Brisbane, Australia – Virgin Australia has entered into a new collaboration with OpenAI, becoming the first airline in the country to access the company’s emerging technologies. The partnership is intended to support the airline’s long-term digital modernisation plans and introduce new ways for travellers to plan and purchase flights.
Through OpenAI’s platform, Virgin Australia is assessing opportunities to refine the digital booking experience, including more tailored recommendations and improved navigation for customers exploring flight options.
Early work also includes evaluating how a Virgin Australia experience could be integrated into ChatGPT using recently released developer tools. The approach aims to allow travellers to describe their intended journey and be guided towards the most relevant services.
Dave Emerson, chief executive officer for Virgin Australia, shared that the airline is laser-focused on making the travel journey more seamless, beginning with the planning and flight search experience.
“We are excited to be the first Australian airline to collaborate with OpenAI as we accelerate new customer experiences and capabilities for our team members,” Dave commented.
He added, “We’ve been applying advanced analytics and AI across various parts of our business for many years, and this collaboration with OpenAI marks an important step forward in the next stage of our digital transformation.”
The airline is also applying AI-enabled tools across various operational areas to streamline internal processes and enhance the support it provides to customers and Velocity Frequent Flyer members.
These developments build on initiatives already in place, such as the AI Trip Planner, which helps guests explore destinations, tailor itineraries and better understand fare and reward seat availability. The organisation continues to use data-driven systems for forecasting and dynamic pricing to align inventory with market conditions.
“We’re excited to work with Virgin Australia as they bring cutting-edge OpenAI technology into the heart of their business,” Oliver Jay, international managing director at OpenAI, stated.
He added, “By integrating our tools, Virgin Australia has an enormous opportunity to create a whole new way for Australians to experience travel.”
Virgin Australia has a history of introducing new customer-focused features within the Australian market, including digital check-in, expanded leg-room seating on domestic flights and real-time baggage updates.
These developments reflect the airline’s broader commitment to improving the travel experience by using technology to create more intuitive and convenient interactions before and during the journey.
