The flying kangaroo hasn't been grounded by coronavirus... yet.
The two carriers were left scrambling on Sunday after the announcement that sources said caught the airlines off guard due to its severity.
Both Virgin and Qantas have cut capacity in the past week to respond to the downturn in the aviation sector caused by the COVID19.
The new policy is expected to spark a flood of cancellations on flights by international travellers and have an impact on the finances of both groups,but particularly Virgin which has been struggling in recent months with a debt heavy balance sheet and a share price languishing below 10 cents.
The entire aviation sector has been hammered by the spread of the virus,with British Airways boss Alex Cruz warning the airline faced a battle for survival.
To help consumers,Virgin,Qantas and Jetstar all varied their cancellation and deferral policies on Sunday,to help customers who wish to change their travel plans after the announcement.