The widely praised move by ‘world’s best airline’ Qatar Airways to seek a 25 per cent stake in Virgin Australia would not only bring airfares down, but see Aussie carrier’s loyalty program explode, an aviation expert said.
Aviation expert Dr Rico Merkert flags one of the 'main advantages' of Qatar Airways , Virgin Australia deal that's not just lower airfares
The move was praised by aviation professor Dr Rico Merkert who said the stake will not only bolster Virgin’s competitive power against main rival Qantas and drop airfares, but send the value of its Velocity frequent flyer program soaring. Virgin’s Velocity frequent flyer program allows travellers to upgrade their status with less points than Qantas and generally offers more status points per flight.
He noted that it would depend “what aircraft Virgin Australia will get from Qatar”, but would ultimately lead to a better flying experience. This intense market concentration comes as the overall capacity heading to the region still lags pre-pandemic levels.
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