With most Australians back at their desks on 5 January, Corporate Traveller and Virgin Australia have released a joint 2026 Annual Leave Hacks Guide that shows employees how to convert the standard four-week entitlement into more than nine weeks of holiday. By tactically placing leave around five clusters of public holidays—Christmas/New Year, Australia Day, Easter, the King’s Birthday long weekend and state-based Labour Days—workers can create stretches of up to 16 consecutive days off while using just seven leave days.
For example, taking 27-30 January off after the Monday Australia Day holiday produces a nine-day break; only four leave days are required. A similar tactic around Good Friday (3 April) and Easter Monday (6 April) yields a 10-day window for just four leave days, while spacing leave either side of the King’s Birthday public holiday delivers another nine-day run.
Tom Walley, Global Managing Director of Corporate Traveller, said early planning locks in cheaper fares and accommodation while giving businesses time to manage staffing gaps. Virgin Australia is backing the strategy with weekly “Happy Hour” sales and Velocity-points redemption options to help employees add leisure (“bleisure”) days to business trips.
![‘Annual-leave hack’ guide from Corporate Traveller and Virgin helps business travellers turn 20 days into 53]()
The advice is aimed squarely at SMEs and large corporates alike, many of which are grappling with rising airfares and staff-wellbeing pressures. Travel-policy consultants say proactive leave-planning can smooth operational workloads, reduce burnout and even lower travel budgets if employees tag personal days onto existing business itineraries rather than booking standalone leisure trips.
For travellers looking to tack on international bleisure time, VisaHQ can streamline the process by flagging any visa or entry requirements early and handling the paperwork online through its Australian portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/). This quick check can spare both employees and HR teams last-minute scrambles while ensuring extended stays remain compliant with immigration rules.
Employers considering the hack should update travel and HR policies to clarify whether company-funded flights can be re-routed for leisure extensions and to remind staff about fringe-benefit and travel-insurance rules. Mobility managers are also advised to check that multi-leg itineraries do not inadvertently create visa or tax-residence exposures if staff stay overseas longer than anticipated.
For example, taking 27-30 January off after the Monday Australia Day holiday produces a nine-day break; only four leave days are required. A similar tactic around Good Friday (3 April) and Easter Monday (6 April) yields a 10-day window for just four leave days, while spacing leave either side of the King’s Birthday public holiday delivers another nine-day run.
Tom Walley, Global Managing Director of Corporate Traveller, said early planning locks in cheaper fares and accommodation while giving businesses time to manage staffing gaps. Virgin Australia is backing the strategy with weekly “Happy Hour” sales and Velocity-points redemption options to help employees add leisure (“bleisure”) days to business trips.
The advice is aimed squarely at SMEs and large corporates alike, many of which are grappling with rising airfares and staff-wellbeing pressures. Travel-policy consultants say proactive leave-planning can smooth operational workloads, reduce burnout and even lower travel budgets if employees tag personal days onto existing business itineraries rather than booking standalone leisure trips.
For travellers looking to tack on international bleisure time, VisaHQ can streamline the process by flagging any visa or entry requirements early and handling the paperwork online through its Australian portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/). This quick check can spare both employees and HR teams last-minute scrambles while ensuring extended stays remain compliant with immigration rules.
Employers considering the hack should update travel and HR policies to clarify whether company-funded flights can be re-routed for leisure extensions and to remind staff about fringe-benefit and travel-insurance rules. Mobility managers are also advised to check that multi-leg itineraries do not inadvertently create visa or tax-residence exposures if staff stay overseas longer than anticipated.
