VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Launch of Melbourne to Doha international flights — 1 December 2025

Virgin Australia resumes long-haul international flying from Melbourne with its daily service to Doha on Monday, 1 December 2025. Tickets are now on sale. The flights will be conducted on wet-leased Qatar Airways Boeing 777 aircraft. That means although listed as a Virgin Australia flight, you will be travelling on a Qatar aircraft with their cabin staff and crew.

Flight schedule Melbourne – Doha

The Melbourne-Doha route will operate daily:

• VA7 departs Melbourne 17.10, arriving Doha 23.30
• VA8 departs Doha 01.40, arriving Melbourne 23.05

Qatar Airways already operates double daily Melbourne-Doha flights. In fact, the VA7 flight is currently departing at exactly the same time as QR989 and arriving at the same time. Expect the Qatar Airways flight to be re-timed once the Virgin flight commences.

Qatar Airways’s second Melbourne to Doha service, QR905, should not be affected as it departs Melbourne at 23.30 in the evening.

Other Virgin Australia long-haul international flights

The Melbourne-Doha flights follow the Sydney-Doha daily flights, which commence on 12 June and are already available to book.

• VA1 departs Sydney 15:15 arrives Doha 22:35
• VA2 departs Doha 13:45 arrives Sydney 22:20

Pricing

Pricing on the Melbourne to Doha route is competitive for the launch in December. Economy Class sits pretty tight with Qatar pricing at AU$1986 (QR AU$1,978). Business Class fares are AU$8,764 (QR AU$8,880)

If you were heading, say, Melbourne through to Heathrow, then the cost for a one-stop trip in December in Economy Choice is AU$2,353 (QR AU$2,336) or in Business, AU$9,544 (QR AU$9,670).

Aircraft and Service Details

All Melbourne-Doha flights, including these new Virgin Australia services, are operated by Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777 aircraft with Qsuites in Business Class. The usual Qatar Airways Qsuite Guarantee will not cover Virgin Australia flights.

The Guarantee means that if there is an aircraft swap without QSuites, Qatar will contact you, and you can change your flight to another QSuites flight without additional charge or penalty. This is an unpublished benefit of Qatar Airways.

Virgin’s Australia flights will use Qatar Airways aircraft, crew, and catering under a wet-lease. This also depends on Australian regulators’ approval of Qatar Airways’ taking on a 25% stake in Virgin Australia.

Velocity Points

Virgin’s Melbourne-Doha flights will earn Velocity members full points and status credits.

Redemption rates for a one-way trip between Melbourne and Doha are:

• 119,500 points in business class
• 56,000 points in economy

If you are travelling beyond Doha, the points required depend on the region. If you are travelling to Western Europe, you will need 158,500 points in Business and 80,000 for economy.

• A journey from Melbourne to destinations in Western Europe (including the UK, France, Germany, and Switzerland) will cost 158,500 points in business class and 80,000 points in economy.

Status Credits

For the Sydney to Doha routes, Virgin earn rates for status credits works on a distance-based model for status credits up until October 1, 2025:

• 45 status credits for economy choice
• 80 status credits for economy flex
• 160 status credits for business class

After October 1, 2025, so that includes the Melbourne-Doha route starting in December, then new lower rates apply:

• 35 status credits in economy choice
• 65 status credits in economy flex
• 130 status credits in business class

Qatar Airways’ partner earning rates will apply for onward travel from Doha.

Lounge Access

Lounge access on Virgin’s Melbourne-Doha flights is a bit all over the place and has yet to be confirmed.

Qatar Airways passengers can currently use Air New Zealand lounges in Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. For Melbourne, it’s the Marhaba Business Lounge. Virgin recently renewed its partnership with Air New Zealand. Let’s hope that by the time the Melbourne route commences, access will have been extended to the Air New Zealand lounge there.

In Doha, Virgin flights will have access to the following lounges depending on status and travel class:

• Business Class — Al Mourjan Lounge.
• Velocity Platinum Members in Economy — Qatar Airways’ Platinum Lounge.
• Velocity Gold members in Economy — Gold Lounge.

Lounge arrangements for other destinations are unclear, but they are likely to reflect Qatar Airways’ premium lounge access rules. So, Business and First passengers should have access to Qatar and partner lounges. Partner lounge access for frequent flyers with status will be provided at key airports like Heathrow in London.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is of course all subject to regulatory approval. The ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) has a preliminary ruling in favour of the move, but the FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) has yet to approve Qatar Airways purchasing a quarter stake in Virgin Australia.

For the moment, let’s assume that everything goes smoothly and that these flights take off in December. The current Virgin pricing for Melbourne to Heathrow in Economy is being undercut by Qantas and Emirates by around AU$300 – depending on the flight (AU$2,027 Emirats v AU$2,336 Virgin/Qatar).

In Business Virgin/Qatar are charging around AU$9670, with Emirates and Qantas at AU$9,788. This comparison is for dates in December 2025.

For passengers the hope is that these new Virgin Australia flights run by Qatar will put downward pressure on airfares, and the current evidence is that they are – however slightly.