Virgin to replace regional Fokkers with E-Jet E2s

This is the first time group boarding has been used by an Australian domestic carrier, and follows a “series of successful trials” in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, which Qantas says demonstrated a positive effect on on-time performance.

The airline will add a new “Forever Gold” status from October next year, matching Qantas’ gold lifetime status, as well as a “Platinum Plus” tier above platinum. Velocity Frequent Flyer hit 12 million members earlier this year, though still lags behind…