Australia’s competition watchdog declared that the domestic airline industry sits at a “critical juncture,” with the lack of competition costing Aussies with more expensive airfares and declining customer service quality. In the last two decades, over 90 percent of domestic passengers flew with either Qantas or Virgin Australia. “Domestic aviation is one of the most…

Australia’s consumer watchdog has started to scrutinise local airlines after finding airfares have increased dramatically since early this year, with no sign of relief for the upcoming Christmas holidays. As the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its latest quarterly airline competition report, the agency said it would keep a close eye on aviation…

Thousands of Virgin Australia customers have become the latest victims in the fallout of the massive data breach at Australian private health insurance provider Medibank. On the evening of Nov. 9, Virgin Australia was informed by Medibank that several thousand of its Velocity Frequent Flyer membership numbers were leaked in the cyber-attack. The airline immediately…

Domestic airfares in Australia have risen sharply since May by as much as 96 percent in some areas, with industry experts expecting that air ticket prices will remain high for some time. The average round-trip price for a domestic flight was AU $409 (US$282) in July, up 24 percent from May, according to a market…

As restrictions are further eased in a bid to reboot Australia’s pandemic-ravaged travel sector, international visitors are being wooed Down Under. Nearly two years of COVID-19 border restrictions have crippled the once thriving industry. Budget carrier Virgin Australia has announced discounts on up to 1.5 million flights, including short-haul international destinations. The Back to Holidays…

Alan Joyce, the CEO of Qantas, Australia’s major airline and international carrier, has confirmed that the company will only allow fully vaccinated people to board international flights as Australia prepares to reopen its border by Christmas. Speaking at the Trans-Tasman Business Circle on Sept. 7, Joyce said the airline would adopt a policy of requiring…