20 Best Ways to Earn Lots of Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer Points
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Virgin Australia Velocity has a stellar reputation among airline loyalty programs. It recently won several awards at the Freddie Awards, including Program of the Year and Best Customer Service from travelers and frequent flyer members.
Velocity members earn points with the program’s many travel and non-travel partners. Velocity Points can be redeemed for free flights and upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals, and a long list of other options at the Velocity Rewards Store.
By the time you finish this guide, you will be prepared to earn as many points as possible in the Velocity program. So, start thinking now about those redemptions!
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer Program
1. Join the Velocity Frequent Flyer Program
Virgin Australia Velocity members earn miles for travel on Virgin Australia and their international airline partners, as well as for using the program’s many global partners. Join free using the information on your passport.
2. Book a Flight on Virgin Australia
As a Velocity member, you’ll earn 5 points per $1 spent on Virgin Australia Domestic fares.
Plus, Platinum, Gold, and Silver members in the elite program (which we’ll discuss in a second) receive bonuses of 100%, 75%, and 50% respectively (not including Domestic Getaway fares).
International flights are worth up to 2 Velocity Points per mile.
Here is the chart for points earned on long-haul international flights:
Here is the chart for points earned for short-haul international flights:
3. Fly a Partner Airline
Virgin Australia’s partner airlines fly to over 600 destinations and offer up to 2 Velocity Points per mile. As with most airline loyalty programs, members can’t earn points for reward seats.
Click on an airline for terms and conditions.
| Partner Airline | Earned Velocity Points |
| Virgin Samoa | Up to 2/mile |
| Air New Zealand | Up to 2/mile |
| Delta | Up to 2/mile |
| Etihad | Up to 4/mile |
| Singapore Airlines | Up to 1.6/mile |
| Silk Air | Up to 1.25/mile |
| airberlin | Up to 1.5/mile |
| Air New Zealand | Up to 2/mile |
| Alitalia | Up to 2/mile |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Up to 1.5/mile |
| South African Airways | Up to 1.25/mile |
| Virgin Atlantic | Up to 2/mile |
| Virgin America | Up to 1.5/mile |
4. Elite Status Credits
While you’re busy earning Velocity Points for flying Virgin Australia and partner airlines, you will also be accruing status credits.
With enough status credits you can achieve Silver, Gold, and Platinum status, and earn some terrific benefits (like bonus points!) when you fly.
One great thing about the Velocity program is that they assess member status credits daily, so you can be upgraded right away!
Here are the requirements for each status, as well as the bonus points you can earn at each level:
| Status | Qualification | Bonus Points on Virgin Australia, Virgin Samoa, Select Travel Partners | Bonus Points on Etihad Airways |
| Silver | 250 status credits and 2 eligible sectors | 50% | 25% |
| Gold | 500 status credits and 4 eligible sectors | 75% | 50% |
| Platinum | 1,000 status credits and 4 eligible sectors | 100% | 50% |
How fast can you move up to a higher status?
The number of status credits earned is determined by the airline, fare type, and distance flown. Domestic, international, short-haul, and long-haul tables are posted here. Status credits are valid for 12 months from the flight date.
Another method for earning elite status credits is by enrolling in the FlyBuys program and using the card for special savings.
Unfortunately, the FlyBuys program is not open to members in the U.S., just those in Australia. But it’s a great strategy for Australian travelers to earn up to 10 elite status credits a month!
5. Sharing Velocity Benefits
With Platinum status, you have the option of sharing your Velocity benefits and rewards with friends or family.
Here’s how it works:
You must earn the required status credits to maintain Platinum within the 12-month period. If you accrue an additional 500 status credits on top of that, you can gift Gold membership to someone else.
Accrue an additional 1,000 status credits, and you can gift Platinum membership!
Earning Points With Credit Card Partners
6. Virgin Australia Co-Branded Cards
There are 9 Virgin Australia co-branded credit cards available in Australia, which is super for Australian members who want to earn Velocity Points quickly.
However, no Virgin Australia credit cards are currently available in the U.S. and Canada. The good news is, there are plenty of other credit cards you can use to end up with Velocity Points faster.
Keep reading to find out all the options!
7. Hilton Honors Credit Cards
Another hotel loyalty program that lets you transfer points is Hilton Honors. Turn 10,000 Hilton Honors Points into 1,500 Velocity Points.
Choose from these co-branded cards to earn Hilton Honors Points:
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card |
|
Hilton Honors American Express Card |
|
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card |
|
8. Marriott Credit Cards
You can earn Marriott points and transfer those to Virgin Australia at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 Virgin Australia miles bonus.
Recommended Marriott Cards
| MARRIOTT CARDS | CARD BENEFITS & INFO |
|---|---|
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Card |
|
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card |
|
Virgin Australia Transfer Partners
9. Transfer KrisFlyer Miles
KrisFlyer, the loyalty program for Singapore Airlines, is a Velocity transfer partner.
All you have to do is link your Velocity and KrisFlyer accounts, and you’ll be able to convert Velocity Points and KrisFlyer Miles between them.
There’s a minimum of 5,000 points per conversion. Here are the conversion rates:
| Conversion | Rate |
| KrisFlyer to Velocity | 1.55 KrisFlyer Miles to 1Velocity Point |
| Velocity to KrisFlyer | 1.55 Velocity Points to 1 KrisFlyer Mile |
10. Hotel Loyalty Program Transfers
Here are several other hotel loyalty programs that enable transfers to Velocity.
| Hotel Brand | Conversion Rate |
| Le Club AccorHotels | 1 Le Club AccorHotels Points to 1 Velocity Point |
| Choice Hotels | 20,000 Choice Privileges Points to 3,000 Velocity Points |
| IHG Hotels | 10,000 IHG Rewards Club Points to 2,000 Velocity Points |
| Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts | 1 Golden Circle Award Point to 1 Velocity Point |
Here are credit cards you could use to earn more points in Choice and IHG:
| Loyalty Program | Credit Card |
| IHG Rewards Club Loyalty Program | IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card |
| Choice Privileges Loyalty Program | Barclays Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card |
Earn Velocity Points With Travel Partners
11. Velocity Hotel Partners
Earn Velocity Points for hotel stays both within and outside of Australia. This is just a sample of the more than 600,000 hotels in over 37,000 cities around the world that participate in the program.
Search the complete list here.
| Hotel | Points/Stay | Hotel | Points/Stay | Hotel | Points/Stay |
| Langham Place Hotels & Resorts | 1,000 pts/stay | Conrad Hotels & Resorts | 2 pts/$1 | Jumeirah | 1 pts/$1 |
| Park Regis | 1,000 pts/stay | Embassy Suites Hotels | 2 pts/$1 | Virgin Limited Edition Hotels | Up to 35,000 pts/stay |
| Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts | 1,000 pts/stay | Hampton Inn & Suites | 2 pts/$1 | Ascend Collection (Australia only) | 3 pts/$1 |
| Holiday Inn | 600 pts/stay | Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts | 2 pts/$1 | Travelodge Hotels (Australia & New Zealand only) | 2 pts/$1 |
| Candlewood Suites | 600 pts/stay | Hilton Garden Inn | 2 pts/$1 | qualia, Hamilton Island (Australia only) | 1 pt/$1 |
12. Hotel Conferences and Events
Book a conference or other event at a Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts property within or outside of Australia and earn 20,000 Velocity Points.
You can also earn up to 65,000 Velocity Points for events held at the following Langham Hospitality Group properties internationally:
- Eaton Hotels
- Langham Place Hotels and Resorts
- The Langham Hotels and Resorts
13. Virgin Australia Holidays
Dreaming of a holiday in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, North America, or the Pacific? Allow Virgin Australia Holidays to create the perfect trip and you’ll earn 3 points per $1 spent.
Plus, if you have Silver, Gold, or Platinum status you will get your 50%-100% bonus too!
14. Use Cruisepilot To Book Cruises
Book a cruise and earn Velocity Points! Cruisepilot is a Virgin Australia Velocity partner. Enjoy discounts and specials offered to Velocity members throughout the year when you book through Cruisepilot.
15. Car Rental Agencies
With over 12,000 agencies to choose from worldwide, you can easily earn Velocity Points with your next car rental. See the chart below for details:
16. Airport Parking and Car Services
Select from a variety of airport parking and car service partners in Australia and increase your Velocity Points balance.
| Company | Earned Points |
| Wilson Parking | Up to 5 Velocity Points/$1 |
| SkyBus Airport Express | Varies |
| Brunel Limousines | 3 Velocity Points/$1 |
| Midas Car Service | 2 Velocity Points/$1 |
17. Book Pet Travel
Bring your cat or dog on your next Virgin Australia domestic flight and earn Velocity Points. You’ll even earn bonus points if you’re a Silver, Gold, or Platinum member.
Here are the points you can earn:
| # of Pet Carriers | Red | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| 1 | 300 points | 450 points | 525 points | 600 points |
| 2 (max.) | 600 points | 900 points | 1,050 points | 1,200 points |
If you’d rather Jetpets handle the arrangements transporting your pet domestically or internationally with Virgin Australia, you can still earn 3 points per $1 spent. You are not required to accompany your pet.
Other Ways To Earn Velocity Points
18. Transfer Among Family Members
Put all your family members’ points and status credits together into 1 account so you can redeem for bigger rewards with Family Pooling! This can even boost you to a new membership level.
Add up to 6 family members to a pool (2 must be 18+, and 4 under 18 years of age).
Velocity members can also transfer Velocity Points (5,000-100,000) to an eligible family member’s account up to 4 times a year.
19. Australian Partner Deals
Because Virgin Australia is an Australian airline, local members have the most opportunities to earn Velocity Points.
For instance, in Australia, you can earn Velocity Points for booking entertainment tickets through Velocity Live, shopping at the Velocity e-Store, and making dinner reservations on Open Table.
There are also home and business and financial opportunities. Visit the Virgin Australia Velocity website to find all the options available to Australian members.
20. Velocity Special Offers
You’ve already learned how Velocity partners offer great regular deals to earn Velocity Points, but that’s not all!
Velocity special offers are exclusive offers for Velocity members to earn even more points. Check the Velocity special offers page on a regular basis for updated deals.
Conclusion
Virgin Australia offers so many ways to earn Velocity Points even if you don’t live in Australia. Start earning today, and you can begin redeeming for big rewards.
If you’re into space travel, you can always book a Virgin Galactic experience for $250,000. The 100,000 Velocity Points could come in handy!
Photo Credits:
Virgin Australia Featured Photo: Ryan Fletcher/Shutterstock, Inc.
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