Virgin Australia Combines Cash and Reward Flight Search in One Tool

Virgin Australia has started rolling out a new all-in-one flight search feature that lets customers compare cash fares, Points + Pay bookings, Velocity Reward Seats, and cabin types in one monthly calendar.

The rollout began on April 7, 2026, and the airline says full access will be available across its website and app by mid-2026.

The goal is simple: make booking easier. Travelers often have to run separate searches to compare cash fares, reward seats, and part-points options. Virgin’s new tool puts those choices into one view, so customers can compare booking options faster and understand which one offers the best value.

Customers can compare fares and points in one place

A traveler can now look at different dates and immediately see whether it makes more sense to pay cash, use points, or combine both.

Many travelers collect points, but using them is often less straightforward than paying cash. By showing reward-seat availability inside the main search flow, Virgin is making its Velocity program easier to use in a practical way.

The launch supports a bigger airline strategy

Virgin Australia’s new search tool also fits a broader shift in flight shopping, where travel companies are trying to reduce search friction and make booking options easier to compare.

That same trend was visible in Skyscanner’s ChatGPT flight-search launch, which showed how travel brands are experimenting with more conversational and simplified ways to help users find flights.

Photo by Josh Withers on Unsplash