There’s a smooth tune wafting across the travel trade—and it’s not coming from your hold music. It’s Michael Bublé, live in Doha, and twelve top-performing Australian travel agents will soon be snapping their fingers and swinging along… all courtesy of a dazzling industry incentive that hits all the right notes.

In a show-stopping collaboration between Qatar Airways, Virgin Australia, and Visit Qatar, a dozen high-achieving agents will soon find themselves packing their bags for an all-expenses-paid escape to the Qatari capital—complete with return flights, plush accommodation, and VIP access to see the Canadian crooner himself, Mr. Bublé, live in concert.

The Pitch-Perfect Prize

This May, the velvet-voiced vocalist will take the stage at Doha’s architectural marvel—the Al Mayassa Theatre at the Qatar National Convention Centre. And while most fans will fork out a small fortune for tickets, Australia’s top 12 travel agents will be serenaded in style, thanks to an exclusive industry promotion designed to showcase not only the luxurious cultural offerings of Qatar but the deepening ties between the two airlines.

Winners will be whisked from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth in Qatar Airways’ award-winning Economy Class cabins, where even cattle class comes with caviar-level service. The reward package includes three nights’ accommodation, immersive cultural experiences in Doha, and the kind of concert seating usually reserved for the region’s glitterati.

The Mechanics (and the Melody)

So, how do you snag a spot on this A-list adventure? The rules are refreshingly simple.

Between 1 and 30 April 2025, agents must issue an eligible Qatar Airways (157 stock) or Virgin Australia (795 stock) ticket for travel to or via Doha, valid for journeys up to 31 March 2026. Each eligible booking must include the campaign code QRVABUBLE in the OSI field of your chosen Global Distribution System (GDS).

Depending on your system, the formatting differs ever so slightly (because nothing in life can be too easy):

Qatar Airways – 157 stock:

• Galileo: SI.QR*QRVABUBLE

• Amadeus: OS QR QRVABUBLE

• Sabre: 3OSI QR QRVABUBLE

Virgin Australia – 795 stock:

• Galileo: SI.VA*VAIN VA/GG/QRVABUBLE

• Amadeus: OS VA VAIN VA/GG/QRVABUBLE

• Sabre: 3OSI VA VAIN VA/GG/QRVABUBLE

Entries must be submitted before 11:59 pm AEST on 30 April 2025. And yes, time flies—so best get booking.

Singing in Harmony

This foot-tapping incentive celebrates a significant milestone for both airlines. Their blossoming partnership, which connects Australia to Europe and beyond via Doha, is getting a robust tune-up in mid-2025. From June, travellers will enjoy enhanced connectivity from Sydney (12 June), Brisbane (19 June), and Perth (26 June), with Melbourne joining the chorus from 1 December.

“We’re turning up the volume on our commitment to the Australian market,” said a spokesperson for Qatar Airways. “And what better way to celebrate than by giving our most valued trade partners a chance to experience the glamour and hospitality of Doha, topped off with a world-class concert?”

Virgin Australia, for its part, is equally enthusiastic about what this joint symphony means for travel sellers Down Under. “This campaign is not just about rewarding bookings,” said a representative. “It’s about showcasing what happens when premium partnerships and destination experiences hit all the high notes.”

Eligibility and Fine Print

The promotion is open exclusively to Aussie-based agents registered with either the Qatar Airways Trade Portal or the Virgin Australia Trade Database. Online Travel Agents (OTAs) that use automated systems without human consultants are out of tune and ineligible. However, agents servicing clients through phone, email, or face-to-face? They’re very much in the running.

Employees of the airline (and their immediate families) are barred from entering. Because let’s face it, perks like this should go to those tirelessly crafting itineraries, not clocking in at HQ.

Encore Worthy

Flights can be booked via your preferred GDS or NDC provider. And with Doha’s skyline glimmering, the Al Mayassa Theatre preparing its spotlights, and Michael Bublé’s dulcet tones ready to echo through the desert night, one thing’s clear: this is no ordinary agent incentive.

It’s a standing ovation for excellence, set against the backdrop of a city that marries ancient heritage with futuristic flair. So if you’re an agent with bookings to make and a Bublé ballad in your heart, it’s time to rise, shine, and book away.

Because in the words of the man himself: “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life… and you’re feeling good.”

By My Thanh Pham

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