Virgin Blue Holidays to be launched in Australia

Virgin Blue Airlines has announced it will extend its great value air fares to include packaged holidays, with the launch of "Virgin Blue Holidays" in January 2003.

The move will offer holiday-makers a cost effective alternative to traditional holiday package options to key Australian destinations and challenge Qantas's domination of this niche market.

Virgin Blue Holidays will provide much needed competition within the domestic holiday package market, stimulating the struggling tourism industry and giving the holidaying public the same great value and great service they already experience when flying Virgin Blue.

Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey said, "This is an exciting move for us and we are confident Virgin Blue Holidays will be a complementary division of Virgin Blue and a convenient new choice for Australians. It will essentially mean people will be able to book not only their flights but everything from their accommodation and ground transport to their holiday experiences and entertainment such as sky diving or shopping, at exceptional prices."

He continued, "Virgin Blue has changed the way people look at flying by making it affordable, fun and friendly while offering a high quality service. Virgin Blue Holidays is modeled on Virgin Blue's cost efficiency and service. We will definitely challenge traditional holiday packages in terms of value-for-money, customer service and innovation."

Award winning airline holiday specialist Spree Holidays, which operates Malaysia Airlines holiday division, Golden Holidays, will partner Virgin Blue in the project.

Virgin Blue Holidays will offer exciting and cost-effective online package options at launch, passing the savings on to price sensitive consumers. A range of dynamic innovations set to re-invent the holiday package industry will be introduced shortly after launch.