Australian Airlines offer free flights for vaccinated Australians

Airlines are putting prizes up for grabs to encourage Aussies to get their jabs.

Virgin Australia will join Qantas in offering free flights as an incentive for Australians to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Under the airline’s VA-X & Win promotion, there'll be a major prize of one million Velocity Frequent Flyer points, "dozens of free business class flights" plus a range of other prizes. The competition will launch later this year, once all Australian adults are expected to be eligible for the vaccine. “What the latest lockdown in Melbourne has taught us, is the sooner we can all get vaccinated, the sooner we can get on with our lives, without the constant fear and uncertainty that come with lockdowns, restrictions and closed borders,” a Virgin Australia spokesman said.

Qantas is expected to reveal full details of its own vaccination contest in coming weeks, but group CEO Alan Joyce has already promised 10 ‘mega-prizes’ of one year of unlimited free economy flights a family of up to four. Discounts on regular flight bookings plus free serves of Qantas Points and status credits could also be offered to Australians who are fully vaccinated by the end of 2021.

Qantas will offer 10 'mega prizes' of a year of free flights for Australians who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of 2021. Also on offer could be discounts on regular flight bookings and potentially 1,000 Qantas Points plus status credits as the airline seeks to spearhead a push for vaccination incentives by Australia's largest companies.

"We're going to offer 10 'mega-prizes', at least one for each state and territory, where you will get for a year, for a family of four, unlimited travel anywhere on the Qantas and Jetstar network," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce confirmed on Nine's Today show on Monday morning. The trips would be in economy class and each of the ten winners would also receive one million Accor ALL points to use for booking accommodation.

Joyce said the program would launch in July, "will include anybody that has already been vaccinated (and) will apply to anybody that's vaccinated through to the end of 2021." 

"To really help with that vaccine we are putting this discount for people who have taken the vaccine (and) we're looking at giving 1,000 points
flight vouches and status credits," Joyce added.

"I'm encouraging a Team Australia moment for every other corporate to help with this vaccine rollout and to reward people that have had the vaccine." Joyce also suggested that widespread vaccination in the USA and the UK could see Qantas restart flights to those key markets sooner rather than later, and certainly ahead of the Government's proposed mid-2022 timeframe.