Virgin Australia extends Fly Ahead to economy fares

We’ve all been there. A meeting is cancelled, plans change, and suddenly you’re left with a hole at the end of your schedule.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to catch an earlier flight, without paying for the privilege, and be able to get home sooner?

That’s the thinking behind Virgin Australia’s Fly Ahead option, which is now available for all passengers booked on a domestic Economy Flex ticket, who can move to an available earlier same-day flight with no change fee or fare difference.

Fly Ahead was previously an exclusive perk of top-tier Velocity frequent flyers holding Gold, Platinum or Platinum Plus status.

Extending this to Economy Flex makes plenty of sense – after all, those fares are supposed to be flexible – that’s the main reason they cost more than any other Virgin economy ticket.

Fly Ahead is now available for Economy Flex passengers via the Virgin Australia app.

As a quick benchmark, you could be looking at $228 for a one-way Economy Flex ticket between Sydney and Melbourne, compared to $145 for a mid-range Economy Choice ticket, or an entry-level $129 for Economy Lite.

Virgin Australia Group Executive, Libby Minogue, says passengers – especially business travellers who book into the economy cabin – “want more flexibility and control when plans change.”

“This enhancement gives our guests greater flexibility without the added costs often associated with changing travel plans, reinforcing our commitment to offering value where it matters most.”

Jump onto the next available flight with Fly Ahead.

Fly Ahead will be available to Economy Flex passengers via the Virgin Australia app, and of course is subject to seating availability.

On the busy ‘golden triangle’ routes between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, Fly Ahead will be available for departures up to two hours before the originally booked flight.

On other routes, travellers can request the immediately preceding available flight, at least 60 minutes before its scheduled departure while the flight is still open for check-in.

The big catch: you can’t request Fly Ahead if you have already checked in your luggage. But for the carry-on only crowd, it’s a winner.

Also read: From just $8, Virgin Australia Economy X is the upgrade you need