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In an Australian airline first, Virgin Australia has today launched a new way for Australian travellers to search for flights directly within ChatGPT.
By simply describing their travel need using the Virgin Australia app in ChatGPT, ChatGPT will direct customers to Virgin Australia flights and Velocity Frequent Flyer Reward Seat options, simplifying the search experience.
The announcement marks a major change in how Australians will search, plan and book travel in the future, bringing conversational AI into the core of the aviation experience, while building on Virgin Australia’s landmark collaboration with OpenAI announced in November 2025.
According to OpenAI, approximately 50 per cent of Australia’s adult population are using ChatGPT each week, underscoring a broader shift towards AI tools becoming part of everyday life.
A new way to shop for flights and Velocity Reward Seats
The new Virgin Australia and Velocity Frequent Flyer ChatGPT flight search experience removes the need to navigate separate website pages to:
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Surface destinations based on budget or departure city;
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Highlight the best-value travel periods across different dates;
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Enable comparisons of cash fares or Points + Pay options in one place;
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Provide a summary of lowest fares across multiple days to help choose the optimal time to travel.
The launch also introduces major new functionality to search Velocity Frequent Flyer Reward Seats on Virgin Australia-operated flights, making it easier than ever for members to locate seats and redeem their Points. The groundbreaking update will:
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Instantly surface Reward Seat availability across multiple dates;
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View Points, Points + Pay or cash fares in one place
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Unlock greater value from their Velocity Points with a simplified discovery experience.
Commentary
Virgin Australia Chief Executive Officer, Dave Emerson, said the launch represents a step-change in how Australians plan travel.
“Today marks a significant milestone for Virgin Australia and Velocity Frequent Flyer and for the future of travel,” said Mr Emerson.
“Through our collaboration with OpenAI, we’re giving our customers a faster, more intuitive way to plan and book their trips, all within a platform many are already using every day.
“Importantly, we’re also unlocking more value for Velocity members with a new way to locate Reward Seats directly within ChatGPT, making it easier than ever for members to redeem their Points on flights.
“Our landmark collaboration with OpenAI and the launch of our very own ChatGPT app is about removing friction from the travel experience and meeting our customers where they are, with smarter tools that make planning travel simpler and more personalised,” he said.
OpenAI Head of GTM, ANZ, Satya Tammareddy, said Virgin Australia’s launch is a prime example of how AI can remove friction from complex tasks like travel planning.
“Australians are already turning to ChatGPT to plan, compare and make everyday decisions, and travel is a natural extension of that shift. Together with Virgin Australia, we’re making travel discovery more conversational, more useful and ultimately more accessible for millions of people,” she said.
The new digital functionality builds on Virgin Australia’s track record of customer-led innovation. In recent years, the airline became the first in Australia to introduce Pets in Cabin flights on eligible domestic routes, baggage tracking and rewards for sitting in the middle seat. Today’s announcement follows the airline’s recent launch of an Australian-first all-in-one flight search tool and new mobile app and airport check-in functionality, reducing the check-in time by up to 50 per cent^.
