Here’s how to check, redeem and make the most of your Virgin travel credits before they’re gone for good.
Aussies with unused Virgin Australia travel credits issued during the pandemic are being urged to check their accounts, with an expiry date now officially set. In a recent announcement shared via its app, the airline revealed that all eligible credits must be used before the deadline – giving customers less than a month to act.
Do you have an eligible Virgin travel credit?
If your travel plans with Virgin Australia were disrupted or cancelled during the pandemic, there’s a chance you still have unused points sitting in your account. And now, you’ve got until the end of the financial year to use them or lose them.
Virgin Australia has officially set an expiry date for all COVID-related flight credits. (Credit: Getty/Ryan Fletcher)
According to the national carrier, all flight credits issued between 21 April 2020 and 31 July 2022 must be redeemed before 30 June 2026. But simply locking in your holiday dates isn’t enough. For credits to count, travellers need to not only book their trip before the deadline, but complete it too.
Credits were originally issued for passengers impacted during the pandemic. (Credit: Getty/Prathaan)
The policy also does little to account for passengers originally travelling for one-off events like weddings or funerals. Nor does it consider the fact that airfares have increased since many of the bookings were first made, leaving customers to cover the difference.
While the rules around when customers can use their credits are proving tight, there is some leeway when it comes to who can use them. To help provide greater flexibility, Virgin is allowing eligible credits to be used by passengers not included on the original booking, such as family and friends.
How to check and redeem your travel credit
Currently, there’s an estimated $93 million worth of travel credits that have yet to be claimed by customers. Here’s how to find out if any belong to you – and how to use them before they expire.
Travellers can check their eligibility via Virgin’s website or app. (Credit: Getty/Tippapatt)
The first step is logging in to your Virgin Australia Travel Bank account, either online or via the airline’s app, where you can view your credit balance. From there, search for the flights you’d like to book via Virgin’s website.
Any fare displayed on the flight selection page can be purchased using a travel credit. After deciding on your flights (remembering travel dates must occur prior to 30 June), enter the passenger’s details, whether that’s you or someone travelling on your behalf.
Most domestic flights operated by Virgin Australia can be booked using travel credits. (Credit: Getty/Ai_Yoshi)
Next, select Travel Bank as your payment method and you’ll be prompted to log in to your account. Once confirmed, your credit will be applied and you’ll receive a flight confirmation email as normal. If you encounter any issues along the way, simply contact Virgin on 136789 for assistance.
Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.
AI Prompt
What about Jetstar and Qantas?
When it comes to Australia’s other major airlines, Qantas and Jetstar, COVID flight credits are treated a little differently. Unlike Virgin, eligible credits issued during the pandemic do not expire.
Jetstar and Qantas also providing travel credits to customers impacted by COVID. (Credit: Getty/SCM Jeans)
The policy was introduced following public backlash in 2023, when Qantas introduced its own expiry date for flight credits issued during COVID. At the time, the airline owed approximately $570 million worth of travel credits to both domestic and international passengers.
Now, Qantas customers with eligible travel credits can apply for a refund, an especially handy option amid the carrier’s ongoing flight cuts. Meanwhile, Jetstar customers can continue using their credits as travel vouchers indefinitely.
Those wanting to check their eligibility can do so via each airline’s website. Who knows, your next holiday could be closer (and cheaper) than you think!
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Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
From poolside bites and tasting flights to seafood plates and dry-aged steaks, a foodie adventure on Hamilton Island is worth every bite.
Hamilton Island’s sun-lacquered shores have long magnetised travellers craving an escape from reality. But what’s less expected – and more interesting – is just how assuredly this Whitsundays idyll delivers on the culinary front. Dialling up the flavour as much as the barefoot allure, the Hamilton Island food scene offers world-class dining and drinking options, spanning slick fine-dining moments to just-caught seafood served within sight of the sea. Let’s dig in.
Catseye Pool Club
Catseye Pool Club offers stunning beach views. (Image: Kara Rosenlund)
Framing the electric blues of Catseye Beach from The Sundays hotel, Catseye Pool Club is Hamilton Island’s latest culinary prodigy. Shown to our table, we thread through rattan chairs, Zellige tiles and tumbling greenery that opens up to Coral Sea shimmer.
The poolside restaurant is the brainchild of Sydney-based chef duo Josh and Julie Niland, who have brought their relaxed yet elevated dining ethos north. The menu – designed to bring people together – is made for sharing, each hero ingredient orbited by a palette of sides to mix, match and layer as you please.
My thyme cocktail – woody with scotch, lifted by lime leaf – pairs perfectly with the charcoal grilled prawns entree, which is served with tumeric and lemongrass marinade, macadamia satay sauce and a thai-leaning sour green mango salad. Each forkful lands differently, but all are a delight. Then comes the coral trout. True to Josh Niland’s ‘scale-to-tail’ philosophy, the fish is presented whole in a theatrical crescent, a tiny fork stuck into its cheek in a nod to Niland’s declared prize cut. Ribbons of zucchini resembling gauzy curtains bring brightness and snap, while kasundi lends depth and warmth. It’s tongue-tantalising, special occasion dining with humanity.
Sails Restaurant
Settle into casual poolside dining. (Credit: Nikki To)
A more casual poolside dining scene awaits at nearby Sails Restaurant, where Eastern Mediterranean flavours are dished up with an island twist. Chermoula chicken skewers and barramundi souvlaki lie on the more filling side of the menu, while the sumac squid and stone-bread flatbread with za’atar – arriving alongside pomegranate molasses, beetroot hummus and crushed macadamias – are perfect light bites after a dip in the pool. And don’t miss the garlic lemon scallops.
The setting is equally part of the draw. Sunlight floods the high-ceilinged dining room, while outdoor tables look out across the glittering expanse of Catseye Beach. Holidaymakers in oversized sunglasses sip spritzes beneath umbrellas, the gentle clink of plates mixing with splashes from the adjacent pool. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to linger long after lunch.
Bommie
Head to the Hamilton Island Yacht Club for a taste of Bommie. (Credit: Nikki To)
Tucked into a sleek curved wing of the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Bommie delivers experiential fine dining with a sense of occasion. Led by award-winning Executive Chef Ryan Locke, the seasonal menu champions local and native Australian ingredients whipped up into a modern display of creative precision.
Inside the dim-lit dining room, guests can choose between the Tasting Menu or Chef’s Signature Degustation. Sourdough with pine oil sets the tone for the six-course tasting menu, beautifully presented in a bed of pine needles alongside smoked paperbark butter. I love how the squid ink choux pastry is served with flavour-popping native finger lime, which our waiter encourages us to eat caviar-style. Standout moments continue with the wattle-seed-crusted venison elevated by red fruit and pickled beetroot swirls; the meat is perfectly pink in the middle and an homage to the island’s history as a deer farm.
Pebble Beach
qualia Resort guests can dine at Pebble Beach. (Credit: Lean Timms)
Exclusive to qualia Resort guests for lunch and dinner, Pebble Beach is Hamilton Island’s most serene expression of seasonal island dining. Ocean-facing chairs dot a timber deck that spills straight onto the resort’s private beach, while crystalline turquoise waters stretch to meet distant islands – a scene far prettier than any postcard could capture.
The recently refreshed menu doubles down on seasonality and bright, layered flavours. While the more substantial T-bone steak with hazelnut honey carrots tempts, we go lighter: Coffin Bay oysters with Champagne foam and keffir lime dust kick us off splendidly, followed by Byron Bay burrata served with balsamic and caramelised figs. The fennel and orange salad topped with succulent grilled chicken is utterly delectable, but it’s the zingy, oh-so-fresh soft shell fish tacos that I can’t stop thinking about. It all goes down a treat with a glass of delicate Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne.
Beach Club Restaurant
Book in advance for Beach Club Restaurant. (Credit: Nikki To)
A lunch or dinner table at Beach Club Restaurant is best booked in advance – and it’s easy to see why. Looking out over the hotel’s palm-fringed infinity pool, the restaurant spotlights elegant contemporary Australian cuisine with a stellar (also Aussie-leaning) wine list to match.
I am completely enamoured by the grilled Queensland prawns, which are brought to life with a smoked compound, local fried curry leaves and lime. Digging into the butter-soft lamb rump served atop pea ragout and parsley Paris mash feels like a warm, nostalgic hug. And dessert – vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with hot salted honey and apple gel – ends the night on a high note.
Expect warm and discreet service; our waiter Marco tells us that the tiny decorative starfish on our table are there to help the staff remember whether we prefer sparkling or still water, so they don’t need to bother us by asking multiple times.
Talk & Taste with Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher
Join this immersive wine experience. (Credit Eleanor Edström)
There’s more to Hamilton Island’s foodie scene than restaurant reservations alone. For wine-curious travellers seeking something a little more immersive, Beach Club has recently introduced Talk & Taste – a tutored tasting hosted by Bommie Assistant Manager and wine enthusiast Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher. Held twice weekly for a maximum of eight guests, the experience explores Australian wine culture through four thoughtfully selected drops paired with native-inspired bites.
We opt for the white wine and seafood option. Alongside pours from Eden Valley and Launceston, a nibbling platter arrives featuring sashimi, salmon roe, Mooloolaba prawn ceviche and palate-cleansing ginger. The seafood is pristine and pared back, allowing the wines to take centre stage.
The real highlight, however, is discovering just how nuanced winemaking can be. Courtenay speaks of viticulture as both art and science: harvest grapes a week too late and ripeness tips into ruin; plant the same varietal on different elevations and the sun, slope and water flow will shape entirely different expressions. Pinot noir, she explains, with its delicate skin and high water content, yields lighter fruit-forward wines, while thicker-skinned shiraz delivers depth and structure. I leave feeling fascinated and inspired by Courtenay’s evident passion.
coca chu
Get a taste of Southeast Asian flavours. (Credit: Nikki To)
Sweet and hot. Sour and salty. Dining at ever-popular coca chu is a sensation-swirling experience that’s not to be missed if you’re a sucker for punchy Southeast Asian flavours. Located at the Main Pool end of Catseye Beach, this lively hangout is all swaying lanterns, driftwood, high beamed ceilings and giant open windows that let in the balmy ocean breeze.
Drawing from hawker traditions, the grilled betel leaf is a neat, vibrant mouthful of chilli fried cashews and spiced beef. The tofu surprises – soft beneath a tumble of dill, mint and coriander, and glossed in moreish peanut sauce. The massaman curry is pure comfort: creamy, fragrant, fall-apart meat. It’s generous and expressive cooking that I, for one, cannot get enough of.
Marina Cafe
Take in harbour views and comfort food.
Sometimes, all you crave on holidays is a bacon and egg roll done properly and a creamy fruit smoothie. Boasting harbour views, an easygoing atmosphere and clean modern interiors, Marina Cafe is a popular local haunt for a reason. The casual menu lures families and couples alike with its all-day brekky, seasonal salads and sandwiches – from a roasted pumpkin bowl to prosciutto and rocket on herby focaccia.
The acai bowl, topped with toasted nuts and berries, is a refreshing start to my day. Whether you sit in or takeaway, it’s a good-vibes-guaranteed place to refuel before or after your Whitsundays adventures.
