The heat of the late morning sun was already radiating across the red earth of Australia’s Wild West as I wheeled my small suitcase through the quiet streets of Kalgoorlie. Known globally as the gold mining capital of the world and once home to the richest gold-bearing square mile of land on Earth, Kalgoorlie is a city with a story in every street. Today, though, my focus wasn’t on exploring its history or gazing into the yawning depths of the famous Super Pit—it was on the short but significant journey back to Western Australia’s capital city aboard Virgin Australia’s stalwart Boeing 737-800.

I’ve made this trip between Kalgoorlie and Perth many times over the years—by road, by rail on the legendary Prospector train, and, of course, by air. But this flight had a particular appeal. While Virgin Australia does operate the Airbus A320 on many regional WA services, the Boeing 737-800 isn’t a type they regularly roster to Kalgoorlie. That alone made today’s journey something of a treat for the aviation enthusiast in me.

Kalgoorlie – Gateway to the Goldfields

Kalgoorlie-Boulder, as the twin city is officially known, lies some 590 kilometres east of Perth by road. The modern population hovers around 30,000 people, though in the heady days of the gold rush it soared far higher. These days the economy still revolves around mining, and the air route to Perth is one of the busiest intrastate connections in the entire state. It’s also one of the more expensive short-haul domestic flights in Australia—a fact that will become important later when we talk about saving money with frequent flyer points.

My own journey here had started in Esperance just the day before. After spending a few blissful days along that picture-perfect south coast, I’d joined my parents for the drive north along the Esperance–Coolgardie Highway. The transition from turquoise coastal bays to the arid expanse of the Goldfields is dramatic and unforgettable—a drive I’d recommend to anyone wanting to see the diversity of Western Australia in a single day.

Kalgoorlie Airport, located just 5.6 kilometres from the city centre, ranks as the 25th busiest airport in Australia and the sixth busiest in WA. That’s a remarkable statistic considering the modest population. More than 361,000 passenger movements are recorded here each year, almost entirely driven by the mining industry. For perspective, that’s ten times the number of people who actually live in Kalgoorlie passing through its terminal annually.

Airport Atmosphere and Check-In

The morning of my flight was a typically busy Tuesday for the airport. In all, there were around 12 departures to Perth scheduled for the day, including five with Virgin Australia. Only Nexus Airlines broke the all-jet pattern, operating one of their turboprop services. The sheer diversity of aircraft types that pass through here is an aviation enthusiast’s dream: Boeing 737-700s and 737-800s, Airbus A319s and A320s, Fokker 100s, Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s, and even the occasional Embraer E170 or E190.

My aircraft today—registered VH-YQO—was just under 12 years old and had an interesting history. Delivered new to Virgin Australia in June 2013, it had briefly been returned to its leasing company in the Netherlands during the height of the pandemic before rejoining Virgin in April 2021.

Check-in at Kalgoorlie is charmingly old-fashioned, handled entirely at staffed counters. Despite the buzz outside, there was virtually no queue and my bag was tagged and on its way in moments. Security here is quick and painless—though, like all security-controlled airports in Australia, it’s a mandatory step before boarding.

One of Kalgoorlie’s endearing features is how close you can get to the action even without a boarding pass. After dropping my bag, I wandered outside to the airport fence to watch aircraft movements. The incoming Virgin flight from Perth touched down under a cloudless sky—a reminder of the big open spaces you only find in WA’s interior.

Boarding the Boeing 737-800

When boarding was called, it was a short walk across the tarmac to the waiting 737-800. There are no aerobridges here, and I’ve always enjoyed the sense of scale you get approaching a jet on foot. Climbing the stairs into the forward door, I was welcomed aboard by the cabin crew.

Virgin Australia’s 737-800s carry 176 passengers in total: eight in business class with a generous 37-inch pitch, several rows of Economy X offering extra legroom, and the remainder in standard economy at 30 inches pitch and 17 inches width. The seats are upholstered in the airline’s familiar black leather, complete with adjustable headrests. My seat had a fold-down tray table with a small extension—serviceable for the short hop to Perth.

As always, I had a look through the seat pocket: safety card, sick bag, and the buy-on-board menu. We’d be in the air for just 52 minutes covering the 538-kilometre sector, despite the scheduled block time of 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Take-Off from the Goldfields

Pushback was right on time, and we taxied to Kalgoorlie’s single runway, backtracking its length before turning into position. The take-off roll was brisk, and moments later we were climbing away over the sprawling open-cut expanse of the Super Pit—a view every avgeek and traveller should experience at least once.

The dry landscape stretched to the horizon in every direction, punctuated by mine sites and occasional patches of scrub. As we climbed to our cruising altitude of 32,000 feet, I reflected on how unique this route is: a major jet service between two cities in the same state, over vast distances that in most countries would count as medium-haul.

Onboard Service and In-Flight Entertainment

Virgin Australia’s economy class service model in 2025 is simple: tea, coffee, and water are complimentary, while all other snacks and drinks are available for purchase. The buy-on-board menu includes a small selection of toasties and sandwiches for those wanting something more substantial, but prices are on the steep side—arguably higher than Jetstar’s comparable offerings.

For a flight of this length, I opted to stick with the complimentary coffee. It was nothing fancy, but perfectly fine and very welcome after an early start.

Entertainment on the 737-800 comes via the airline’s “stream-to-your-own-device” platform, which worked smoothly on my laptop. Content includes movies, TV shows, kids’ programs, podcasts, and a useful moving map. Wi-Fi is also available: complimentary for business class passengers and Platinum Velocity members, or $9.75 for 30 minutes / $14.95 for the full flight for everyone else. On a one-hour sector, it’s not essential, but on longer domestic or transcontinental flights it’s a nice option to have.

The cabin crew on today’s flight were friendly and professional. With only around 30 passengers on board—a staggeringly low load factor—the service was unhurried and relaxed. I had an entire row to myself, as did many others in the rear half of the cabin.

Cabin Comfort and Amenities

Seat comfort is adequate for short flights. The 30-inch pitch feels tight on longer hauls, but with an empty row it was easy to stretch out. Adjustable headrests help, and the black leather upholstery has held up well over the years.

I took a quick look at the rear lavatories. As expected on a 737, they’re compact but clean and stocked with the basics. Everything was in good working order.

One minor gripe was the condition of the windows, which were fogged and somewhat dirty. This made photography tricky and detracted from the otherwise spectacular views over the WA wheatbelt on approach to Perth.

Arrival into Perth

The approach into Perth is always scenic, with the city skyline emerging on the horizon and the Swan River curving gracefully through the suburbs. We touched down ahead of schedule in warm, sunny conditions. Disembarkation was via both forward and rear stairs, which sped up the process considerably.

From the tarmac it was a short walk into the terminal. Perth’s domestic terminals are clustered close together, and Airport Central Station provides easy train access into the city.

Maximising Value with Frequent Flyer Points

This flight is a textbook example of why frequent flyer points can be so valuable for regional WA travel. The cash fare for this one-hour hop was over $400 one-way—steep by any measure. I redeemed just 8,000 Velocity points plus $70 in taxes, effectively getting $330 worth of value from my points. That’s exceptional for an economy class redemption.

High cash fares on regional WA routes are the norm, but the upside is that reward seat availability is often far better than on popular east coast services. I’ve consistently found good availability on both Qantas and Virgin for intrastate flights, making them an excellent use of points.

In recent months I’ve redeemed:

• Kalgoorlie–Perth on QantasLink: 8,000 points vs $300+ cash fare
• Perth–Port Hedland on Virgin: 12,000 points vs $500+ cash fare
• Port Hedland to Perth on Qantas: 12,000 points vs $600+ cash fare

Even if you’re not a frequent flyer, you can build a modest points balance quickly through supermarket loyalty programs. Link your Flybuys account to Velocity Frequent Flyer or Woolworths Rewards to Qantas Frequent Flyer, then activate targeted offers in their apps. Points from everyday shopping can add up surprisingly fast.

Keeping a reserve of 20,000–30,000 points aside for intrastate travel can make exploring WA far more affordable.

Final Thoughts on Virgin Australia’s Kalgoorlie–Perth Service

This was, by all measures, a smooth and pleasant journey. Virgin Australia’s Boeing 737-800 is a known quantity—reliable, comfortable enough for short-haul, and equipped with a solid in-flight entertainment system. The crew were efficient and friendly, the flight departed on time, and we arrived early.

The lack of passengers made this flight particularly comfortable. Having a whole row to myself transformed the otherwise tight seat pitch into something approaching premium comfort. Service was simple but adequate, and while the buy-on-board prices remain high, the complimentary tea and coffee are appreciated.

If there’s room for improvement, I’d point to the state of the windows and perhaps a more competitive pricing structure for onboard purchases. But these are minor quibbles in what was otherwise a very good regional flight.

For anyone travelling between Kalgoorlie and Perth, Virgin Australia remains a solid choice—especially if you can book using points. In a market where cash fares are often eye-wateringly high, strategic use of Velocity points can turn what might be an occasional splurge into a trip you can take more regularly.

Disclaimer: This article has been repurposed from the original transcript of my own flight review with the assistance of AI technologies. Please be advised whilst I have taken the utmost care to review and revise this article where necessary to reflect the upmost of accuracy at time of publication please be advised my reviews whether written or in video form are for entertainment and general information purposes only. They reflect the objective views in good faith of the person only whom is presenting them unless otherwise noted. Any decisions you make resulting from consuming my content must take into consideration your own circumstances, research and responsibility as I can not be hold responsible for any inaccuracies or future changes effecting the relativity of such reviews. All Rights Reserved by Aussie JetSetter from 2022 >