Virgin Australia has announced it will refund 61,000 customers who were overcharged for itinerary changes during a five-year period.
The airline (which is part of the Virgin Group) identified that passengers were charged higher prices when changing bookings between April 2020 and March 2025, contrary to company policy.
The error affected approximately 0.1 per cent of bookings made during the period.
Affected customers will receive an average refund of AU$55 (around £26), with the airline now taking steps to address the issue.
Virgin Australia has admitted to overcharging passengers over five years
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Deloitte Australia has been appointed to accelerate the claims process for affected customers.
Passengers will have 12 months to make a claim, with Virgin Australia promising to contact impacted customers with instructions for the refund process.
A Virgin Australia spokesperson said: "We sincerely apologise to those affected guests and have launched an Itinerary Change Claim Program under which all eligible guests are being proactively contacted to process their refunds."
The spokesperson added that a dedicated team has been working to fix the issue, and steps have been taken to prevent a reoccurrence. Any money not claimed will be donated to charity.
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has been notified about the overcharging issue.
A spokesperson for the ACCC said they were engaging with Virgin Australia about the issue and assessing whether the airline's remedial actions were suitable.
Virgin Australia operates flights to numerous domestic destinations, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast.
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Virgin Australia operates flights to numerous domestic destinations, including the popular Gold Coast
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The airline also serves popular international destinations such as London, Paris, Rome, Athens, Bali and Fiji, among others.
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