Virgin Australia’s $69 flights and five more ways the industry is celebrating Valentine’s Day
Ah, Valentines Day.
Whether you’ve spent the past week stealing rose petals from your neighbours garden for an elaborate picnic or you’re the guy on the train with an arm full of half-dead roses from the clearance rack, it’s hard to escape the fluorescent pink and red cut out hearts plastered on your local grocery store.
In fact, it’s estimated that Aussies will spend a whopping $415 million on Valentine’s Day gifts this year, with flowers, chocolates and jewellery set to be the most popular items, according to Roy Morgan.
If you or your clients want to get a bit more creative on this year’s last-minute splurge, we’ve gathered together the best bits of the travel industry’s Valentine’s Day sales.
Virgin Australia’s $69 flights
Today Virgin Australia will operate the first service in the history of the airline comprised entirely of crew who have met their soulmate on the job. The loved-up couples, including pilots and cabin crew, will be joined by specially appointed celebrity CFO (chief flower officer) and The Bachelor alumni, Brittany Hockley alongside postponed honeymooners, who are set to give guests the most romantic flight they’ve ever taken.
The loved-up flight, VA519 from Sydney to the Gold Coast, will include three couples on a mission to re-do their honeymoons after they were originally cancelled due to circumstances related to COVID-19. Each couple will enjoy an overnight stay at the stunning JW Marriott Gold Coast, complete with bubbles, handmade chocolates, complimentary breakfast and breathtaking ocean views.
Onboard VA519, CFO, Hockley, will finally be on the other side – handing out roses instead of receiving them – and will personally give each guest a long-stemmed red rose to spread the love and inject some romance into the experience from the moment they board the aircraft.
In further celebration of the most romantic day of the year, Virgin Australia is set to drop 1.5 million airfares to some of Queensland’s hottest destinations from less than $69 including flights to the Gold Coast, Cairns, Hamilton Island, Sunshine Coast, and the Whitsundays.
Take your love to new heights with SKYWALK
This Valentine’s Day and for three days only, Sydney Tower Eye is introducing private SKYWALK sessions giving couples the chance to share the ultimate view of Sydney with no other guest but your boo.
As well as private access to SKYWALK, the Valentine’s Private Package also includes an all-inclusive photo pack, videos for the ‘gram, access to the Observations Deck, SKYWALK cap and hoodie to take as souvenirs to remember your special date.
A dedicated SKYWALK guide will also be on hand to point out iconic landmarks and help you capture romantic insta-worthy moments.
Tickets for these special Valentine’s Day Private SKYWALKs are limited, so be sure to book and avoid heartbreak!
Intrepid’s last-minute V Day deals
Leave it to the last minute? Intrepid has you covered, with savings of 15 per cent on Intrepid Travel’s six-day Whitsunday Islands Explorer departing 22 February 2022, 25 per cent on its five-day Queensland Daintree Explorer departing 18 February, 25 per cent on a six-day Highlights of Tasmania tour departing 19 February and 15 per cent a seven-day Queensland Coast & Islands Adventure departing 27 February.
Play romantic roulette with QT Hotels
Book the Love Is Blind package and stay with your partner in crime between 11 to 15 February 2022 across any QT in Australia and New Zealand, and QT will dole out the good, the questionable and the get-on-one-knee level unbelievable.
One couple at every hotel will be extremely lucky in love, where they will check-in for a night and keep the romance alive with an extended stay for the remainder of February.
Guests will be surprised on check-in when Champagne bottles are made magnums, or rooms upgraded to the highest of suites. Some will get balcony views while others will be welcomed with bath bombs on cue. Although downgrades are rare, land on something lacklustre and the limits of your love may be put to the test… guests could receive a mere chocolate on the pillow to unrequested twin beds.
Inspiring Journey’s Valentine’s Day savings
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and let’s face it – chocolates and flowers are SO overdone, especially in 2022! Give your loved one the ultimate unique experience off the back of almost two years of closed borders with a romantic 5-day food-lovers trip to stunning South Australia from AAT Kings’ Inspiring Journeys. And, for a limited time, score a great deal
in the process, with savings of $345 per couple!
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
Inspiring Journey intrepid QT Hotels skywalk valentines day virgin australiaLatest News
Collette goes off the beaten track with Canyon Country tour
To be clear TW is not advocating actually walking off the beaten track. Avoid the coyotes. Stay on the beaten track.
Intrepid & Korean Tourism Organisation team up to give agents a cooking masterclass
These guys learnt that Korean cooking is more than just putting kimchi on 2-minute noodles (as we once thought).
Winner, winner! Intrepid reveals the 9 lucky agents that won $2k
Who won the incentive? Which Intrepid trip will they spend it on? What day of the week is it again? Where am I? Huh?
Corporate Traveller reports 42% increase in Easter traffic this year
Business travellers just love Easter! Expect plenty of chocolate stained documents returning to the office on Tuesday.
Turbulent year wiped $384m off Qantas brand value: Report
Meanwhile, eating tuna at your desk can damage your own personal office brand value by several thousand dollars.
FAMIL: Room-Res & Singapore Tourism Board shows agents the Lion City’s roar
Click this article to see a man very impressed by a 20-layer chocolate cake. We're not kidding, he loved it!
Oceania Cruises offers sailors free pre-cruise hotel stay
Looking for ways to make your holidays as long as possible? Look no further.
Bonza launches new website to compliment app, agent portal
Does news about an airline's website fill you with ecstasy, glee and joy? Get your hit of the good stuff here.
MTA agents attends ‘Lunch ‘n’ Learn’ with AMA Waterways
When organising the event, Lunch 'n' Learn beat out Dinner 'n' Divulge and Breakfast 'n' Banter. Understandably so.
Travelmarvel reveals 2025 South America tours
If you spot any typos in the newsletter today it is because TW became distracted Googling images of Machu Picchu.
Tourists from 5 countries could be BANNED from visiting Australia
Anthony Albanese's immigration laws could impact tourism from certain countries.
Just how many passengers will Qantas & Jetstar hop around this Easter?
Airline workers are ready for gleeful Easter travellers! Also prepared for sticky children with chocolate on their face.
Air New Zealand gets ready for bumper Easter weekend
Air NZ gears up for travelling passengers this Easter, while TW looks to beat our egg eating record. 117 here we come!
Four Seasons Yachts reveals first itineraries to the Caribbean & Mediterranean
These trips look so good we wish there were five seasons! Alright, we'll see ourselves out...
FAMIL: Travellers Choice treats top agents to the wonders of Rotorua
This one's got plenty of famil pics and no one looks shockingly hungover in them! Clearly no TW staffers were there.
European Waterways celebrates 50th anniversary with week-long founders cruise
Plan on celebrating your 50th anniversary with a bottle of Moët and fairy bread? European Waterways has better ideas.
100th route! Jetstar celebrates the launch of Brisbane-Avalon with 12 hour sale
Jetstar knocks a ton and celebrates with a sale while TW once scored a ton and celebrated with about 17 beers.
Record-breaking year for NSW as visitor expenditure soars past $50 billion
Enjoy running round the Opera House? Be prepared to elbow even more tourists out the way.
Norwegian Cruise Line makes play for solo travellers
NCL ensuring you don't have to go trawling Tinder to find a cruise partner. Thank goodness, we were sick of catfishing.
Entire Travel Group’s Canada and Europe 2024/25 brochures are out now
Entire's new brochure is bittersweet; it both informs your clients and makes you envious of the holiday they'll take.
Malaysia Airlines adds 3 new destinations & A330neo seats
More seats means cheaper airfares and more money to spend on overpriced airport sandwiches. Woohoo!
Two divine days onboard Crystal Serenity
It's only pure serenity onboard this ship. Anxiety, agitation and anguish have been rejected by the bouncer.
How the Globus Family of Brands elevates coach touring: Travel Weekly TV with Chris Fundell
Chris' here so you don't think coaches mean peeling your thighs off a sticky leather seat every time you stand up!
The Flight Centre Foundation gears up for massive 2024 with 3 new board members
The foundation looks to invest $200k this year, spurring the TW journos to figure out how to qualify as a charity.
Barking Owl Communications to head up Anantara & Avani in ANZ
Fellow PR competitors had been barking up the wrong tree even thinking of bidding for this job!
Amex GBT to purchase CWT for $871m
It's big deals like this that get a firm handshake - hence the sore hands over at the CWT and Amex GBT offices.
1000MTG’s second global conference reminds agents to ‘strive and thrive’
Alongside messages to 'strive' and 'thrive' were those to 'survive', 'drive', 'arrive' and 'jive' (when appropriate).
Qantas A330 makes “loud bang”, pilots forced to shut down one engine
Qantas refusing to let Boeing have all the headlines in aviation world today!
GX Community Tourism Summit 2024 location revealed!
The new location has arrived and it'll blow your socks off! Time for another trip to Target for more socks then.
Visiting the destination my Mum didn’t want me to
Yet again, this journo has been a stress to his mother. Discover how this trip spurred his mother's anxiety here.
Agents come out of their shells at P&O’s turtle hatchery event
For some, it's a few glasses of bubbles to lure them out of their shell. For these agents, it was a bit more literal.
Boeing cleanout: CEO, chair to go as safety crisis plagues the manufacturer
CEOs are falling thick and fast these days. We should have started up a bingo game with their headshots in the office.
Virgin looks to swap MAX 10 order for MAX 8s amid Boeing delays: Reports
Virgin has changed its order for something smaller. Much like we have to at Maccas following a worrying doctor's visit.
Club Med unveils newest luxury yacht for 2024/25 early bird sale
This yacht is preserved for the early birds! Night Owls may also get onboard depending how late they stay up.
Abercrombie & Kent 2024 Asia Portfolio is here
Round up the family and get planning an Asia jaunt. Or, if they're hard to handle, brush them all and go it alone!
Elevate your earnings: Final days to secure double commission with Inspiring Vacations’ March offer
What could inspire you to sell more Inspiring Vacations? Double commission of course! That's all the inspiration needed.