VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Starts flights to Uluru from Brisbane and Melbourne

Virgin is starting routes between Uluru in Australia’s Red Centre, Brisbane, and Uluru and Melbourne. These routes to one of the most notable features of the Australian landscape, Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, are subsidised by taxpayers via the Northern Territory Government and Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia (operators of Ayers Rock Resort, Uluru).

Sale fares for 72 hours

If you havn’t been to Uluru, you must, it is one of the most stunning places on earth. Uluru, Kata Juta, Kings Canyon are all within reach and are all worth visiting. My particular favourite is Kata Juta and the Valley of the Winds walk. If you are lucky, then your flight might even go over these amazing landscape features, and believe me, its worth seeing them from the air. If you miss it on the flight in, then there are separate tourist light plane and hellicopter flights. They arn’t cheap, but are definitely worth it in my view.

Virgin Australia is offering a sale for the next 72 hours until a minute to midnight on Saturday, 8 June 2024. A one-way flight from Brisbane or Melbourne to Uluru wil cost you as little as AU$ 119 one-way. You can head to the sale here.

They are also promoting an AU$ 230/night special at Ayers Rock Resort for stays of three nights or longer. That includes a buffet breakfast for two. In my experience, rates are often double that, so this looks like good value.

If you want to use some of your Velocity Points, then that will be 9,400 points one-way.

Melbourne Flights

The Melbourne direct flights run for about 2 hours 50 minutes with 182 seats on a Boeing 737.

• VA1681, departs Melbourne at 12:30 pm, arrives Uluru 3:40 pm (Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun)
• VA1682 departs Uluru at 4:15 pm, arrives Melbourne 7:35 pm (Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun)

Brisbane Flights

These direct flights are also on a Boeing 737 and are timed at 3 hours and 10 minutes

• VA1693, departs Brisbane at 12:15 pm, arrives Uluru (Ayers Rock Airport AYQ) 3:40 pm (Mon, Wed, Fri)
• VA1694 departs Uluru at 4:25 pm, arrives Melbourne 8:05 pm (Mon, Wed, Fri)

2PAXfly Takeout

If you haven’t been, you have to go. It’s just magic. You can access Uluru from other capital cities, but not directly.

Qantas also provides a service to Uluru from most capital cities. You can also piggyback on a private charter service from Alice Springs. It’s not cheap, but it is cheaper than a scenic flight around the rock. We chose this option back in 2022, and the flight between Alice Springs and Ayres Rock Airport and the circling of both Uluru and Kata Juta before landing was magnificent.