VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Returns to Samoa. Fares on sale

Samoa will get up to two flights per week from Sydney and Brisbane to Apia. The first flight is this evening from Sydney (21 March 2023), with Brisbane flights starting on 23 March 2023. Both flights on the airline’s domestic and short-haul international workhorse, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Flights initially will depart in the evening, but from 28 March the Sydney flight will move to a daytime departure.

Sale Fares

For the next 72 hours you can purchase a return economy fare for AU $549 – but remember it is an Economy Lite fare, which doesn’t come with checked luggage. Mind you, all you will need is your swimmers and thongs . . .

You will also get a bonus serve of 4,000 points if you meet some fine print. passengers will receive 2,000 bonus Points each way on Trans-Tasman and international short-haul flights when activated and booked between 10-22 March 2023, for travel before 3 February 2024 – so its a bit limited.

Virgin Australia’s International short-haul network continues to expand following the relaunch of the business in November 2020 and now includes Bali, Queenstown, Nadi, Port Vila and Apia, as well as Tokyo (Haneda) which will commence in June 2023.[2] New short-haul international services will see Virgin Australia grow its international capacity by 50 per cent by mid-2024.

2PAXfly Takeout

I have never been to Samoa, but it is on my ‘explore the pacific’ list. Sydney and Brisbane have substantial Samoan communities, as well as less permanent populations of transitory workers in Australia. Combine that with tourist demand, and you probably have a very profitable 5.5 to 6-hour route.