@Timocracy to answer your question about the arrangement. There is probably a few different variations to the arrangements but in simple terms Alliance provides has what is normally termed as "wet leasing" to both Qantas and Virgin. Which means Alliance is the operator of the flight with an Alliance aircraft and staff provided for Virgin or Qantas for a fixed price. Virgin and Qantas sell tickets just like any other flight and make the difference between the fares and the cost of the wet leasing. It is different to a codeshare which you might see on international or connecting flights. So an Alliance pilot could be flying under a Virgin ("Velocity") callsign one day and Qantas the next.