Parents with Babies: Avoid Virgin Australia I strongly advise parents of babies under two to avoid flying with Virgin Australia. Despite paying extra for more suitable seats, we faced repeated issues on all three legs of our recent trip—with staff displaying poor awareness and little empathy for traveling families. Perth to Sydney (VA550, 11/04/2025): We were placed in the last row next to the only two toilets on a fully booked Boeing 737. There was constant crowding, no overhead storage (taken up by crew bags), and nowhere to stand or stretch when my baby became unsettled. Flight attendants showed no concern, even when we asked for a brief break in the galley. Sydney to Gold Coast (VA523, 11/04/2025): No priority boarding was offered, and we were made to wait on stairs with luggage and a baby, like any regular passenger. A rear-door-only boarding caused long delays and stress that could have been avoided. Melbourne to Perth (VA693, 16/04/2025): We paid for extra legroom but were reassigned to less suitable seats—without warning—and refunded at the gate. During the flight, staff prevented me from calming my baby near the galley or toilets and instead insisted I walk the aisles, risking disturbance to other passengers. The indifference was shocking. As a former frequent flyer, this experience has completely changed my view of the airline. Virgin Australia’s policies and staff training do not support parents traveling with young children. We will never travel with them again. I strongly recommend choosing Qantas instead—every dollar more is worth the dignity and support they offer families.

After a long flight from Santiago to Sydney via Auckland, we missed our bus connection in Brisbane by about an hour because our flight had been cancelled & we were put onto a later flight. This neccessitated an overnight stay in a Brisbane hotel & the airline refuses to reimburse us. They use the excuse that our flight was ONLY delayed by a short time. Unfortunately there is no effective regulation of airlines who care NOTHING about travellers being inconvenienced & being out of pocket.

Staff are told to remind passengers that face masks must remain on during the flight duration exception for eating and drinking… Staff don’t seem to care about the safety of passengers during the duration of the flight seeing as how they never ask passengers to wear their mask. If I’m ever seated next to someone not wearing a mask I’ll make a complaint (it’s gonna happen eventually) I get it’s a budget airline, but it’s not a budget health risk.