Virgin CNS-MEL redeye

[Mattg]

Has anyone else noticed that Virgin Australia now has a regularly scheduled red-eye flight from Cairns to Melbourne?!

VA1302 operates six days per week, leaving CNS at 23:55 and arriving MEL at 04:15.

I wonder why, and if anyone is actually choosing to book this!

 

[elanshin]

Has anyone else noticed that Virgin Australia now has a regularly scheduled red-eye flight from Cairns to Melbourne?!

VA1302 operates six days per week, leaving CNS at 23:55 and arriving MEL at 04:15.

I wonder why, and if anyone is actually choosing to book this!

Maybe their costs to have the plane sit overnight (crew/plane positioning etc) worked out less economical than doing a flight?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Has anyone else noticed that Virgin Australia now has a regularly scheduled red-eye flight from Cairns to Melbourne?!

VA1302 operates six days per week, leaving CNS at 23:55 and arriving MEL at 04:15.

I wonder why, and if anyone is actually choosing to book this!

Yeah, this was discussed in another thread, only a week or so ago. Unfortunately can’t seem to find it using search

 

[AIRwin]

Yeah, this was discussed in another thread, only a week or so ago. Unfortunately can’t seem to find it using search

S

Post in thread 'Virgin are losing the plot.'

Nov 2, 2025

They have some new weird flights in the summer schedule. What is with this Melbourne to Cairns red eye flight. Not bad for say Cairns locals who want the day in Melbourne.

• Saab34

• 

 

[Saab34]

Looks like the crew and aircraft are different for each leg as it seems to fly BNE-CNS-MEL, and the MEL-CNS aircraft becomes the overnighting aircraft which operates the first flight out of Cairns at 6am.

Tiger operated a similar flight back in the day when they launched Cairns, was slightly later arrival at 1225am.

 

[Saab34]

I spoke too soon, we just did this one, dead empty both legs, and it appears it’s now been pulled will operate for another 3 weeks.

 

[docjames]

Freight load demand (seasonal)?

Aircraft positioning (needed in MEL for early MEL departure) due fleet shortage?

No surprise pax loadings were terrible.

 

[lychees]

Family caught this one on Wednesday and it didn’t depart until 02:20

 

[Saab34]

Looks like this one is coming back
March- Thur/Fri and some Sundays.
July School Holidays- Mon/Sat
October to Jan- Sunday to Friday.

The July departures are at 1am. I’m surprised CNS Airport would even let them operate such a flight.

 

[AIRwin]

I’m surprised CNS Airport would even let them operate such a flight.

Not for free

 

[markis10]

I’m surprised CNS Airport would even let them operate such a flight.

Given it’s 100% owned by JP Morgan and the airport already has one of the highest charges in Australia I am sure it’s a case of “show me the money”

 

[samas]

booked CNS-BNE-PER a few days ago for July and a lot of the options presented on the VA site included this unearthly MEL overnight option.

I could see it being popular for backpackers being a likely cheap option.

pre-2020 I remember rocking up a few minutes before check-in opened for a ~0600 departure out of CNS. Was probably about 100 people, mostly backpacker looking, already in the regular check-in queue, some sleeping. I was the first person to arrive for the priority check-in and there for about 2 minutes before called forward to a desk, with my 4 items of checked baggage (tools and equipment) to the shock of some in the regular queue.

I suspect they just stayed out and then to the airport to save on a nights accommodation cost? I understand CNS terminal to be open 24/7.

 

[SeaWolf]

I've often wondered about the red-eye flights from PER to BNE/SYD/MEL that are operated by all three airline brands and have been for as long as I can remember. Even when I lived in Perth I only ever did it the once and swore I'd never, ever do it again. To me it's mystifying that anyone would choose those flights when there's usually seats available for the same price throughout the day.

And yet, these flights are obviously economical enough to keep doing it, or at least make more economical sense than leaving the planes sitting on the ground overnight.

 

[MH_fan]

I really hate those red-eye PER-SYD flights. No one in their right mind would choose them unless you really had no choice. The only times I've had to use them was because I couldn't leave early enough from work to make the 3:15/3:30pm flight and the next one is that overnighter (because of the curfew), especially if I had to be back in time for something that morning in Sydney the next day.

 

[Saab34]

They generally do skew lower priced, especially in peak holidays or on peak day during the week.

We might see a PER-WSI flight that now enables them to do a 6pm/7pm ish departure from Perth that arrives around 12/1am. Currently the last departure from Perth is around 3pm.

 

[SYD]

I've often wondered about the red-eye flights from PER to BNE/SYD/MEL that are operated by all three airline brands and have been for as long as I can remember. Even when I lived in Perth I only ever did it the once and swore I'd never, ever do it again. To me it's mystifying that anyone would choose those flights when there's usually seats available for the same price throughout the day.

And yet, these flights are obviously economical enough to keep doing it, or at least make more economical sense than leaving the planes sitting on the ground overnight.

Even with a lie flat seat, flying west to east is too short to actually take advantage of it…For those of us on work trips that didn’t spring for J, it was either get the earlier flight (home by 10pm), or effectively lose the entire day catching a morning flight. For several years I was doing SYD-PER at least once a month (mostly VA) - never, ever once contemplated a red eye…

Pondering it now, if I was flying in from somewhere OS and still on a whacky Timezone, it probably wouldn’t be so bad - so long as I’m heading straight home to bed! Not sure that’s much of an option for MEL folks bouncing through CNS….?

 

[samas]

I did once do the VA PER-MEL overnight red-eye back when it was the A332 and I was in "The Business" suite.

It was a timing thing not being able to leave PER earlier and needing to be in ADL asap the next day.
so had a nap before going to PER airport, instructed crew no meal service, DND until preparation for landing. Slept solid for most of the cruise. Refresh/shower/breakfast in MEL lounge then the first departure to ADL. Achieved everything I needed to in Adelaide that morning, sufficiently rested, and then at the end of the day crashed to sleep around 6pm that night in ADL.

Would not do again in a 737. If timing necessitated would not hesitate to do again on A332 suite.

Had done the VA ADL-DPS before at a good flight time but refused to do the DPS-ADL overnight return and would go to PER after a DPS on JQ.

 

[AIRwin]

Had done the VA ADL-DPS before at a good flight time but refused to do the DPS-ADL overnight return and would go to PER after a DPS on JQ.

There is a daytime DPS-ADL flight on JQ

 

[markis10]

There is a daytime DPS-ADL flight on JQ

Not daily

 

[dajop]

Some how I think the target demographic for these flights is decidedly not the same as the AFF demographic (whether CNS-MEL or PER-East Coast red eyes).

When I was in my 20s I would have had no issues with short redeyes. 30 years on, I don't even like long red-eyes.