Update: Qantas and Jetstar have matched Virgin Australia’s offer to Rex passengers. Rex customers with bookings on cancelled jet services can contact Jetstar via Live Chat or call Qantas on 13 13 13 by 31 August 2024 to take up these airlines’ offers. These options are in addition to Virgin Australia’s offer of free rebooking for customers affected by Rex going into administration.
Virgin Australia is offering flights to Rex passengers affected by the cancellation of the regional airline’s jet services at no cost.
It comes after Rex entered voluntary administration last night, announcing the appointment Ernst & Young (EY) as administrators.
Rex enters voluntary administration
Rex will continue to operate Saab 340 flights on regional routes as usual. But all Boeing 737 flights between capital cities are now permanently grounded. The cancellations also affect the Adelaide-Perth and Brisbane-Cairns routes, which were operated by National Jet Express using different types of planes.
As Rex is now in administration, it is not offering refunds to customers holding tickets on cancelled flights. All Rex Flyer points are now frozen, unable to be earned or redeemed. An update on the Rex website has more details about this.
Nonetheless, Rex passengers won’t be entirely stranded thanks to a deal reached with Virgin Australia.
Virgin offering free tickets to stranded Rex customers
Virgin Australia will rebook affected Rex customers on equivalent flights, subject to last-seat availability, at no cost to passengers. The new flights on Virgin will be as close as practicable to the original Rex flights.
Virgin Australia operates flights on all of the routes that Rex has cancelled.
This offer is available for Rex customers who were originally booked to fly on a Rex Boeing 737 service, as well as between Adelaide-Perth and Brisbane-Cairns. Virgin will even honour Rex Business Class bookings with re-accommodation into Virgin Australia Business Class.
How to rebook your Rex flight on Virgin
Eligible customers need to contact Virgin Australia by 14 August 2024 to take up this offer.
If you’re not travelling within the next 2-3 days, you can request rebooking via the dedicated page on Virgin Australia’s website. You will need to provide proof of your Rex booking, in the form of an invoice or booking confirmation which shows your destination and date of travel. Virgin says it will rebook passengers within 72 hours.
If you’re due to travel in the next 48 hours, call Virgin Australia’s Guest Contact Centre on 13 67 89.
Rex is advising customers with cancelled flights not to travel to the airport until they have a new ticket for a Virgin Australia flight.
Rex to partner with Virgin Australia going forward?
Rex’s administrators have left the door open for Rex to form a longer-term partnership with Virgin Australia.
“Rex and Virgin Australia are also exploring opportunities to support regional customers, which include Virgin Australia selling Rex’s regional services through codeshare or interline arrangements, and making Velocity Frequent Flyer benefits available to Rex’s regional customers,” Rex said in a statement.
Virgin Australia is also working to secure leases for three of the ex-Rex Boeing 737 jets.
