Virgin Australia sale offers $69 domestic airfares, flexible bookings

Following a turbulent year on the travel front, Virgin Australia is hoping to lure back flyers in 2021 with 300,000 discounted fares.

Following a turbulent year on the travel front, Virgin Australia is hoping to lure back flyers in 2021 with a string of discounted fares and free booking flexibility.

With ongoing border closures and restrictions around interstate travel over the Christmas period and into the New Year, the airline hopes that by slashing fares and extending flexible changes to tickets will still entice cautious travellers to still book an Aussie holiday.

From 4pm Thursday through until midnight (yes, just eight hours), the airline will release 300,000 tickets with some starting from as low as $69.

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Some of the best sale prices start from just $69. Picture: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images.

Some of the best deals include:

Sydney to Byron Bay/Byron Bay to Sydney from $69 one-way

Melbourne to Launceston/Launceston to Melbourne from $75 one-way

Melbourne to Newcastle/Newcastle to Melbourne from $79 one-way

Melbourne to Adelaide/Adelaide to Melbourne from $90 one-way

Melbourne to Hobart/Hobart to Melbourne from $95 one-way

Brisbane to Melbourne/Melbourne to Brisbane from $129 one-way

Melbourne to Cairns/Cairns to Melbourne from $159 one-way

Perth to Darwin/Darwin to Perth from $189 one-way

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Ongoing border closures put travel plans over the Christmas period into disarray. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Along with the cheap fares, passengers will be allowed to make unlimited date changes to their bookings, without incurring any change fees, for bookings made by 31 March 2021, for travel until 30 June 2021.

“With a vaccine on the way, coupled with the fantastic way Australians have managed the pandemic, we’re optimistic that border restrictions will be lifted in the not-too-distant future,” a spokesman for the airline said.

“Our extended flexibility will help to give travellers the confidence they need to make a booking and plan that long-awaited holiday or family reunion, knowing that the booking is protected.”

After going into voluntary administration in April 2020, Virgin Australia was taken over by US private equity firm Bain Capital. Picture: Joel Carrett/NCA NewsWire

The coronavirus pandemic has caused havoc for the aviation industry – including Australia’s domestic market. As a result, Virgin Australia went into administration in April last year with close to $7 billion owed to creditors. They were taken over by US private equity firm Bain Capital in September.

All eyes are now on local tourism to boost the economy, however with the recent outbreak in NSW over the Christmas period many jurisdictions have reintroduced border restrictions with parts of NSW.