The airline announced that the scheme will apply to selected domestic and short-haul international flights. Eligible customers who have already booked their economy ticket can then submit a bid through the Virgin Australia app to reserve the adjacent seat.

Bidding starts at AU$30 (£14). If successful, the reservation will be confirmed no later than two hours before departure. The airline noted, however, that the seat is not guaranteed. If another passenger purchases the space as part of a regular booking during the bidding window, the auction bid will be refunded and the traveller will lose the extra space.

Customers can only bid on one seat, and only if their booking is for a maximum of two passengers.

The option is not available to those travelling in Economy X or business class. The neighbour-free seat provides more room during the flight but does not include additional baggage allowance.

The idea builds on consumer feedback as a 2023 survey by Velocity Frequent Flyer revealed that 42 per cent of Virgin Australia passengers would pay to keep the middle seat free on international flights, while 35 per cent said they would consider it on domestic journeys lasting longer than three hours.

Virgin Australia has started rolling out the scheme on selected routes, including Melbourne to Adelaide, Brisbane to Sydney and Sydney to Perth, with more destinations to be added in due course.

Libby Minogue, Virgin Australia executive, said: "Our priority is to give Virgin Australia guests even more value and choice when they choose to fly with us. Neighbour-Free Seating is a clever add-on for Economy travellers who want the certainty of extra space without the price tag."

Virgin is not the first carrier to trial the concept. Qantas allows passengers to reserve an empty seat via email invitation within 48 hours of departure, while Air France offers travellers the option to privatise up to three seats for added comfort.