Virgin Australia Christmas Eve flights from Los Angeles skip Christmas Day

Travelling at Christmas time can be stressful - long queues, terrible traffic and packed flights.

But spare a thought for the passengers on board Virgin Australia flights VA2 and VA8 from Los Angeles - they missed Christmas altogether.

Due to the International Date Line in the middle of the Pacific, passengers boarded the two flights in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, but didn't arrive back in Australia until Boxing Day, effectively skipping Christmas Day.

Passengers bound for Sydney on VA2 departed at 10.27pm in Los Angeles, arriving at 7.50am on Boxing Day after 14 hours in the air, while passengers on board VA8 to Brisbane departed LA 11.23pm, arriving 13 and a half hours later at 7.10am on Boxing Day.

Though they might have missed Christmas Day, the passengers did not go without presents. Virgin Australia had "Santa" on board who gave passengers stockings filled with chocolates and other goodies, while all passengers also enjoyed a turkey Christmas dinner.

However, perhaps the most surprising gift was free status upgrades for all members of the airlines' frequent flyer program, Velocity. Every member on board was upgraded by one tier, while platinum members on the flight were also given 100,000 free points.

Of course, passengers flying in the opposite direction, from Australia to Los Angeles, enjoyed an extra long Christmas Day, departing in the late morning, flying for 13 hours, yet still finding themselves in the US in time for Christmas lunch.

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