Articles tagged “virgin australia”

Australia’s airlines are urging the government to rein in the airports, claiming they are abusing their monopoly power to extract unreasonable charges. It’s a tough call for Canberra, which wants to see more investment in airport infrastructure, but doesn’t want to be seen allowing price gouging from some of the most profitable airport operators in the world.

As the Air New Zealand-Virgin Australia alliance on services across the Tasman Sea comes to an end, Virgin will not take the snub from its Kiwi counterpart lying down. It is already flagging improved services and better frequent flyer rewards and trying to block rival Qantas from working with its former ally.

Both Qantas and Virgin Australia should have Wi-Fi available on all domestic flights by the end of 2018. While travelers want to stay connected, they probably won’t pay for Wi-Fi, but might choose flights on the basis of internet coverage, especially on longer routes.

Few airlines focus as much on passenger experience as Virgin Australia. But unfortunately for investors, that approach has not produced recent profits.

With all the cabin improvements revealed in the Gulf and the Asia/Pacific markets, it makes us wish other airlines around the world would get inspired to compete on quality.

This is as close as you get to free lounge access without a ticket, and an excellent way to tempt passengers into paying for the real thing.

Tourism Australia is trying to create a sense of urgency in travelers pushing off a trip to Australia. The campaign will succeed for those that win a trip, but for others still wary of the journey, it'd be smart to raise awareness of the cost and length of such a trip.

While the instinct to help Qantas may be strong, Australia's leaders need to make sure it knows the difference between a carrier that needs a bit of temporary help and an Alitalia.

Virgin's battle with Qantas I being closely watched from abroad as airlines study which model offers the best opportunity for long-term success.

In the age of smartphones, every traveler wants customizable content available on his/her own device suggesting that Lufthansa’s new technology could indeed be the first break in a new wave of in-flight entertainment options.