Travelers Now Can Search Virgin Australia Flights in ChatGPT

Virgin Australia has become the first Australian airline to partner with OpenAI, aiming to enhance the customer experience by integrating ChatGPT and advanced AI tools directly into the travel planning process.

Travelers will be able to describe their trip preferences in natural language—such as “a mountain getaway for a big family of six in summer”—and instantly receive personalized flight recommendations. Flight bookings are not available directly through the chatbot for now, but this feature could be introduced in the future.

The company notes that Australia is among the top 10 ChatGPT subscriber markets globally, making this a strategic move that aligns with local digital habits. Virgin Australia CEO, Dave Emerson, said the idea was to provide convenience by “being present where our customers already are, such as ChatGPT.”

The airline's staff will also benefit from secure enterprise AI tools, helping improve internal operations, streamline workflows, and deliver better customer support.

This partnership builds on the airline’s earlier investments in AI, and as Emerson noted, the company has been “applying advanced analytics and AI across various parts of business for many years.” Virgin Australia has an AI Trip Planner that creates personalized itineraries and helps guests explore destinations, check fare options, and navigate Velocity Reward Seat availability. Additionally, the carrier relies on AI-driven forecasting to predict travel demand and support dynamic pricing.

The timing signals a broader industry trend, as major airlines are accelerating their AI adoption to stay competitive and meet evolving traveler expectations.

Just a day earlier, Emirates revealed its own partnership with OpenAI. The carrier plans to deploy ChatGPT Enterprise across its workforce and embed AI in daily operations to improve efficiency, customer service, and decision-making.

Check out our explainer on AI travel agents, which explores future collaborations between LLMs and travel providers. And as this news shows, that future is already unfolding.

Photo by Lea Gabriel on Unsplash