Virgin Australia flights: The little-known travel hack to skip airport queues for as little as $35
With tens of thousands of Australians expected to pass through airports across the country over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, some nifty travellers have found a way to skip the queues and delays.
The nation’s two largest airports in Melbourne and Sydney urged travellers on Thursday to arrive two hours before domestic flights, and three hours before international flights to allow plenty of time for check-in and to clear security.
Melbourne Airport was set to have its busiest day since the COVID-19 pandemic hit on Friday, with more than 95,000 passengers expected to travel. Another 80,000 were expected to pass through Sydney.
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And all those travellers have to head back home eventually.
Some travellers have now revealed how they skip the Virgin Australia queue for as little as $35 and it can be done at a kiosk in the airport terminal.
Virgin Australia’s Economy X service includes up to 40 per cent extra legroom, priority screening through airport security, priority boarding where available, and most importantly – priority check-in.
The service is available on all domestic and international flights and can start from as little as $35.
Prices can vary depending on the flight route, for example – Economy X on Sydney to Ballina (Byron Bay) starts from $35 while Perth to Brisbane starts at $75.
The upgrade can be selected during the booking process online or over the phone, it can be added after the booking has been completed or as a last resort, during check-in either online or at the airport via the check-in counters or kiosks, subject to availability.
In a statement to 7NEWS.com.au, a Virgin Australia spokesperson said the demand for the airline’s Business Class travel in 2022 has doubled pre-COVID 2019 levels.
The demand for Economy X or Premium Economy Class has also increased by 60 per cent compared to pre-COVID 2019 levels.
The top corporate routes for Economy X this year have been Melbourne to Perth, Sydney to Perth and Sydney to Melbourne.
The industry says staff shortages exacerbated by isolation rules had led to chaos at airports in the lead-up to Easter.
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