Virgin Australia is claiming a first for the Australian airline industry with a new partnership with OpenAI, aiming to simplify how travelers search, plan, and book their flights. Now building directly on OpenAI’s developer tools—like ChatGPT’s new Apps SDK—the airline is testing ways for customers to describe travel plans conversationally and receive relevant flight options in return. That means, one day soon, saying “I’m craving the beach in late Feb with my dog” could serve up flights to the coast, with Pets in Cabin already factored in.
Beyond passenger perks, Virgin is threading AI into its broader business fabric. The Velocity Frequent Flyer program now includes an AI-powered trip planner, helping users find reward seat availability and build holiday itineraries without toggling a dozen tabs. Meanwhile, in the background, AI is already being used to forecast traveler demand and fine-tune airfare pricing more precisely. For a country ranked top ten globally in ChatGPT subscriptions, Virgin is clearly speaking the same language as its tech-savvy fliers.
This isn’t Virgin’s first rodeo when it comes to doing things differently (remember the Middle Seat Lottery?). From online check-ins to Neighbour-Free Seating, they’ve got a history of user-friendly tweaks that manage to feel smart rather than gimmicky. With ChatGPT now in the mix, Virgin’s CEO says it’s all about meeting customers where they already are—and judging by Australia’s AI adoption rate, many of them are already chatting there.
Read more via Virgin Australia’s newsroom.