Virgin Australia restarts Samoa flights with 72 hour sale
Guests on Virgin Australia’s first flight to Samoa in three years received a friendly welcome home yesterday, with the airline launching a 72 hour sale.
Sydney-Apia services commence yesterday and Brisbane flights will take off on 23 March – with both routes operating up to two return flights a week on the airline’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
The sale has return economy lite airfares from $549.
Virgin Australia chief strategy and transformation officer Alistair Hartley said the return was welcome news for travellers across the Pacific.
“There is a strong Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market in Samoa which is why we wanted to mark this occasion with a Samoan crew,” Hartley said.
“It’s an exciting step in the rebuilding of our short-haul international network and comes ahead of our return to Vanuatu later this month.”
The first flight was hosted by an all-Samoan cabin crew and first officer greeted guests, who also treated passengers to a traditional song during the flight and cultural welcome upon landing in Apia.
“The return of Virgin Australia flights from Australia to Samoa is wonderful news for the nation, boosting collective efforts to rebuild and recover Samoa’s visitor economy,” Samoa Tourism Authority CEO, Pativaine Petaia-Tevita said.
“With a diverse flight schedule it means more and more travellers will be able to make their way to us to experience Fa`a-Samoa, our beautiful culture and way of life.”
Flights from both Brisbane and Sydney will initially depart in the evening, and from 28 March the Sydney flight will move to a daytime departure.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
Alistair Hartley Pativaine Petaia-Tevita samoa Samoa Tourism Authority virgin australiaLatest News
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