Business class compared: Qantas vs Virgin vs Rex

Competition for business class flyers in Australia has never been more fierce, with Qantas, Virgin Australia and Regional Express (Rex) all fighting for a share of the domestic premium travel market.

Executive Traveller puts the three airlines head-to-head across the 10 areas business class flyers value most.

Priority perks: check-in, security, boarding

Priority check-in and boarding are ubiquitous for business class flyers across the three airlines, although the experience at security highlights key differences.

Qantas offers priority security screening at a number of airports including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane (via Premium Lounge Entry), Perth, and in places such as Adelaide and on the Gold Coast where the priority lane is shared between airlines.

Virgin Australia, on the other hand, continues to keep its own Premium Entry facilities closed in Sydney and Brisbane, with no alternative priority screening paths here; likewise, the Premium Exit facility also remains unavailable in Melbourne.

This leaves access only to shared priority screening paths in places like Adelaide and the Gold Coast, being the only two airports where Rex business class passengers can also skip the economy queues.

Winner: With fast-track security at Australia’s six busiest airports – unmatched by its competitors – Qantas takes the gong.

Travelling with checked baggage

Have a suitcase to check-in?

Qantas and Virgin Australia allow 2x32kg bags (64kg total) for all business class passengers, or 3x32kg (96kg total) for Platinum-grade frequent flyers and above. This includes Oneworld Emerald cardholders on Qantas, too.

Rex instead provides a flat 32kg baggage allowance for all business class passengers.

Winner: First place is shared by Qantas and Virgin Australia, which provide higher checked baggage allowances than Rex.

Carry-on bags

Here’s where things get interesting: both Qantas and Virgin Australia allow up to 14kg of total cabin baggage for business class flyers, although Qantas permits one bag to weigh up to 10kg, while Virgin Australia caps that at 7kg per bag.

Rex instead provides just 10kg for those on Biz Saver fares, but a higher 15kg on Biz and Biz Plus tickets (with up to 10kg in a single item).

Winner: With Rex having both the most and least generous allowances, Qantas providing more flexibility than Virgin Australia in how a traveller packs, but Virgin Australia matching Qantas in total cabin baggage weight, we’re calling this one a draw.

Business class lounges

With Qantas offering lounge facilities for business class flyers at 22 Australian airports (24, once refurbishments in Port Hedland and Rockhampton conclude), the Flying Kangaroo is unmatched here.

It’s also the only Australian airline with dedicated Business Lounges, found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth.

These sit a rung above the neighbouring Qantas Clubs – with Qantas also the only domestic airline to afford business class passengers one complimentary lounge guest, without also requiring frequent flyer status or a paid lounge membership.

Virgin Australia is the Roo’s nearest competitor in the lounge stakes, but offers a smaller network of seven domestic lounges, found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth and on the Gold Coast.

Rex has just three established lounges – located in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide – plus a temporary lounge in Canberra while a purpose-built facility is constructed.

Winner: With lounge facilities in more than three times as many airports as its closest competitor, Qantas nabs this trophy.

The business class seat

On domestic flights, Qantas offers business class across its Boeing 737, Boeing 787 and Airbus A330 fleet, in addition to many Boeing 717 flights as well, when served by a two-class aircraft.

Aboard those single-aisle jets (that's the Boeing 717, and Boeing 737), expect to find 12 business class recliners with leg rests, some of which also provide AC and USB power.

On Airbus A330 and Boeing 787 flights, you’ll instead have a flatbed at your disposal – much appreciated on longer flights, such as between the east coast and both Perth and Darwin.

Virgin Australia offers business class aboard its Boeing 737s, with eight reclining seats at the pointy end (but without leg rests), as does Regional Express.

On Virgin Australia you’ll find AC power outlets on some aircraft, but don’t expect AC power on Rex.

Except for the embossed logo, the seats are otherwise identical between Rex business class and Virgin Australia, given Rex took over the leases on some of the planes Virgin Australia trimmed from its own fleet during administration.

Winner: While all three airlines offer comfortable and spacious seating, the leg rests on Qantas’ recliners give them an edge, also being the only airline with flatbed seating in the domestic skies.

Business class food and beverage

Travellers taking to the skies are offered meal service aboard all three airlines, with a few distinct differences.

Qantas generally skips the pre-departure drink but delivers a meal with beverages after take-off, offering a bread plate, sweet item, and a hot or chilled main. Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary.

It’s also the only airline catering to dietary needs with diabetic, gluten-free, vegan, Kosher, Halal, and children’s meals available for pre-order on all domestic and trans-Tasman business class flights.

Virgin Australia is back with plated meals, too. They’re available on every domestic business flight, and adopt more of a café-style offering.

On the plus side, pre-departure drinks are normally provided ahead of the inflight meal service – where spirits feature on the menu too – but without the ability to request a dietary meal in advance, which could see some travellers going hungry depending on what’s on the standard menu that day.

Rex offers pre-departure drinks as well, with hot food options in the air, plus beer and wine (but no spirits).

These are all served via single-use packaging and utensils, along with plastic cups for wine and cardboard cups for coffee, making the overall presentation more akin to traditional economy, rather than edging towards restaurant fare in the air.

Winner: With Qantas offering the broadest variety of meals including those catered to dietary requirements, but Virgin Australia including spirits on the menu in addition to pre-departure drinks, this one is a tie between Qantas and Virgin, as some travellers will prioritise inflight food, and others, the refreshments.

Business class fares compared

Qantas has so far ranked or tied on most of the ‘experience’ fronts, but its ticket prices certainly reflect this premium.

As a rule, Qantas business class is consistently the most expensive, with fares at least twice and sometimes three times those of Virgin Australia and Rex, which lately tend to match one another.

In practical terms, this means passengers could take a return business class flight with Virgin or Rex for less than a one-way business class ticket on Qantas.

Obviously the fares vary between routes, and also depend on time of year – allowing for peak periods such as school holidays – so readers are advised to run their own comparisons to suit their travel habits and schedule.

Winner: With Virgin Australia consistently price-matching Rex, this title is shared by these two airlines. However, it’s great to see that Virgin’s cut-price fares are also appearing on routes where it only competes with Qantas, such as between Brisbane and Sydney.

Business class flight changes

When your plans change, all three airlines allow your business class flight to move with you – although each has a slightly different policy.

Qantas doesn’t impose a fixed ‘change fee’ on any domestic business class fare, but levies a fare difference where one applies. The exception is Platinum One frequent flyers booked on flexible business class fares making a same-day change, where any price difference is waived.

Virgin Australia normally imposes a $70 change fee on its most attractively-priced tickets (Business Saver), although this is temporarily waived when travelling before February 28 2022.

A fare difference still applies with any change – as it does on all other business class fares – although same-day changes made by Velocity Gold and Platinum frequent flyers (plus up to three companions on the same booking) see this waived, under the airline’s Fly Ahead program.

Rex instead allows every business class passenger to standby for an earlier same-day flight at no charge (known as ‘Get Me Home’), while earlier changes for Biz Saver and Biz tickets are subject to a fare difference.

A $33 change fee is also payable with Biz Saver for changing flights within seven days of departure, although no fare difference applies for Biz Plus guests, given this is already Rex’s most expensive fare.

Winner: The best-fit airline here will depend on when you’re changing your ticket, the type of fare purchased, and any frequent flyer status you hold, so we’re calling this one a draw – but with notable mentions to Virgin Australia for its Fly Ahead flexibility, and to Rex for its Get Me Home initiative.

WiFi and inflight entertainment

The importance of entertainment and connectivity will no doubt depend on the length and timing of your flight: but where that’s a factor for your journey, here’s how the airlines stack up.

Qantas provides complimentary entertainment on all its Boeing 737, Boeing 787 and Airbus A330 jets – either through seatback screen, or streaming to your own device – along with free inflight Internet aboard selected Boeing 737s and Airbus A330-200s.

Virgin Australia also streams entertainment content to your own device across its Boeing 737 fleet, but inflight Internet connectivity remains paused, even on aircraft equipped with the technology.

Rex is now rolling out limited inflight entertainment to traveller's own devices, along with WiFi that's free for business class passengers.

Winner: As the only airline providing a full sweep of entertainment and fast WiFi, Qantas is ahead here.

Frequent flyer programs

As Rex doesn’t currently offer a personal frequent flyer program and its existing Rex Business Flyer scheme is closed to new applicants, this becomes a battle between Qantas and Virgin Australia.

On that front, here’s how many frequent flyer points and status credits travellers can earn on what’s normally the most popular domestic route in Australia, Sydney-Melbourne – mirrored on other short domestic hops too, like Sydney-Brisbane, Brisbane-Townsville, and Melbourne-Adelaide.

The figures below reflect the earn rates for an entry-level frequent flyer: that’s Qantas Bronze or  Velocity Red.

*For Qantas Points Club members only

At five Velocity Points per $1 spent, Virgin Australia’s average $299 Sydney-Melbourne business class fares deliver 1,495 Velocity Points. If fares rose to match the $700+ price tag of Qantas, that’d instead provide a chunky 3,580 Velocity Points, aside the same number of status credits within each fare family.

Qantas and Virgin Australia also provide additional points for Silver, Gold and Platinum frequent flyers (plus Platinum One, at Qantas).

When it comes time to spend those points, here’s how many you’d need for a one-way flight on the same route:

*Plus taxes, fees and carrier charges

Winner: With Velocity members earning more points and status credits than Qantas flyers on many business class journeys, paired with needing fewer points to book or upgrade those same flights, Virgin Australia delivers on ‘earn and burn’.

However, being able to earn status credits on reward flights will be a significant drawcard for some Qantas Points Club members, and more broadly, high flyers may also appreciate the potential of earning Qantas lifetime status after many years of travel.

Qantas vs Virgin Australia vs Rex business class: the verdict

There’s no doubt that when measured on this 10-point scale, Qantas trumps its rivals as Australia’s top airline for the business class traveller – especially on the core experience of seats, lounges, and airport priority services.

However, that premium service is reflected in the asking price: Qantas’ fares are more than double that of Virgin Australia and Rex on every mainline domestic route we searched.

In keeping with its new mid-market value positioning, Virgin Australia strikes a pleasing balance between the overall business class offering and the price you pay for it.

More affordable fares, a network of lounges in key airports and several aspects of the Velocity Frequent Flyer program result in a formula geared to appeal to small business owners and premium leisure flyers.

As the newest entrant to the business class skies, Rex also isn’t to be ignored, with sharp fares alongside seats and aircraft mirroring its nearest rival – but it’s clearly the more ‘budget’ airline in this 10-point business class assessment, and the lack of a personal frequent flyer program certainly needs to be remedied.

Also read: Did Qantas really ‘invent’ business class?

ET readers: we welcome your informed first-hand opinion on which airline you choose for business class travel, and why, as well as where the others need to catch up.