Virgin Australia is making one of the most annoying parts of booking flights a whole lot easier. To start, they’re rolling out a new all‑in‑one search tool that puts every pricing option in one place. So now, cash fares, Points + Pay, and Velocity Reward Seats all appear in a simple monthly calendar. No juggling tabs. No repeating the same search three different ways.
It’s the first tool of its kind in Australia, and it makes comparing options much faster. You can scan a month’s worth of prices, switch between cash and points, and spot the best value without any guesswork. Plus, it works across Virgin’s domestic and international network, so planning a trip feels a bit more effortless.
Instead of redesigning the whole booking system, the tool builds on the existing calendar. Basically, it simply adds reward availability beside regular fares. This means Velocity members can now see which days have reward seats without digging through long lists of flights.
Virgin is rolling this out gradually across its website and app, with everyone getting access by mid‑year. Once that happens, the calendar becomes a one‑stop shop for comparing options — no more multiple searches, just a clearer, more flexible way to book your next trip.
Virgin Australia General Manager, Digital, Alex Plummer, said the update marks a significant shift in how Australians search and book flights.
Today, customers are typically limited to searching one route at a time, which can make it difficult to compare options and find the best value
This changes that, where for the first time, customers can see every available way to book flights in a single calendar view, unlocking far greater choice across dates and fares.
It’s a step change in the booking experience, giving customers a simpler, more transparent way to find the flights that work best for them.
Final Words
Virgin is calling its new search tool an Australian‑first, and to be fair, the all‑in‑one approach does back that up. Still, the timing is interesting, landing just two weeks after Qantas unveiled its much more advanced Classic Reward Rewards Finder
In comparison, Virgin’s update feels more like a practical tweak than a major leap forward. On the other hand, while it may not be advanced as the Qantas tool, it is built directly into the booking flow. Once you spot a reward seat, you’re only a click or two away from locking it in.
Overall, it’s definitely a win for travellers. Having all payment options in one view makes the whole process quicker, clearer and far less fiddly.
