Will Virgin match Qantas’ latest supermarket points deal?
Qantas customers now earn more points at Woolworths, so will Virgin and Coles keep pace?
Virgin Australia doesn't have any plans to match Qantas' recent upgrade on supermarket points – yet.
As we reported yesterday, Qantas has increased the number of Qantas Frequent Flyer points you can earn from Woolworths Rewards. Every 2,000 Woolworths Rewards points now translates to 1,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points, up from 870 previously.
Virgin has a similar points partnership with flybuys, and the earn rate is exactly the same as the "old" rate from Qantas. For every 2,000 flybuys points, you get 870 Velocity points. Given Qantas and Virgin's fierce rivalry, it wouldn't have been surprising to see Virgin immediately match that offer.
However, Virgin says there are no current plans for a change.
"We're always reviewing our partner offers but at this stage we don't have any updates to the current flybuys/Velocity offer," a spokesperson told Points Finder.
Realistically, a switch like that can't happen overnight: sites have to be revamped, catalogues printed and in-store displays altered. So it's still possible we'll see a match in the near future. But for now, it's business as usual.
One reason Virgin and flybuys might not be rushing to make a change is because there is already a way to effectively get 1,000 Velocity Points for every 2,000 flybuys points. Virgin runs regular bonus offers where points transfers from flybuys to Velocity get a 15% bonus.
That added 15% takes 870 Velocity Points up to a neat 1,000. Based on past experience, I'd expect one of those to roll out between now and the end of the year. I'm certainly hanging onto my own flybuys points until that happens. And of course if Virgin does change its tune, we'll be covering all the details here at Points Finder.
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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