There is nothing quite like having the seat next to you free on a flight.
Virgin Australia has found a way to monetise that feeling, offering passengers the chance to bid on, or even purchase, a “neighbour free” seat.
Starting this month, customers can make an offer for how much they’re willing to pay to fly without a seatmate and enter the amount with their credit card details, the Brisbane-based airline said.
If successful, the customer will be told “no later than two hours” before departure whether they’ve scored the preferred seat.
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For those who don’t want to take their chances, they can pay outright as well.
The new options are enabled by Virgin’s efforts to simplify its fleet, including its seating options, as part of a long-term effort to wring more efficiencies out of the business.
Before its relisting on the ASX in June, the company began a “transformation” program to lift revenue and productivity, in part by optimising the different types of tickets, increasing revenue management, and growing higher-yielding SME and corporate customer segments.
Earlier this month, Virgin began a trial run of allowing passengers to fly with dogs and cats in the cabin – also for a fee.
Virgin says, “neighbour-free seating” will be progressively rolled out from September 2025 on domestic and short-haul international services operated by the 737 aircraft. Qantas introduced a similar option for passengers in 2023.
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