Virgin Australia
Verified2,921 reviews
AI reviews summary
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Overall sentiment toward Virgin Australia is mixed, featuring a clear divide between positive individual staff interactions and widespread frustration regarding operational reliability. While certain cabin crew and ground personnel receive high praise for exceptional service, a significant portion of feedback highlights ongoing issues with flight delays, cancellations, and customer support. Travelers frequently express dissatisfaction with rigid policies surrounding bookings and compensation during disruptions.
I am a frequent flyer and have flown 6 times with virgin since the end of the pandemic, each time swearing to never fly with them again. Only 1 of those 6 flights have gone without an extensive drama. 4 flights were late or cancelled due to technical problems which is a load of nonsense and they should be forced to compensate travellers (one… Read more
was a 4 hour delay) - maintain your damn planes rather than strip out cost everywhere to pretend you have a lower cost base than you actually do (in prep for another IPO where you gouge investors).
2 of the 5 flights they also sold my seat despite turning up to the airport 1.25hrs before the flight and put me through multiple
They also have terrible online check in that doesn’t always work and the baggage check in seems to have long queues and breaks.
And finally, on today’s flight my wife didn’t realise she hadn’t ticked a box to say baggage in the hold and so they charged us $240 one way for two bags for a two hour flight. It’s a scandal but we had no choice once the tickets were booked. honestly we would be much better off financially if we just went with Qantas.
They would have got zero stars from me if I could have made them zero. I don’t blame the staff, I wholly blame management and the owners. You are a joke, gouging customers so that you can eventually gouge investors.
We had a connecting flight And we're changed without notice adding 5 hrs to our travelling delays We paid for additional leg room and were bumped from our seat Not Happy Jan !!!
No online check-in for international flights and we arrived 3.5 hours early to Denpasar Airport. We were so early the check-in counter was not accepting baggage and we had to leave them with airport staff (and there was only one other set of bags with her). Despite all this my partner and I did not get seats together…how does this work? We’re… Read more
awaiting boarding but I’m expecting a Jetstar-like experience (we flew Jetstar on the way here).
Will update this review from the other end…
…ok we’re home and it was far better than Jetstar.
Seats were more comfortable, luggage allowance was more (23kg vs 20kg), inflight movies on your own device were free. Service was better and the meal ordering/delivery much smoother. I have to take medication with food so the toastie was fine.
Really not too bad, we were late boarding due to the late arrival of the aircraft but we made up about 15 minutes of this on the way home.
Reviews with attachments
A must for business – The lounge for domestic flights are so handy especially when you're going for business. There's unlimited free food and drinks. They have a decent variety. The bathroom and showers are great. Very clean and perfect for a quick freshen up. What I enjoy is the free wifi and the charging ports. I feel when I'm in the airport and not the lounge for… Read more
domestic or international, there is no comfortable place to work and charge. If there's charging ports, it's always broken. Whereas at the lounge, during non-peak hr, I can work comfortable and enjoy minimal disturbance as well as good food.
WORST AIRLINE IN THE WORLD. We were checking in for flight VA053 on 10/09/2026 heading to Vanuatu for a well earned holiday. We BOKED WITH VIRGIN and they made us pay $100 extra because a Hyphen was missing from the ticket - ok fine. There was 5 Virgin staff behind the desk, 8 staff at check in in total, 4 computers and they made us contact the… Read more
call centre in phillipines - mmm ok.
We call the call centre and our flight is coming close to departure AND MY FIANCE IS ON THE PHONE WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR 50 MINUTES, TRYING TO CHANGE A HYPHEN.
We sent 3 emails and they said they couldn't see the attachment. Then after 50 minutes they found it and we just made our flight.
This cost us $109 after $1800 flights, we upgraded our luggage and seating and they sling us this absolute Trainwreck of a system.
Your staff did their best, but whoever's idea it is to call an overseas call centre when there is 8 staff with their hands in their pockets has rocks in their head.
Virgin Australia, you were funded by our government to get your act together and you're going to go bust again.
Your staff are miserable because of your SOPs and you are officially the worst airline in the world, and I've been on them all. Even worse than Ryan air by a country mile.
I would say do better, but you've always been awful. Do better for your staff. Do better for your customers. And do better for the Country who bailed your steaming pile of s#@t company out of the red.
Virgin Australia - Yuck.
Virgin Australia acknowledged the structural damage but still refused compensation My Samsonite suitcase was checked in undamaged and was returned with the wheel completely torn off, making it unusable. I submitted all required documents and photographs. My claim was rejected three times without properly addressing the actual damage shown in the… Read more
photos.
Only after I lodged a complaint with the Airline Customer Advocate (ACA) did Virgin Australia finally acknowledge that the damage involved the wheel assembly and structural attachment. Despite acknowledging the actual damage, they still refused compensation under their baggage policy.
What disappointed me most was not the value of the suitcase, but the way the claim was handled. It took three claim reviews and an ACA complaint before the damage was properly acknowledged, yet the outcome never changed.
As a customer, I genuinely struggle to understand the logic of acknowledging the damage while refusing any responsibility for it.
I hope Virgin Australia reviews both its baggage claims process and the way it communicates with customers.
Going on the bus there was WAY to many people on it was discussing and very uncomfortable to the point everyone was shoved together this was not okay Show details
6 hour flight with nothing included. Smashed the corner wheel off my new Pierre Cardin suitcase and have offered me half of what it cost me. Show details
Horrible, overcharged and dirty. They charged us $240 for 2 guitars even after we paid for the extra kilos etc. we got on the plane and it was absolutely filthy on the seat and the tray table. Really underwhelming to be honest. Show details
- +7
Upon boarding our flight Brisbane to Airlie Beach on 9th Feb 2026 the crew noticed I was carrying my wedding dress & made a bit of a fuss then during the flight they surprised us with a glass of champagne & a chocolate each with a lovely note from the crew saying congratulations which was pretty special then as the plane landed we were told the… Read more
captain has a surprise for us & they escorted us to the cockpit where we got to sit in the pilots seats & wear their hats while they took our photo. It was such a beautiful experience & really made us feel special & made our day. We will definitely be flying Virgin again. Thank you so much crew it was amazing ❤️❤️❤️
I just flew on a domestic flight. I did not upgrade my seat, I didn’t eat anything on the plane and my carry on was 6.5kg so there is no reason for any additional changes and yet while I was on the plane I was charged $79.66! This is not in line with fair trade and therefore I have reported this company and will never book with them again! Show details
My wife and I recently flew from Melbourne to Denpasar Bali with Virgin Airlines, we had a very pleasant flight experience even though we flew economy, the seats were very comfortable, spaced well apart, plenty of leg and arm room , staff were friendly and helpful, after flying Jetstar for many years we won’t be going back to them anytime soon their new planes seating compared to Virgins is terrible and uncomfortable, thank you Virgin Show details
Find out how Virgin Australia compares to other Airlines
Know better, choose better.
Did you know that you can be bumped off your flight at the last minute and someone else takes your spots? We bought our flights a year in advance to attend an Event , had checked in , were at the airport and then our seats were given to others and we were told we had a flight 5 hours later. Virgin policy apparently. Attached is a pic of us waiting for 5 hours after missing our event and waiting after having our flight seats taken from us Show details
Option to take earlier flight from Brisbane to Sydney - due to supposed airport closure in Sydney (weather) , 1635pm flight delayed 2 hours. All other Sydney flights from VA and Jetstar still departing on time. Very unimpressed with the explanation and will now review airline I use based on trust. Show details
Extremely disappointed with my recent experience. Virgin Australia cancelled my flight less than two hours before departure with no clear explanation and no reasonable alternative options provided. This left me stranded and scrambling to find last-minute travel arrangements at my own expense. There was no proactive communication or real support… Read more
from customer service – just a vague apology and the offer of a flight that didn’t suit my schedule at all. For an airline that promotes reliability and customer care, this was a huge letdown. I understand that cancellations can happen, but the lack of transparency, poor planning, and absence of genuine assistance made the situation much worse. Virgin needs to seriously improve how they handle disruptions if they want to retain customer trust.
Latest follow-ups
Worst service ever – Worst service I’ve ever experienced at Queenstown airport The staff is unhelpful, rude and lies in order to avoid doing anything
Follow-up · Staff avoided helping us at all. They said they can’t help us with our booking, their computer is not set up for it and to go away and use our phones instead. After asking a few questions turns out they can help us and their computer does work and they begrudgingly did so. Then they wanted to charge us a service fee but wouldn’t give us their… Read more
VIRGIN POOR SERVICE BUT THEY DON'T CARE – Perhaps the worst Airline in Australia. Poor service, substandard facility. I tried using funds that I had due to cancelled flight... but Virgin staff in Japan did not know what I was talking about... Tried to use my points for extra leg room on a… Read more
connecting flight to Mauritius... all booked but 3 hours later I get a call.. sorry we made a mistake.. you di not book this flight direct with Virgin so that can't use your points... well it would be hard for me to book this flight to Mauritius.... since this stupid Airline DOES NOT travel to Mauritius. Will be closing my velocity and American Express when I get back. This woke Airline is not worth the effort.
Follow-up · Nothing much has changed. Virgin's CEO, board members can keep our Covid Credit... They have no shame or decency.....One thing for sure... I will NEVER step foot in the aircraft again.
Flights constantly delayed - the new Virgin slogan – I would be genuinely surprised if Virgin ever have a flight that isn't delayed - it's happened way to much for me not to leave a review now. Staff are always great, it's not their fault that whoever plans these things constantly stuff things up.… Read more
Honestly it's not worth the cheaper fares if I can't get where I need to go on time ever. Qantas from now on.
Follow-up · It's been a few years and I've caught about 8 more Virgin flights. Each and every single one of them is delayed. It's honestly uncanny just how predictable they are. Seats are cramped, planes are just uncomfortable, it's just the worst. Whenever they offload their flights to alliance I get a lot happier.
Positive reviews
Subject: Outstanding Customer Service – Commendation for Aysha (Flight VA 1528, 7:20am Sydney to Hobart) Dear Virgin Australia Customer Care Team, I'm writing to share a wonderful experience I had recently, thanks to a staff member named Aysha, and I hope this feedback makes its way to her and her manager. I live in Picton, which is a fair… Read more
distance from Sydney Airport, and on the day of my flight I unfortunately missed baggage check-in for my Jetstar flight by just five minutes. Jetstar wasn't able to help me, so I found myself scrambling to find any way to get to Hobart in time to see my friends. After being turned away over the phone by Virgin customer service, I approached Aysha in person and asked, somewhat desperately, if there was anything she could do.
Aysha went above and beyond. She was kind, patient, and genuinely determined to help me get on the 7:20am flight to Hobart (VA 1528), and thanks to her efforts, I made it. It's rare to come across someone so willing to problem-solve and show real empathy for a stressed-out traveller, and I want to make sure her efforts don't go unnoticed.
Based on this experience alone, I will be flying with Virgin Australia for all my future domestic travel. Aysha is an absolute credit to your team, and I'd be grateful if this feedback could be passed along to her directly, along with my thanks.
Please pass on my sincere gratitude to Aysha — she's a legend, and I can't thank her enough for her kindness on what could have been a very stressful day.
Kind regards, Reece Connor
Rated 5 stars for being a compassionate airline company. Two weeks from our flight and my husband received very bad news of a cancer which is life-threatening. He is to undergo urgent surgery in 4 days. I contacted Virgin Australia today and within 15 minutes the total cost of the flight has been refunded. We’re so grateful and it means that’s one less thing to worry about. Thank you Earl for dealing with our concerns so efficiently.
I flew from Denpasar to Melbourne Australia Tuesday July 28. 2026 Flt no. VA 92 Would like to highly commend Melanie on her exceptional service Extremely polite, beautiful customer service and experience, smiled which is a great reflection on your company. She even offered a complimentary toastie, which had never happened before with Virgin.… Read more
Lovely lady, my suggestion is that she train staff in Customer service on how to treat passengers There was another stewardess on the plane that was unfortunately facing off as rude and unapproachable I will not use her name as she was unpleasant and 2 other passengers commented also on her poor behaviour. D THANK GOODNESS FOR MELANIE. An Absolute Gem
Find out how Virgin Australia compares to other Airlines
Know better, choose better.
Negative reviews
I wish there was a minus star !! Unfortunately I have to fly this mob through work which I am trying to change . The amount of times this airline is delayed or rescheduled is mind-blowing!! Last week we were all onboard a Sydney to Melbourne flight . The whole plane was full , and Lo and behold they found a mechanical fault , so believe it or not… Read more
we all had to grab our things and toddle off . 2 hours later they found another plane. Now I’m sitting at the airport ready to leave Melb for Sydney on a simple return flight home , and they ARE DELAYED AGAIN BY CLOSE TO AN HOUR!! I can’t stand this company . I’ll be having a word with work when I get back because I REFUSE to use them again . They treat customers like idiots . No wonder they were all but bankrupt until a lifeline saved them!!
We bought an international flight tickets for our family of four on the understanding that they had seat selection. We then discovered that it was 24 hour before the flight check in. Virgin told us that the cancel the tickets would be $350 each. Now we've been told that the 24-hour check in is not available and we'll only get our seats when… Read more
checking in at the airport. They also cannot guarantee that our children will be seated with an adult. Our children are young. How can they expect other random people to look after them. It's been a horrible experience. How can they legally do this?
I booked a connecting itinerary from Canberra to Sydney, with an onward flight to Japan, and checked in as a connecting passenger. The Virgin Australia flight from Canberra was delayed, causing me to miss my international flight to Japan. Despite this being a connecting itinerary, Virgin Australia provided absolutely no assistance or meaningful… Read more
support.
No one explained what would happen to my onward journey, what options were available, or even where my checked baggage would end up. I was simply left without any clear information or support.
For an airline to accept a passenger and their baggage on a connecting itinerary, then provide no meaningful assistance when its own delay causes the connection to be missed, is completely unacceptable.
This has been one of the worst airline experiences I have ever had. I would strongly advise anyone relying on an international connection to think very carefully before booking with Virgin Australia.
Recent reviews
Overbooked every single Brisbane to Melbourne flight today so bumped me to JetStar flight 4 hours later than planned. Now even going to make the meeting I was travelling for. Will never use them again.
Worst flight ever. Food that was slop was expensive. Setting was shit. Some staff were dicks. Wont ever be flying virgin again. They even let some lady drunk and drugged up onto the plane who was threatening to kill people.
There was no clear information that the seat selection was not possible with the flights booked through Virgin. Then we cant cancel. Poor customer service. Its so fraud, tricking people into booking without clear information which cam disadvantage people. Never ever fly with this company ever again. Show details
Not equalising cabin properly absolute joke just go with Quanta’s makes all the difference they are 10x better got reclining seats for economy free wifi freee food where everything on virgin costs $ Show details
Horrible and discrimination against a man in a wheel chair and a service animal. Couldn’t fine ONE MORE PLACE for a little roller to go. When he tried to talk to staff they were rude and unkind. Made him get off the plane. Asked him to delete the videos I’m so glad he didn’t. Show details
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.