint. I’ll never fly Virgin again.

✅ Trip Verified | Flew Perth to Kalgoorlie with Virgin Australia. This airline is unbelievably terrible. I fly to work every week with Qantas and every now and again I get put on Virgin because it is cheaper. Its cheaper for a reason. Theres always something wrong (delayed, issue with the plane, not enough people booked so they just cancel at the last minute etc). The the last time they cancelled my 7am flight (to work) and rebooked it at 4pm. I wasn't told this until 9pm the night before. So I missed an entire day of work with no explanation or compensation - a day I would have to make up on my weekend. Their boarding pass to text is also useless. It takes 10 min to load and they dont give you a coupon at the gate so if you (or the flight attendant) accidentally closes the text while scanning you have to wait until everyone else has boarded and then get your ID out to be given a boarding pass! Never again.