Only 116,279 people signed up for Virgin’s Velocity Points giveaway
How many Velocity Points did Virgin end up handing out?
I got an unexpected surprise from my weekly log-in to my Velocity account today.
I'd been awarded 86 Velocity Points in Virgin's points giveaway to celebrate 10 million Velocity members.
As I reported earlier this month, Virgin was promising a share of 10 million Velocity Points to all members. To qualify, you had to activate the offer through the Velocity mobile app. The more people who signed up, the fewer points everyone would ultimately receive.
Originally I had assumed that perhaps 10% of members (1 million people) would take part, meaning that everyone would get 10 Velocity Points. But the final number of participants was a lot lower.
Based on what I received, just 116,279 people signed up to share the 10 million Velocity Points on offer. That's less than 1.2% of the total Velocity Frequent Flyer membership base.
Though that might seem like a low figure, I imagine Virgin will be counting this campaign as a success. And while 86 Velocity Points isn't a major gain, it's better than getting no points at all, and I didn't have to pay anything or buy anything to get them.
As surprises go, seeing an extra 86 points is also far preferable to what happened to me earlier in the year, when my Velocity account was hacked. The key lesson from that experience remains: regularly check all your frequent flyer accounts to make sure you're getting all the points you're entitled to.
This experience is also a reminder that while a huge number of Australians are members of frequent flyer schemes, most members aren't working to make the most of their points. Make sure you're one of the clever exceptions!
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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