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A Qantas Airways Boeing 737 aircraft travels down the runway as it passes a Virgin Australia Boeing 737 aircraft at Sydney International Airport in Sydney on August 18, 2025. An Australian court fined Qantas Aus$90 million (US$59 million) on August 18 for illegally laying off 1,800 ground staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Qantas vs Virgin: Which has the best value loyalty points?

The value per point of Qantas’ Frequent Flyer program compared with Virgin Australia’s Velocity isn’t what it used to be following the flying kangaroo’s first devaluation since 2019.

Outback Wrangler Matt Wright has been found guilty of allegations he conspired to cover up details of the helicopter crash that killed Chris Wilson. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Wright sentenced to jail over crash cover-up

Outback Wrangler television co-star Matt Wright has been given five months behind bars for obstructing the investigation into a helicopter crash that killed his friend and co-star.

Robyn Ironside and Liam Mendes

CEO Survey 2026Leadership

Dave Emerson, chief executive officer of Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd., at the company's office in Sydney, Australia, on Monday, June 23, 2025. Emerson brushed away concerns the Middle East conflict will disrupt demand for travel as the airline returned to the stock exchange in Sydney in a A$685 million ($440 million) initial public offering. Photographer: Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg

‘A collective responsibility’: Virgin CEO’s cost warning

Virgin boss Dave Emerson warns airport charges continue to rise faster than inflation across the industry, pushing up costs for all travellers.

Dave Emerson

CEO Survey 2026Leadership

MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos FEBRUARY 27, 2025: Vanessa Hudson the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qantas Airways gives a press conference in Melbourne Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

New fleet will drive productivity: Qantas CEO

Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson says the airline needs to drive its transformation to keep ahead of cost pressures.

Vanessa Hudson

AviationAviation

A skydiving camera operator has had a lucky escape after his parachute deployed before jumping out of a plane at Tully, Far North Queensland. Photo: Supplied.

Sky-high drama as diver snags on plane and dangles at 15,000ft

Dramatic video of the moment a skydiver’s parachute snagged on the aircraft’s wing has been released as part of an air safety investigation. WATCH

ExplainerAviation

The skyline of Lower Manhattan, New York City, shot via helicopter from an altitude of about 1100 feet over New York Harbor. Photo - iStock Why I travel Escape 14 Decmeber 2025

Going to the US? Get ready to share DNA

The simple ESTA application could become an ordeal as the US proposes demanding extra family details, biometric data and social media history from Australian visitors. Here are the key changes.

AviationAviation

Canva for A380 wing damage

Qantas superjumbo grounded for repairs after mid-flight wing drama

The celebrated return of Qantas’s final A380 has turned into a maintenance nightmare after a wing component failed during its comeback flight, which safely landed in Los Angeles.

AviationAviation

A Qantas Airways Airbus A380 plane sits on the runway as a Virgin Australia Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane prepares to take off at Sydney International Airport on April 3, 2025. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

‘Uphill battle’: Qantas boss on job cuts and rivals

Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace has blamed rising costs for expected job losses, despite a new report showing the airline industry’s record profits and high airfares.

OVERCHARGING SCANDALAviation

CTM CEO Jamie Pherous w revolving door

TechOne gives its ex-Corporate Travel CFO a glowing review

TechnologyOne has backed finance boss Cale Bennett after shareholders raised concerns about his previous role at Corporate Travel Management.

AviationAviation

Qantas has provided a sneak preview of its new look Auckland International Airport lounge opening on December 17, ahead of busy Christmas travel season. Picture: Supplied

Inside Qantas’s new lounge that took 15 redesigns to perfect

Qantas has unveiled its new Auckland lounge after designer David Caon changed the floor plan 15 times, with luxury features like shower suites and more space.

AviationAviation

BAC Jetstar new Cebu Flight - 3rd December 2025 Steph Tully, chief executive Jetstar Photo: J&A Photography // Josh Woning

Jetstar CEO plots global push with long-haul routes

The mother-of-two CEO who commutes by jumping on Jetstar planes has delivered a 55 per cent earnings surge that puts premium airlines to shame.

AviationAviation

Los Angeles, USA - November 3, 2011: A Qantas Airbus A380 at LAX.

‘No small feat’: Qantas’s final A380 returns home

Qantas has completed the largest maintenance project in its 105-year history as its final A380 superjumbo returns after nearly six years in storage.

AviationAviation

Vanessa Hudson chief executive of Qantas

Qantas restructures as Hudson shakes up top tier

Pre-Christmas job cuts loom at Qantas after the airline downsized its leadership team in a major restructure targeting customer service improvements.

ExclusiveAviation

Tourism Australia's Come & Say G'day campaign has rolled out globally with bespoke campaigns for five key markets: UK, US, India, China and Japan.

Dancing with delight: Irwin tourism campaign hits the mark

Robert Irwin has achieved what seasoned marketers could only dream of, turning a $130m gamble by Tourism Australia into a viral sensation with 374 million views.

AviationAviation

Smartgates at Sydney Airport have been revealed as the faultiest in the country, resulting in huge queues for arrivals. Picture: X (formerly Twitter)

Millions of dollars in new airport tech gathers dust as queues grow

Australia’s biggest airport says it cannot use millions of dollars worth of smart-kiosk technology to speed up border processing, even though passengers are having to navigate long queues.

CompaniesCompanies

Corporate Travel Management managing director Jamie Pherous for a spread on big winners on the Rich List over the past decade.Pic Annette Dew

CTM bows to Australia’s audit demands following UK scandal

Corporate Travel Management has agreed to an independent audit after the Australian government demanded proof it hasn’t been ripping off local clients following its $162m UK scandal.

Robyn Ironside and Joseph Carbone

AviationAviation

A Jetstar Airlines Boeing 787-8 plane and a Qantas Airways Boeing 737-800 plane line up with other aircraft on the runway at Sydney International Airport on a windy day in Sydney on June 25, 2025. According to local media, Airservices Australia has ordered Sydney Airport to shut two of its three runways, leading to a number of flight delays and cancellations due to high winds. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Qantas drops 100,000 reward seats in surprise move

Qantas frequent flyers can now book premium Paris seats and dedicated Bali flights using points, in an unprecedented early release usually reserved for January.

AviationAviation

3/1/23: Former Qantas captain Kevin Sullivan pilot who saved 300 passengers after catastrophic automation failures aboard an Airbus A330 talking about a plan by international aviation regulators to allow a single pilot instead of two on commercial flights is meeting growing resistance from Australian pilots and industry leaders who fear the move will result in catastrophic air accidents. John Feder/The Australian.

Hero pilot sceptical of Airbus software fix

The hero pilot of QF72’s 2008 near-disaster has challenged Airbus over its explanation for a software glitch that grounded thousands of planes.

AviationAviation

Brisbane Airport new runway. Aerial images taken on 23.4.20

Airport noise trial takes flight over city as neighbours revolt

A controversial new trial at Brisbane Airport could slash noise complaints by steering night flights over Moreton Bay, but pilots are sceptical about the safety implications.

AviationAviation

17/10/2025 ADELAIDE AIRPORT SA. Adele Eliseo gave up a career as a data analyst to focus on her hobby of navigating airline loyalty programs, which has now turned into a successful business. Picture Matt Turner.

Status credits v points: what you need to know to ace the loyalty game

Travel experts are split over whether status credits or points deliver better value, with the choice potentially transforming the flying experience. The status chase locks the options down to one particular airline, while points suit infrequent fliers.

AviationAviation

Jetstar Airbus A320 planes grounded at Sydney Airport after issues affecting operators domestically and globally, are said to be the problem. Jane Dempster/The Daily Telegraph.

Jetstar ends A320 software fix after 90 flights canned

Jetstar has completed software updates on its A320 Airbus fleet after international solar radiation concerns grounded 90 flights.

AviationAviation

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos NOVEMBER 29, 2025: Passengers queue at Terminal 4 at Melbourne Airport after a worldwide software problem with Airbus A320 aircraft caused flight cancellations. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Jetstar flights axed as Airbus radiation bug hits aircraft

Airline passengers have been left stranded at airports after aerospace manufacturer Airbus flagged a software glitch overnight affecting more than half its global fleet of A320 planes.

Robyn Ironside and Marcus de Blonk Smith

Trading haltAviation

Chief executive Jamie Pherous addressing the meetingAnnual general meeting of Corporate Travel Management, the $3 billion travel firm under fire for allegedly inflating profit and having

‘Never believed a word’: crisis deepens at Corporate Travel

Corporate Travel Management has stood down its UK boss on full pay, after auditors discovered the company overcharged clients by up to $162m.

Robyn Ironside and Chris Herde

AviationAviation

Australian pilots raising concerns about security inconsistencies

‘Am I a captain or a prisoner?’: Pilots hit out at airport security

Pilots say they face daily ‘knuckle rubs’ and crotch searches because high tech body scanners are triggered by uniforms, while passengers board flights with cap guns and large branches.

Book launchAviation

Sydney Seaplanes book launch on Wednesday 26th November, 2025, attended by former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, who wrote the introduction. Picture: Henry Pham

Everything we know about Alan Joyce’s memoir, in his own words

Alan Joyce promises a story of ‘grit, conviction and the price of taking a stand’ in his impending memoir to be released three years after his reputation was trashed on his exit from Qantas.

AviationAviation

A Qantas Airways Boeing 737 aircraft travels down the runway as it passes a Virgin Australia Boeing 737 aircraft at Sydney International Airport in Sydney on August 18, 2025. An Australian court fined Qantas Aus$90 million (US$59 million) on August 18 for illegally laying off 1,800 ground staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

‘Lock in savings’: Airlines launch massive travel sale

Major airlines have slashed fares for 2026 travel in Black Friday sales, marking the return of early bird discounts axed during the pandemic.

AviationAviation

A Qantas Airways Airbus A380 plane sits on the runway as a Virgin Australia Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane prepares to take off at Sydney International Airport on April 3, 2025. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Airlines pull the plug on back-up power for portable devices on flights

Australia’s largest airlines are banning in-flight power bank use after two dangerous incidents, including a mid-air fire that forced emergency action by crew and passengers.

AviationAviation

Melbourne, Australia - September 25, 2011: Virgin Australia Airlines Boeing 737-8FE VH-YFF on approach to land at Melbourne International Airport. Picture: iStock

Life jackets deployed by mistake on Virgin flight in mid-air drama

A number of Virgin Australia passengers have been offered trauma counselling after cabin crew mistakenly told them to prepare for a water landing during a flight to Fiji.

AviationAviation

A Jetstar Airlines Boeing 787-8 plane and a Qantas Airways Boeing 737-800 plane line up with other aircraft on the runway at Sydney International Airport on a windy day in Sydney on June 25, 2025. According to local media, Airservices Australia has ordered Sydney Airport to shut two of its three runways, leading to a number of flight delays and cancellations due to high winds. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Fly Jetstar, get Qantas status but here’s the catch

Qantas has unveiled an exclusive new points-earning scheme that allows budget travellers to collect premium rewards on Jetstar’s cheapest seats. With just one catch.

AviationAviation

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 31: Travelers walk with their luggage in the international terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on August 31, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Labor Day weekend will cap off the busiest summer of airline travel on record in the U.S. with over 14 million passengers predicted to board flights, which will top pre-pandemic travel numbers. According to the FAA, today will be the busiest day of the holiday weekend with 52,203 flights scheduled in U.S. airspace. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Airlines resist expansion of passenger rights

While Australia debates basic passenger protections, Europe is locked in a fierce battle with airlines over free cabin bags and strict compensation for delays.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation