Virgin forges new summer link between WA and Tasmania

West Australians wanting to head east will have a new option from November when Virgin Australia starts its first Perth-Launceston seasonal service. The service will start November 5 and operate three times a week until January 30, offering about 4200 seats a month. Flights will operate Monday, Friday and Saturday. The airline is launching the service with a flash sale offering fares from $149 one-way until Friday but there is a caveat: the sale fares are not available for travel over the peak Christmas period from December 10 to January 10. READ: Aussie travelers support nixing border restrictions. The tickets can be booked using travel credits and include fee-free flexibility to change or cancel for travel credit up to February 26, 2022. This is the second inaugural route Virgin is starting to Tasmania, with Adelaide-Launceston launching this week along with re-introduced flights between Adelaide and Darwin and a new Adelaide-Cairns service. The airline is also adding nine Boeing 737-800 aircraft to its fleet from October in preparation for an expected increase in domestic travel as vaccination rates rise. “We’re continually looking at ways to pivot and expand our network schedule where free movement of travelers across borders permit, so we’re incredibly proud that by working with Launceston and Perth Airports we’ve been able to launch direct services between the cities in time for the busy Christmas holiday period,” said Virgin Australia Group chief strategy and transformation officer Alistair Hartley. “More flying means more opportunities for our customers to explore our wonderful country or reconnect with friends and family. It also means more work for our passionate team who can’t wait to return to the skies. “ Virgin has joined Qantas in offering incentives for travelers to get vaccinated and said more than 140,000 people had now entered its VA-X and Win jackpot. Fully vaccinated members of the airline’s Velocity frequent flyer program can enter the competition to win the jackpot of a million frequent points or other prizes such as business class flights and lounge memberships.