Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand are back together again. The two carriers have officially re-established its trans-Tasman codeshare relationship after a break of six years.
Starting December 5, 2024, travelers can directly book Virgin Australia flights operated by Air New Zealand with a VA flight number into Auckland Airport (AKL), Wellington Airport (WLG) and Christchurch Airport (CGC) for travel from December 9, 2024 onwards.
These flights are in addition to Virgin Australia’s existing services to Queenstown Airport (ZQN).
Virgin Australia guests and Velocity Frequent Flyer members seem to have the upper hand in this partnership as they also enjoy a variety of benefits and rewards when booking and travelling on around 300 services between Australia and New Zealand each week on Virgin Australia flights operated by Air New Zealand (with a VA flight number). Air New Zealand flights within the country (NZ) are not part of the codeshare.
Benefits of this codeshare to Virgin Australia guests and frequent flyer membership include:
- Earning Velocity Points and Status Credits
- Lounge access for Velocity Gold and Platinum members
- Seamless customer experience when connecting onto a Virgin Australia flight on its Australian network, including transfer of baggage and boarding passes issued for the entire journey
- Velocity Gold and Platinum Status entitlements including one additional checked bag (up to 23kg), priority check-in and priority boarding
- Virgin Australia Business Flyers will also have access to exclusive discounts and benefits in addition to options for corporate customers
“The connection between Australia and New Zealand has always been deeper than just a stretch of ocean, and our new partnership with Air New Zealand celebrates that enduring bond,” Virgin Australia Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer Alistair Hartley said in a statement.
“This codeshare agreement isn’t just about flights – it’s about creating seamless travel experiences that give Virgin Australia customers more ways to explore, connect, and adventure. We’re committed to delivering unprecedented network coverage, loyalty rewards, and travel flexibility that make crossing borders as easy as crossing the street.” Hartley added.
Virgin Australia ‘hard launched’ its partnership on Facebook, publishing a post declaring that it has officially changed its relationship status to, “in a codeshare relationship” with Air New Zealand.
The two airlines previously had a codeshare alliance that began in October 2010 and ended in October 2018.