• Virgin Australia has launched its new brand mission and campaign, Bring on Wonderful, reimagining the airline experience for Australians and celebrating the richness and diversity of its people and guests.
• The campaign follows a 24-month transformation of the airline which returns Virgin Australia to profitability.
• As one of the first hero innovations to roll out, Virgin Australia has also launched the Middle Seat Lottery, transforming middle seats on the airline’s domestic flights from the least favourite to the most fun and wonderful. Guests who sit in the middle seat will have a chance to win one of the extraordinary prizes on offer, with a new prize and winner every week.¹
• To celebrate the launch, Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka surprised all guests who were seated in middle seats on a flight to Adelaide with a Virgin Voyages cruise for two, valued at up to $5,999 USD each.
• To mark this significant milestone, Virgin Australia has dropped over 800,000 airfares from as low as $55~ one-way (Economy Lite) from Sydney to Byron in the airline’s Bring on Wonderful sale.

Sunday 23 October 2022: Marking a new chapter in its 22-year history, Virgin Australia has today launched a new era in flying with Bring on Wonderful, following a mammoth two-year business transformation which returns the airline to profitability. The brand and advertising campaign creates a platform for Virgin Australia to reimagine the airline travel experience for Australians, while celebrating its extraordinary team members.

Bring on Wonderful will see Virgin Australia introduce a series of new customer experience innovations. The first of these is the Middle Seat Lottery, instantly turning the least favourite seat into one of the most wonderful through a nationwide competition, opening tomorrow at 9.00am AEDT (Monday).¹

Bring on Wonderful follows an extensive list of business transformation highlights over the past two years. These include growing the fleet by over 60 per cent, hiring thousands of new team members, greater integration of Velocity Frequent Flyer into the airline, the launch of better value airfares in comparison to the airline’s nearest competitor enabled by substantial cost reduction across the airline, a commitment to target net zero carbon emissions by 2050, refreshed menus, partnerships with iconic Australian brands, resumption of international services, the launch of partnerships with world-leading airlines and more.

Bring on Wonderful

Through Bring on Wonderful, Virgin Australia has the platform to challenge the status quo on the aviation industry, as it’s done many times over the past two decades. Virgin Australia aims to set a new standard, throw away the cookie-cutter - true to the Virgin brand, and make flying more wonderful, inclusive and welcoming for all – all while injecting some much-needed fun and optimism into the experience.

At the heart of the campaign is the airline’s greatest asset – its people and the wonderful customer service Virgin Australia is so well known for, shown through the eyes of a vivacious member of the airline’s cabin crew team.

While walking through the terminal in the iconic Virgin Australia red uniform, she passes a series of mundane airport gates where passengers are travelling with other airlines. As the airline gate agents scan each passenger’s boarding pass, the airline ground staff robotically repeat the same sentence, “Have a nice flight”.

Following a series of comparisons to “nice” used in every day, relatable, and forgettable scenarios, the film quickly turns to the tarmac where a group of Virgin Australia guests are beginning their journey to wonderful. The film ends as the Virgin Australia cabin crew member urges everyone to kiss “nice” goodbye with the wonderful ‘movement’ in tow.

Middle Seat Lottery (Middle Seat Lottery details are under embargo until 6.00am AEDT Monday 24 October 2022)

Bring on Wonderful sets a foundation to elevate every part of the customer journey when flying with Virgin Australia, starting with the middle seat which has been a bug bear for travellers since the dawn of aviation.

As one of the first hero innovations to roll out, Virgin Australia has launched the Middle Seat Lottery, turning Virgin Australia middle seats into wonderful lottery tickets.¹ The middle seat, which has always struggled for popularity, will be transformed into the luckiest seat on the plane with more than $230,000 worth of prizes up for grabs throughout the competition, for guests who either select or who are assigned a middle seat when flying with Virgin Australia until Sunday 23 April 2023.

Through a social media survey in May 2022, Virgin Australia discovered that travellers are least likely to choose the middle seat, with less than 1 per cent intentionally selecting the middle seat as their first seat preference*.

As at May 2022, 62 per cent of Velocity Frequent Flyer members who nominated their seat preference favoured the aisle, 35 per cent the window and just 3 per cent nominating “any seat”**.

For each week of the competition, one winner will be randomly selected from guests who enter the Middle Seat Lottery, winning one of 26 unique and wonderful prizes. Prizes up-for-grabs include: 

• Platinum Velocity Frequent Flyer Status plus one million Points.
• A cruise in the Caribbean with Virgin Voyages, including return Premium Economy flights to the USA with United Airlines.
• Flights and tickets to your AFL team’s away games in 2023.
• Flights to Melbourne plus entry to the AFL ‘Before the Bounce’ pre-game lunch, AFL Grand Final seats, a pre-game boundary line experience, merchandise and entry to the AFL Grand Final after party.
• A helicopter pub crawl extravaganza, including return flights to Darwin.
• Cairns adventure package including accommodation, return flights, and a range of thrilling adventures - Bungy jumping, giant swinging, river rafting or tubing in the great Barron River.

The full prize list can be viewed here.

How to enter the Middle Seat Lottery in three easy steps

1. Be a Velocity Frequent Flyer member, aged 18 years or older;
2. Fly in any middle seat on a Virgin Australia-operated domestic flight by Sunday 23 April 2023;
3. Open the Virgin Australia app and tap the Middle Seat Lottery tile to find your flight and enter your details. Entrants must enter the competition within 48 hours of their flight’s scheduled departure time.

Winners will be contacted via email after each week's draw. Those who aren't already Velocity Frequent Flyer members can join for free, here.

To celebrate the launch of the Middle Seat Lottery, Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka surprised an entire flight of unsuspecting travellers flying on VA219 from Melbourne to Adelaide today (Monday 24/10), with each guest seated in a middle seat receiving a Virgin Voyages sailing valued at up to $5,999 USD. Virgin Australia ensured no one went home empty-handed, offering each aisle and window seat passenger 10,000 Velocity Points.

Virgin Australia 24-month major transformation 

Bring on Wonderful comes as Virgin Australia continues its ongoing business transformation, which returns the airline to profitability this financial year. To date, the transformation journey has consisted of hundreds of projects since Virgin Australia was relaunched in November 2020. The transformation program has enabled the airline to increase its fleet size by over 60 per cent, as well as hire thousands of new team members, refresh its catering offering, reimagine its brand and customer experience to provide more value and choice, forge significant partnerships, restructure its costs to enable great value airfares, commit to target net zero emissions by 2050 and more.

Transformation highlights and results since November 2020:

• Since November 2020, Virgin Australia has restructured its cost base and completely transformed the commercial function of the airline, removing over $300 million in annual costs;
• 2,000+ new team members hired, including all previously stood down team members given the opportunity to re-join the business;
• Airfare pricing restructured, resulting in better value Economy and Business Class airfares with some of Virgin Australia’s domestic Economy fares up to 30 per cent better value than the airline’s nearest competitor and Business Class fares almost 60 per cent better value than the same competitor^;
• Committed to a net-zero emissions target by 2050 as part of ongoing efforts towards more sustainable flying;
• Simplified the airline’s business model to largely include a single Boeing 737 fleet type which has allowed Virgin Australia to grow its fleet size by more than 60 per cent. The simplification also included the restructure of a Boeing 737 MAX-10 aircraft order, as well as the order of eight MAX-8 aircraft, anchoring the airline’s sustainable pathway to 2050;
• Launched a host of significant customer improvements, including the re-opening of domestic Lounges, onboard Wi-Fi, new menus, including a reverse kids’ meal where children can eat the dessert first, and partnerships with 7-Eleven, Boost Juice, Betty’s Burgers, Myer and P.E Nation;
• Restarted international flying to Bali and Fiji, with additional international destinations to come (Queenstown in November 2022, and Vanuatu and Samoa in March 2023);
• Worked to improve integration of Velocity Frequent Flyer with the Virgin Australia business, with the Velocity membership base set to hit 11 million members by year's end;
• Launched Virgin Australia Business Flyer to provide greater value and rewards to Australian small and medium sized businesses. Thousands of businesses have since joined the program;
• Transformed the airline’s Digital and IT systems, including a $300 million investment in new technology and website upgrades, resulting in a 70+ per cent increase in direct bookings via virginaustralia.com;
• Implemented a paid marketing search and performance strategy, resulting in Virgin Australia moving to the number-one ranked Australian travel company on Google;
• Restructured the discount airfare model for corporate travellers, resulting in the recontracting of over 450 large corporate accounts who now receive greater value airfares when they fly;
• Launched new partnerships with United Airlines and Qatar Airways, growing total international network reach to over 500 destinations around the globe.
• Achieved significant improvements in operations with on time performance stable and cancellation rates back to pre-pandemic levels.

Commentary

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the airline was entering a new era with the mission of creating unique, uplifting and industry-leading experiences that take flying out of the mundane and into the wonderful.

“We are proud of the journey we’ve been on over the last 24-months, with many achievements and learnings that have formed our ambitions for the future of Virgin Australia, our people and our guests,” said Ms Hrdlicka.

“Virgin Australia is an airline that’s doing things differently and we are having a lot of fun coming up with exciting new innovations to make every part of the travel experience more wonderful.

“This year alone we have launched new partnerships with Betty’s Burgers, Boost Juice, Myer and P.E Nation along with Qatar Airways and United Airlines and now we’re giving our loyal guests the opportunity to win from a prize pool valued at over $230,000 for simply sitting in a middle seat.

“Confidence in our business strength and operation is at an all-time high. We have a strong balance sheet, some of the best management in the industry working on our ongoing business transformation and we’re well advanced in returning to profitability this financial year.

“We’ve only just touched the tip of the iceberg in what’s possible and there’s so much energy right across Virgin Australia to make sure we are doing our best to leave a positive difference every time our guests fly with us.

“Virgin Australia was born from innovation and this is just another chapter in our story,” she said.

Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson said he is delighted to see Virgin Australia charting a new path.

“I’m delighted to see Virgin Australia going from strength to strength while reinventing what it means to be a traveller 22 years after we started this airline with the mission to do things differently,” said Sir Richard.

“The passion to make this airline truly wonderful is infectious. It’s fantastic to see the collaboration between Virgin Australia and Virgin Voyages to provide such brilliant prizes for the Middle Seat Lottery.

“Wonderful customer service is at the forefront of every Virgin business around the world and I can’t wait to see what Virgin Australia has in store for their loyal customers next,” he said.

Bring On Wonderful Sale with fares from $55~

To celebrate the new chapter and to give customers the opportunity to experience ‘wonderful’ with great value, Virgin Australia has launched a sale on over 800,000 seats from as low as $55~ one-way (Economy Lite) from Sydney to Ballina-Byron in its Bring on Wonderful Sale until midnight AEST 31 October 2022. More information here..

For more information on Bring on Wonderful, visit virginaustralia.com/bringonwonderful and for the Middle Seat Lottery, visit virginaustralia.com/middleseatlottery.

ASSETS

• VIEW BRING ON WONDERFUL HERO FILM ON YOUTUBE HERE
• DOWNLOAD FILMS HERE (Middle Seat Lottery assets under embargo until 6.00am AEDT 24/10/22)
• DOWNLOAD IMAGES HERE (Middle Seat Lottery assets under embargo until 6.00am AEDT 24/10/22)

MORE INFORMATION:

Seat Preference Data
*In a research poll undertaken in May 2022 on Virgin Australia social media channels, more than 7,500 respondents voted in favour of their preferred seat:

• Approximately 67 percent voted in favour of an aisle seat;
• Approximately 34 per cent voted in favour of a window;
• Just 0.6 per cent of respondents voted in favour of a middle seat.

**Data from nearly 700,000 Velocity Frequent Flyer members who have reported a seat preference, 62 per cent have chosen the aisle as their preferred seat, 35 per cent have chosen a window, and only 3 per cent voted “any seat”.

Key data from 12-month customer value proposition (CVP) research study

• Research survey conducted with 5,000 members of the Australian public in mid-2021 and monthly research in 2022 (of approximately 5,000 Virgin Australia guests), provided the following findings:
• Good value for money matters to almost everyone and is the number one purchasing criteria in Australia, followed by on time flights and an effortless travel experience.
• Virgin Australia guests deeply value the airline’s people and the outstanding service they deliver. At Virgin Australia, its people are the number one driver of promotion, with 50 per cent of promoters every month talking about their wonderful crew.
• Choice is critically important for guests, with more than 40 per cent of participants rating it highly. This is something Virgin Australia is continuing to focus on.
• Virgin Australia is best known and recognised in the market for offering the best “value for money”, “providing exceptional customer service” and “making flying easy”

^Butler Caroye domestic airfare review, August 2022

• An airfare study conducted by external consultant Butler Caroye released in August 2022 has found that, between March and June 2022, some of Virgin Australia’s corporate domestic Economy fares were up to 30 per cent better value in comparison to the airline’s nearest competitor.
• The same study found that Virgin Australia Business Class fares were almost 60 per cent better value than the same competitor, with Virgin Australia selling seats at the pointy end between Melbourne and Sydney for as low as $299 one-way. Butler Caroye, “Australian Domestic Business Airfares in 1st Half 2022 – Blue Paper”, August 2022. The full study can be read here.

Middle Seat Lottery full prize list (under embargo until 6.00am AEDT 24 October 2022)

Bring on Wonderful Sale

~Fares are on sale from 12.00am AEDT Sunday 23 October 2022 to 11.59pm AEDT Monday 31 October 2022 , unless sold out prior. Travel periods and conditions apply. $55 price point based on a one-way Economy Lite fare from Sydney to Ballina-Byron booked at virginaustralia.com. Subject to availability. Payment surcharge may apply. Seat selection and checked baggage are not included in Economy Lite fares. Full T&Cs at virginaustralia.com

¹Middle Seat Lottery terms and conditions

The Promoter is Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd (ABN 36 090 670 965) of registered address 275 Grey St, South Brisbane QLD 4101. The Promotion commences at 12:00am AEST on 24 October 2022 and ends at 11:59pm AEST on 23 April 2023 (Promotion Period). Entry is open to Velocity members who are: (1) Australian residents, (2) aged 18 years or over and (3) Virgin Australia guests that have flown on an Eligible Flight (“Entrants”). An Eligible Flight is a domestic Virgin Australia-operated flight where the Entrant was seated in a middle seat as reflected on their boarding pass and in Virgin Australia’s internal systems. The following are not Entrants: Virgin Australia Group employees (and their immediate families), employees of agencies associated with this Promotion, and individuals travelling on Staff Travel. To enter the Promotion, Entrants must, during the Promotion Period and within 48 hours after the scheduled departure time of their Eligible Flight: (i) navigate to the Middle Seat Lottery tile within the Virgin Australia app; (ii) select an Eligible Flight shown in the Virgin Australia app or retrieve the booking for their Eligible Flight using their Booking Reference and Surname; and (iii) select their name from the Eligible Flight booking, input their contact details and their valid Velocity membership number (if not pre-filled), and submit their entry. An Entrant will receive an Entry to the Relevant Draw Period based on the scheduled departure date of their Eligible Flight. Limit of one entry per Entrant for each Eligible Flight taken by the Entrant. There will be 26 Winners (one for each Relevant Draw Period). One Winner will be drawn for each calendar week (the “Relevant Draw Period”) of the Promotion Period following the Relevant Draw Period and will be notified within 2 business days of the draw (as set out in clause 16 of the full terms and conditions).  Winners will be awarded the Prize that is assigned to their Relevant Draw Period (set out in clause 22 of the full terms and conditions). The total prize value is $172,798.43 AUD (including GST). The Prizes are not exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash. Prizes may be subject to additional terms and conditions of Virgin Australia, Velocity Frequent Flyer, or third-party suppliers. If you wish to be removed from the Promotion, please email info@velocityfrequentflyer.com and provide your full name and Velocity membership number. Full competition terms and conditions can be accessed at virginaustralia.com/msl-terms-conditions. Game of Chance: Authorised under NSW Authority No.: TP/ 01843. Permit No’s: ACT TP22/ 00791 & SA T22/ 613.