victoria free travel voucher

11 Mar 2022

An initial 10,000 vouchers will be available exclusively to seniors from Tuesday 15 March. A further 140,000 vouchers will be open to all Victorians on Wednesday 23 March.

Both voucher schemes provide a $200 reimbursement to those who spend $400 or more on paid accommodation, tours and experiences in any location across the state. The vouchers will be limited to one per household and a minimum 2-night stay in paid accommodation is required.

Registrations for the Seniors Travel Scheme will open at 11am on 15 March and close at 5pm sharp on 19 March*, with successful recipients chosen by random ballot. To be eligible, residents must hold a valid Victorian Seniors Card or Seniors Business Discount Card.

The Victorian Travel Voucher Scheme will open at 2pm on Wednesday 23 March and will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis.

Both voucher schemes will be valid for travel between 8 April and 27 May.

The Victorian and Seniors Travel Voucher Schemes expand on previous rounds of Melbourne and regional travel vouchers that saw eager travellers rush to secure the 200,000 on offer within minutes.

As a result of the Melbourne and regional travel vouchers, more than $159 million was spent on accommodation, tours and experiences across the state, with 116,000 claims made.

*Please note, the closing date of the Victorian and Senior Travel Vouchers has been changed to 11:59pm 14 June 2022.

Eight days of free public transport

As a Victorian Seniors Card holder, you can explore Victoria with free Festival travel from Sunday 1 October to Sunday 08 October 2023

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Where can you go, using your myki, travelling in regional victoria, information on regional town buses and v/line services, regional buses, unreserved v/line services, reserved v/line services, plan your journey.

Victorian Senior Card holders can enjoy Victoria with eight days of free public transport from 1 to 8 October 2023.

Free public transport is available to all Victorian Senior Card holders. Jump on public transport for free to visit attractions across Melbourne as well as regional and rural locations.

You’ll be able to travel for free on all public transport in Victoria, including:

• Melbourne trains, trams and buses
• Regional trains, coaches and buses (including regional town bus services) as listed below.

The V-Line bookings open at 10am on Tuesday 5 September .

From 1 to 8 October 2023 you won’t be charged when you touch on and off.

Throughout the rest of the year, top up with myki Money if you travel occasionally, or myki Pass if you travel often. Your card isn’t locked to myki Money or myki Pass – choose each time you top up.

Find out more at ptv.vic.gov.au External Link or call 1800 800 007.

Mobile myki is also available for Victorian seniors. For more information visit Public Transport Victoria mobile myki website: www.ptv.vic.gov.au/mobilemyki External Link .

Register your card online to protect your card’s balance if it’s lost or stolen.

• You need to reserve a seat on long distance V/Line trains and some coaches. To book a seat on V/Line Services requiring reservations call 1800 800 007 from 10am, Tuesday 5 September onwards.
• Seats can fill quickly – book early.
• You’ll need to collect your tickets within 48 hours.
• You can only travel free in economy class.
• You can book a return journey for up to four Victorian Seniors Card holders. If you are planning to make a group booking for up to 19 travelling on a V/Line train service, or 12+ travelling on a V/Line coach service, visit your nearest station or agent from 10am, Tuesday 6 September onwards.
• If you make a booking and aren’t able to travel, let us know. We can give your ticket to someone else. Some important tips for travelling on board trains, trams and buses:
• Touch on – have your myki ready so you can touch on.

Travel for free during Seniors Festival free public transport on regional town buses in:

Travel for free without booking a seat on trains and coach services, including those starting or ending at:

• Ballarat/Wendouree/Ararat
• Bendigo/Eaglehawk/Echuca
• Geelong/Marshall

You will need to reserve a seat before travelling for free on these services. Check whether you need to book before travelling by looking for an 'R' on V/Line timetables. Reserved services include:

• Albury/Wodonga
• Warrnambool.

You can plan your journey using the PTV app or visiting the PTV Journey planner website External Link .

Once you have entered your 'From' starting point, you then need to select the most appropriate option for you and complete your planning.

Visit the PTV website External Link for more information.

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Reviewed 11 September 2023

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• Victorian Seniors Card travel savings

A Victorian Seniors Card gives you discounts on metropolitan transport and other travel services.

The Seniors Card is available to permanent residents of Australia, residing in Victoria aged 60 years or over who work less than 35 hours a week.

Cardholders can also access discounts on goods and services from participating businesses. Visit the Seniors Card Discount Directory to find discounts on travel, dining, entertainment and more.

Seniors Card holders receive the following discounts on public transport services:

• a free Seniors myki for accessing concession fares on public transport in Victoria at all times
• capped price travel anywhere in the state including V/Line train trips from 31 March 2023
• free travel within any two consecutive zones on Saturdays and Sundays
• free public transport travel vouchers to use in Victoria (opt-in required)
• free travel for eight days during the Victorian Seniors Festival across metropolitan and regional services.

For more information and to apply

To apply for the Victorian Seniors Card or find out more information:

• visit the Seniors card page of the Seniors Online website , or
• phone the Seniors Card team on 1300 797 210.

New Victorian Seniors Card applicants will be automatically sent a free Seniors myki.

For more information about public transport fares:

• visit the Public Transport Victoria website , or
• phone Public Transport Victoria on 1800 800 007.
• Motor vehicle registration fee
• Public transport concessions
• Transport Accident Commission (TAC) insurance charge concession
• Victorian pensioner free travel vouchers

Last updated on 03/04/2023

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We are committed to safe and inclusive workplaces, policies, and services for people from LGBTIQA+ communities and their families.

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Department of Families, Fairness and Housing State Government of Victoria, Australia © 2024

• Carer Card Program Victoria
• Resources & FAQs

Public transport travel discounts

Information to support carers and Carer Card holders.

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All Victorian Carer Card (We Care) holders are eligible for concession fares, free weekend travel and free travel during Carers week.

A Victorian Carer Card (We Care) entitles holders to free weekend travel in any in two consecutive zones. Cardholders also have access to two or four free off-peak travel vouchers per year (depending on where you live).

You will need to register for free travel vouchers via PTV's website .

For further information visit the   Public Transport Victoria website   or call 1800 800 007 (6.00am - midnight daily).

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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees

Rule makes it easy to get money back for cancelled or significantly changed flights, significantly delayed checked bags, and additional services not provided  

WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule that requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed. The new rule makes it easy for passengers to obtain refunds when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the extra services they purchased.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg . “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”  

The final rule creates certainty for consumers by defining the specific circumstances in which airlines must provide refunds. Prior to this rule, airlines were permitted to set their own standards for what kind of flight changes warranted a refund. As a result, refund policies differed from airline to airline, which made it difficult for passengers to know or assert their refund rights. DOT also received complaints of some airlines revising and applying less consumer-friendly refund policies during spikes in flight cancellations and changes. 

Under the rule, passengers are entitled to a refund for:

• Canceled or significantly changed flights: Passengers will be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. For the first time, the rule defines “significant change.” Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.  
• Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report will be entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15-30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.  
• Extra services not provided: Passengers will be entitled to a refund for the fee they paid for an extra service — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or inflight entertainment — if an airline fails to provide this service.

DOT’s final rule also makes it simple and straightforward for passengers to receive the money they are owed. Without this rule, consumers have to navigate a patchwork of cumbersome processes to request and receive a refund — searching through airline websites to figure out how make the request, filling out extra “digital paperwork,” or at times waiting for hours on the phone. In addition, passengers would receive a travel credit or voucher by default from some airlines instead of getting their money back, so they could not use their refund to rebook on another airline when their flight was changed or cancelled without navigating a cumbersome request process.  

The final rule improves the passenger experience by requiring refunds to be:

• Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops.   
• Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.  
• Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.    
• Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees, regardless of whether the taxes or fees are refundable to airlines.

The final rule also requires airlines to provide prompt notifications to consumers affected by a cancelled or significantly changed flight of their right to a refund of the ticket and extra service fees, as well as any related policies.

In addition, in instances where consumers are restricted by a government or advised by a medical professional not to travel to, from, or within the United States due to a serious communicable disease, the final rule requires that airlines must provide travel credits or vouchers. Consumers may be required to provide documentary evidence to support their request. Travel vouchers or credits provided by airlines must be transferrable and valid for at least five years from the date of issuance.

The Department received a significant number of complaints against airlines and ticket agents for refusing to provide a refund or for delaying processing of refunds during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, refund complaints peaked at 87 percent of all air travel service complaints received by DOT. Refund problems continue to make up a substantial share of the complaints that DOT receives.

DOT’s Historic Record of Consumer Protection Under the Biden-Harris Administration

Under the Biden-Harris Administration and Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued the biggest fines against airlines for failing consumers, and returned more money to passengers in refunds and reimbursements than ever before in the Department’s history.

• Thanks to pressure from Secretary Buttigieg and DOT’s flightrights.gov dashboard, all 10 major U.S. airlines guarantee free rebooking and meals, and nine guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to and are displayed on flightrights.gov .  
• Since President Biden took office, DOT has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to airline passengers – including over $600 million to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.   
• Under Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has issued over $164 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations. Between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued less than $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.  
• DOT recently launched a new partnership with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general to fast-track the review of consumer complaints, hold airlines accountable, and protect the rights of the traveling public.  
• In 2023, the flight cancellation rate in the U.S. was a record low at under 1.2% — the lowest rate of flight cancellations in over 10 years despite a record amount of air travel.  
• DOT is undertaking its first ever industry-wide review of airline privacy practices and its first review of airline loyalty programs.

In addition to finalizing the rules to require automatic refunds and protect against surprise fees, DOT is also pursuing rulemakings that would:

• Propose to ban family seating junk fees and guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly. Before President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines last year, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now, four airlines guarantee fee-free family seating, and the Department is working on its family seating junk fee ban proposal.  
• Propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations.   
• Expand the rights for passengers who use wheelchairs and ensure that they can travel safely and with dignity . The comment period on this proposed rule closes on May 13, 2024.

The final rule on refunds can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/latest-news and at regulations.gov , docket number DOT-OST-2022-0089. There are different implementation periods in this final rule ranging from six months for airlines to provide automatic refunds when owed to 12 months for airlines to provide transferable travel vouchers or credits when consumers are unable to travel for reasons related to a serious communicable disease. 

Information about airline passenger rights, as well as DOT’s rules, guidance and orders, can be found at   https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .

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‘It’s what I always dreamed of’: Mango deal takes Victoria Beckham’s designs to high street

Collections by ex-Spice Girl had been too dear for most but deal with affordable chain forecast to help tip VB business into profit

W hen Victoria Beckham debuted her first collection of just 10 dresses in a luxury hotel suite at the Waldorf Astoria in New York in 2008, she told the sceptical assembly of the world’s most powerful fashion editors that she had “spent a lifetime wanting to do this”.

“It’s what I always dreamed of since I customised my school uniform when I was 7 years old,” she said. “Then along came the Spice Girls which opened a lot of doors for me. And, let’s be honest, closed a lot. But those days are over. I was never going to be the world’s best singer, but I hope I can be a good designer.”

The debut dresses immediately impressed the editors, who described the designs as “classy” and “sophisticated”. Vogue’s runway editor said Beckham’s sheath and shift dresses would “sell not on the power of her name but on the sophistication of their cut and fit.”

Since then, Beckham’s designs have been worn by Lady Gaga, Meghan Markle and Kendall Jenner, to name a few of her celebrity fans.

But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the business, which has lost money every year since its launch in New York 16 years ago. Total losses for Victoria Beckham Ltd amount to more than £65m, and David Beckham’s company has injected millions to keep it afloat.

Now, Victoria Beckham’s designs – previously unaffordable for most people – have hit the high street in a capsule collaboration with Mango .

The deal is expected to help tip her business into profit for the first time and has got some speculating whether Victoria, who is known in the fashion industry simply as VB, may one day eclipse her husband in money-making potential.

It’s impossible to know just how rich the Beckhams are. The couple, who live mostly in a £30m white stucco townhouse in west London but also own an apartment in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, a villa on the nearby Palm Jumeirah, and a super yacht called Seven, have a combined fortune of £425m. This puts them 325th in the latest comprehensive guesstimate by the Sunday Times rich list .

It ascribes most of the wealth to David, who sold a 55% stake in his brand management firm, DB Ventures, to US firm Authentic Brands for £200m.

David joined star names such as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, whose brands are part of the Authentic stable, which also includes Reebok, Juicy Couture and Hunter wellington boots.

The latest accounts for his company DRJB Holdings – which stands for David Robert Joseph Beckham – show revenue in 2022 more than doubled from £34m to £72.6m, although pre-tax profits fell from £23.6m to £10.8m, because of an increase in administrative expenses. The company paid out dividends of £827,500, down from £6.3m a year earlier.

DRJB includes his TV production business, Studio 99, which produced the four-part Beckham documentary on Netflix that took the top spot in 59 countries, and the Ronnie O’Sullivan biopic The Edge of Everything.

Victoria Beckham Ltd, which has expanded into bags, fragrances and beauty products as well as fashion, increased revenue by 44% in 2022 to £58.8m, and narrowed pre-tax losses from £5.9m to £3.1m.

At an operating level, losses fell from £3.9m to £900,000 signalling progress on the path to profitability. The directors declared “2022 marks a turning point where the group became profitable”. However, the couple and minority investor private equity firm NEO Investments Partners injected a further £6.9m since the year end.

David Belhassen, founder and managing partner of NEO, which invested £30m in VBL in 2017 for an undisclosed but significant minority stake, told WWD magazine recently that sales had increased by 50% and earnings before expenses had “significantly multiplied” in 2023.

“The house of VB is now fully live, and a reality. It was a dream for Victoria and I when we partnered, and it is happening. We are now embarking on a new phase with only the sky as the limit,” he said.

Her Victoria Beckham Beauty business reported a tripling of customers in 2022, and won 28 industry awards. The bestseller is her Satin Kajal liner, which is now available in 17 colours.

Jonathan Siboni, chief executive of data intelligence company Luxurynsight, said many people in the fashion industry had been too quick to dismiss Beckham as “just a Spice Girl and not a businessperson”.

“But they couldn’t have been more wrong,” he said. “The brand has succeeded because of her. She has fought back, she has evolved, she has shown huge amounts of resilience.

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“Yes, there have been times when the brand was tacky, and produced things that didn’t work,” he said. “But just like David Beckham as a footballer, you can’t always be the best. What matters is not one game, or even one season, but the big picture.”

Siboni said Victoria had succeeded in creating a brand that is “her vision, but also more than just her”. “In fashion, some brands can’t survive without the founder, others like Dior and Chanel continue to thrive,” he said.

“She has already taken steps to disconnect the Victoria Beckham brand from the person, and even if she is not on TV or social media for a few months, people will still buy her clothes.”

She is unlikely to disappear from our screens anytime soon. More than 30 years after the Spice Girls were formed after an advert in the Stage newspaper for “streetwise, outgoing, ambitious, and dedicated” 18- to 23-year-olds, Beckham still regularly goes viral on social media.

Most recently last weekend when all five reunited for an impromptu performance at Beckham’s 50th birthday party at Mayfair private members restaurant Oswald’s in front of Tom Cruise, Salma Hayek and Eva Longoria. She has 39.2m followers on Instagram and 2.2m on TikTok.

Andy Milligan, founder of the branding consultancy The Caffeine Partnership and author of Brand It Like Beckham , said he credited a large part of the couple’s success to their seeming authenticity on social media and TV. “They project an image that, despite their exceedingly glamorous lifestyle, makes them feel approachable, they’re very relatable to us,” he said.

“You saw that in the Netflix documentary when David teases her about claiming to be working class despite her dad driving her to school in a Rolls-Royce, and when he queued with the public to pay his respects to the Queen.”

Milligan said he expects the Beckhams’ businesses will continue to grow and “we will look back on them as a great British export”.

“What they have as a couple is extremely rare, because they have sport, fashion and popular culture, so they can dominate both the front and back pages.”

He says partnering with Mango is likely to turbo-boost Victoria’s brand as it “gives her much more reach with products in physical stores in just about every city I can think of”.

Milligan says Victoria has a reputation for picking effective brand and business partners, and Mango works because it is “a desirable brand, and affordable rather than luxury … which will keep her relevant to a younger generation.

“Victoria hasn’t in the past received the credit she deserves as a very smart businessperson. She’s so much more than a Spice Girl, she’s clearly a talented designer and has a brilliant business brain.”

• Victoria Beckham
• David Beckham

More on this story

David Beckham scores bumper year but Victoria’s label needs cash injections

Victoria Beckham’s collaboration with Mango shows how far designer has come

Belgian fashion designer Dries Van Noten to step down

David Beckham documentary nets him half a million new fans on social media

Mango’s Victoria Beckham collection to launch this month

JW Anderson show highlights designer’s love of craft at London fashion week

Dramatic dresses: the Saltburn effect hits London fashion week

Victoria Beckham’s collection is dance of delight despite Kardashian delay

Beckham review – the candid, riveting truth about the footballer’s life

‘People think everything was handed to him. Not true’: the inside story of David Beckham’s rollercoaster life

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Changes to concession travel in Victoria and NSW

Changes to NSW and Victorian concession travel arrangements from 1 January 2022.

Victoria’s free travel voucher scheme

Victoria’s free public transport voucher program is changing significantly. From 1 January 2022, Victorian residents will no longer receive free travel vouchers. The program has moved to an ‘opt-in’ program, with eligible DVA clients now having to register with Public Transport Victoria (PTV) to continue receiving free travel vouchers annually.

You can register online for free travel vouchers or in person at a PTV Hub. Register by 31 July 2021 to receive your 2022 vouchers in September/October 2021. If you register after 31 July 2021, you will receive your vouchers in the following year’s mail-out. You only need to register once and the vouchers will be mailed to you each year, provided you remain eligible.

If you have already registered through PTV’s other eligibility categories, such as a Senior or Carer, you don’t need to register again. This is because the free voucher scheme has been streamlined, which means all eligible customers get access to the same entitlement, regardless of your concession category.

As part of the new voucher program, PTV is phasing out peak-free travel vouchers. However, eligible DVA clients who previously received one peak voucher per year will now be eligible for two or four off-peak vouchers annually (depending on where you live — metro or regional).

For more information, visit the Public Transport Victoria’s Free travel vouchers webpage or call 1800 800 007 .

Update on NSW War Widow/er Transport Concession Card

From 1 January 2022, NSW war widows/ers will no longer receive their NSW War Widow/er Transport Concession Card.

Instead, you can now use your Veteran Gold Card to apply for a Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal card. This will enable you to travel on senior/pensioner fares in NSW at the same reduced rate.

Keep your Veteran Gold Card with you as proof of entitlement for concession fares.

You can apply for a Gold Senior/Pensioner Opal card on the Opal website opal.com.au . Make sure you have your NSW Pensioner Concession or DVA Veteran Gold card handy to confirm your eligibility.

Interstate seniors can apply for a Gold Opal card on the Opal website or by printing the Interstate Seniors application form available on the Transport NSW website and following the instructions provided. You will need to apply 2–3 weeks before travelling to NSW.

To find out more, visit Transport NSW’s Veterans and War Widow/ers webpage .