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Virgin Australia (IATA code: VA) is an airline established in 2000 as a subsidiary of Virgin Australia Holdings, and was formerly known as Virgin Blue Airlines. Virgin Australia has been recognized as the second largest airline in Australia because of its low-cost and high-quality service. With a headquarter in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland, Virgin Australia operates its flight service from five hubs, which are Brisbane Airport, Melbourne Airport, Sydney Airport, Auckland Airport, and Christchurch Airport. Carrying the slogan “Now You’re Flying”, Virgin Australia has achieved many regional and international awards. Since the airline was named the Best Low-cost Airline in the Asia/Pacific Region by Skytrax in 2002, Virgin Australia has been voted as the best airline in a number of different categories and by a number of different organizations. The airline and its employees won five Service Excellence Awards in 2009, given by the Customer Service Institute of Australia. Meanwhile, the airline’s frequent flyer program, Velocity Frequent Flyer, won five awards at the 2009 Freddie Awards, the most prestigious award in the travel industry. These awards were Best Frequent Flyer Program, Best Award Redemption, Best Affinity Credit Card, Best Member Communications, and Best Website. In 2015, Virgin Australia became Australia’s most attractive employer according to a survey conducted by Randstad. In its day to day operations, Virgin Australia offers flights in three classes, ranging from Economy Class, Premium Economy Class, to Business Class. All seats are equipped with wireless in-flight entertainment to make the journey become more enjoyable for passengers. In addition, passengers traveling on a long-haul flight can also utilize the power outlet and USB port available on their seats. All passengers are entitled to a cabin baggage with a maximum weight of 7 kg. Meanwhile, passengers traveling on a long-haul flight also get an addition of two pieces of checked baggage, weighing no more than 23 kg each (Economy Class), or 32 kg each (Premium Economy and Business Class). Passengers traveling on a domestic flight are required to check-in at the airport counter at least 30 minutes before departure. Meanwhile, international flight passengers are required to check-in at least 60 minutes before departure. As an alternative, passengers can also check-in using the kiosk facility at the airport by submitting their airline booking code (PNR code), printing the boarding pass, and bag tag. Online check-in service is also available via Virgin Australia’s official website. Online check-in for domestic flights is available from 48 hours to 45 minutes before departure, or from 24 hours to 90 minutes before departure for international flights. To reward its most valuable passengers, Virgin Australia also offers a loyalty program called Velocity Frequent Flyer. Every Virgin Australia passenger is eligible to be a member, simply by signing up online through the airline’s official website. The program is divided into three membership tiers, which are Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Members can earn points by traveling with Virgin Australia or other partner airlines. In addition, points will also be rewarded when members book an accommodation on the airline’s partner hotels or use credit cards partnering with Virgin Australia. Accumulated points can then be redeemed for a free holiday package, accommodation, merchandise, and other exciting rewards.

Virgin Australia started its operations soon after it was established in August 2000. The first flight service was operated on 13 August 2000, flying from Brisbane to Sydney. At the time, Virgin Australia only had 200 crew and two aircraft, operating one flight route for seven times each day. In 2001, an Australian airline named Ansett Australia collapsed, allowing Virgin Australia to grow rapidly in the aviation industry and became one of the top domestic carriers in Australia. It only took one year for Virgin Australia to reach one million passengers. In the same year, 14 new routes were launched. This network expansion continued in 2002, when Virgin Australia introduced another nine new routes. The expansion pushed Virgin Australia to add new aircraft to its fleet. Virgin Australia finally decided to phase out its older Boeing 737-400s with newer Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 series aircraft. These aircraft feature modern glass cockpits, winglets, and greater fuel efficiency. In 2004, Virgin Australia launched a sister airline called Pacific Blue to offer a low-cost service between New Zealand and Australia. With a headquarter in New Zealand, Pacific Blue aimed to position itself as a low-cost carrier to compete with Air New Zealand and Qantas. One year later, Pacific Blue also began to operate services on behalf of the Polynesian Blue, a joint-venture with the government of Samoa. The first Polynesian Blue flight commenced on 30 October 2005, flying from Auckland to Apia. Pacific Blue has since been rebranded under the Virgin Australia name and livery. Still in 2005, Virgin Australia operated its 50th aircraft, launched a loyalty program named Velocity Rewards, as well as becoming the first Australian airline to offer an online check-in service. In 2007, it was announced that Virgin Australia was planning to launch a long-haul international airline called V Australia. It planned to operate up to seven flights a week to the United States through either Los Angeles International Airport or San Francisco International Airport. At the time, Qantas and United Airlines were the only airlines that competed in the Australia–US transpacific market. V Australia finally launched flights between Sydney and Los Angeles in 2009, followed by flights from Melbourne and Brisbane, after obtaining permission from the Australian International Service Commission. In 2010, Skytrax, a British company that regularly conducts a survey for the airline industry, named Virgin Australia as the Best Low-cost Airline in Asia-Pacific. In the same year, Virgin Australia also teamed up with Etihad Airways to open new flight route from Sydney to Abu Dhabi. In 2012, the airline decided to build an airport lounge, as well as launched a Business Class service. Meanwhile, the Premium Economy Class was introduced in 2014. Today, Virgin Australia offers three different types of flight classes in its fleet, which consists of 115 aircraft. As of July 2017, the airline serves flights to 52 destinations that include 33 domestic destinations in Australia and 19 international destinations across 14 countries.