Virgin Australia’s “double” Velocity Points offer
Some long-haul international trips are scoring close to twice the regular earn.
The latest Virgin Australia bonus Velocity Points deal looks quite impressive.
Flights booked to any of its long-haul destinations (Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Tokyo or London) score additional Velocity Points once you've opted in to the offer.
Here's what you'll earn for each fare class. As usual, deals for Business and Premium Economy score the highest, while basic fares score the lowest.
| Class | Return bonus | One-way bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Business | 20,000 | 10,000 |
| Premium Economy | 12,000 | 6,000 |
| Economy Freedom | 10,000 | 5,000 |
| Economy Getaway/Elevate | 5,000 | 2,500 |
To score that bonus, you have to be flying on a Virgin Australia-operated service in a paid-for seat. So no flights on Delta, Singapore or Etihad. The one partial exception: for London, your connecting flight will be with Virgin Atlantic, via either Hong Kong or Los Angeles. (Virgin Australia expanded its partnership with Virgin Atlantic last year.)
How many extra points is the deal worth? Let's look at Hong Kong, which is typically the cheapest of these four cities to fly to with Virgin. Here's what you'd earn for a one-way trip, along with the number of bonus Velocity Points you'll get. As you can see, in each case the number of bonus points is almost identical to the regular number you'd earn.
| Class | Base points | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Business | 9,170 | 10,000 |
| Premium Economy | 5,731 | 6,000 |
| Economy Freedom | 4,585 | 5,000 |
| Economy Getaway/Elevate | 2,293 | 2,500 |
For Los Angeles and London, the bonus is less generous, as the number of Velocity Points you earn is based on distance and you're travelling further. Despite that, it's still a handy way to earn extra points if you're considering a trip on Virgin to one of those destinations.
As usual, the fine print matters. You need to opt in and book your flights by 9 February 2020, and fly before 15 December 2020. But you can use the offer more than once if you book the flights during that period, and you can use it for sale fares (though bear in mind those will, as usual, earn fewer points).
Angus Kidman's Findings column looks at new developments and research that help you save money, make wise decisions and enjoy your life more. It appears regularly on Finder.
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