Virgin Australia Introduces New Domestic Australian Award Chart

Updated: June 12, 2023, 4:08pm CDT

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Virgin Australia Introduces New Domestic Australian Award Chart

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Virgin Australia’s loyalty program is called Velocity, and it’s undergone several changes over the past few years, allowing the carrier to compete with Australia’s largest airline, Qantas.

Virgin Australia recently emerged from a major restructuring and has since grown its presence both within Australia and abroad, the latter thanks in no small part to a new relationship with United Airlines.

As part of this process, the carrier has introduced a new points chart for domestic travel within Australia, as flagged by Point Hacks.

New Points Chart

First off, the good news is that Virgin Australia is not making any changes at this time to its business class award chart, or partner awards. The changes only impact domestic flights.

Virgin Australia Planes at Airport — When redeeming Virgin Australia Velocity miles in Australia, you’ll now need to refer to a 3-tier chart. Image Credit: superjoseph via Shutterstock.com

In economy class, Virgin Australia is introducing a 3-tier award structure, with Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 awards. You can think of these awards as “off-peak,” “standard” and, “peak” pricing.

The tier offered on the particular flight you’re looking at will vary based on the day and demand. While it’s not a totally dynamic system, it’s very similar. Business class awards remain the same as they are currently.

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One-way Mileage (Zone)	Economy			Business
	Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3
1 to 600 miles (1)	6,200 pts	7,800 pts	9,900 pts	15,500 pts
601 to 1,200 miles (2)	9,400 pts	11,800 pts	14,900 pts	23,500 pts
1,201 to 2,400 miles (3)	14,100 pts	17,800 pts	21,900 pts	35,500 pts
2,401 to 3,600 miles (4)	17,600 pts	22,300 pts	27,500 pts	49,500 pts
3,601 to 4,800 miles (5)	21,000 pts	27,800 pts	33,900 pts	59,500 pts

Tier 1 awards will likely be available on flights where there is little demand, during less busy months, or on very early or late departures. Tier 2 pricing is considered the standard, day-to-day pricing, and is the same rates you will pay today. Tier 3 is peak pricing, charged on flights that depart on busier days at busier times.

If you’re able to snag a Tier 1 award, you’ll pay about 20% less than the standard Tier 2 options.

While this new award chart can be a negative development, depending on the day you’re flying, you may save some miles, too!

Keep in mind that this new chart applies only for intra-Australia flights on Virgin Australia.

Hot Tip:

One of the easiest ways to earn Virgin Australia Velocity miles is by transferring points from Marriott Bonvoy.

Final Thoughts

If you’re flying domestically in Australia, you can look forward to a new award chart published by Virgin Australia. Overall, it’s not too much of a game changer since there are now opportunities to save miles with Tier 1 pricing, though it’s uncertain how many flights will offer the Tier 1 vs. Tier 3 options.

Featured Image Credit: Virgin Australia

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About James Larounis

James (Jamie) started The Forward Cabin blog to educate readers about points, miles, and loyalty programs. He’s spoken at Princeton University and The New York Times Travel Show and has been quoted in dozens of travel publications.

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