How much are Virgin Velocity Points worth?

How much is a Velocity Point worth?

As of October 2023, a Velocity Point is worth between 0.4 cents and 4 cents, depending on how you spend it.

Here's what Velocity Points are worth for some popular reward choices:

• Economy reward flights: 1–2 cents per Velocity Point
• Business reward flights: 2–4 cents per Velocity Point
• Flight upgrades: 2–4 cents per Velocity Point
• Shopping: 0.4–0.5 cents per Velocity Point

In the table below, we've shown the points needed for a range of Velocity reward options, how much they would usually cost to buy outright and the dollar value per $1,000 points they represent.

As the table shows, the best value comes from flight upgrades, then business class flights, then economy flights. Store purchases are typically not good value.

Methodology: How we calculated these values

All calculations are based on typical prices for flights and rewards in October 2023, as checked on the Virgin Australia site.

• Detailed methodology

  For each route, we checked a range of dates across January 2024 and selected the most typical price for Virgin-operated flights. You might score cheaper flights on sale or pay more during peak times, but this is a useful median value. Points values for purchasing flights are for Tier 3 Rewards, and we've subtracted carrier fees and charges when working out the value. Availability of reward flights can vary heavily. Points values for Reward Store redemptions come from the Velocity Rewards Store site.

I usually think about how much 1,000 Velocity Points are worth, rather than single points. You can't use individual points for anything, and redemptions usually require thousands of points.

My rule of thumb? If you're getting $20 or more in value for each 1,000 Velocity Points, that's worthwhile. Under $10? That's not good value.

The better value the reward, the trickier it is to get. Virgin only has a handful of Business seats on each route anyway, and you'll be lucky if more than one of those is available as a reward option.

Economy domestic flights represent good value and are much more widely available. If you book in advance for typically busy periods (such as holidays), they're a solid option.

Are Velocity Points worth less than Qantas Points?

Based on our calculations of Qantas value, the short answer is: yes. While the value is similar for domestic flights, Qantas's much broader network (both domestically and internationally) means there are higher-value options available. As Virgin continues to expand its international network, this equation is likely to shift slightly.

How can I get the most value from my Velocity Points?

After decades of flying on Virgin and using Velocity Points, these are my key rules:

• Don't spend your points on Any Seat flights. As ever, I don't recommend "Any Seat" redemptions, which consume many more points and are not good value. Focus on standard Reward flights instead.
• Check tier values carefully. Annoyingly, Velocity has 3 tiers for flight redemptions. Tier 1 uses the fewest points, but those seats are rare. When calculating values, I've used the most expensive Tier 3 options. If you can score a Tier 1 or Tier 2 seat, the value will be higher.
• Think Australia and the Pacific, not international. Virgin's international network is slowly expanding, but it is yet to return to its full pre-pandemic range. While you can redeem points with partner airlines, that's expensive and competitive. Right now, your best options are still for flights within Australia, to New Zealand (though that only covers Queenstown) and to other Pacific destinations.
• Set a goal for your points. Using points effectively takes planning. Set a goal – maybe a family holiday to the Gold Coast – find out how much that will need and then start saving.

Velocity Points credit card offers

Compare these credit cards with Velocity bonus offers to supercharge your total.

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Updated regularly

Name	Bonus points	Points per $ spent	Purchase rate p.a.	Annual fee
American Express Velocity Platinum Card Velocity Frequent Flyer	Bonus points 60,000	Points per $ spent 1.25	Purchase rate p.a. 23.99%	Annual fee $375	Go to siteMore Info Compare	Get 60,000 bonus Velocity Points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. Plus a return domestic flight each year.
American Express Velocity Escape Card Velocity Frequent Flyer	Bonus points N/A	Points per $ spent 0.75	Purchase rate p.a. 23.99%	Annual fee $0	Go to siteMore Info Compare	Save with a $0 annual fee and earn 0.75 Velocity Points per $1 on everyday purchases.
American Express Velocity Business Card Velocity Frequent Flyer	Bonus points 100,000	Points per $ spent 1	Purchase rate p.a. 0%	Annual fee $249	Go to siteMore Info Compare	ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Get 100,000 bonus Velocity Points when you spend $3,000 in the first 2 months.
ANZ Rewards Platinum - Velocity Points Velocity Frequent Flyer	Bonus points 100,000	Points per $ spent 1.5	Purchase rate p.a. 20.99%	Annual fee $149	Go to siteMore Info Compare	Get up to 100,000 bonus Velocity Points: 70k points when you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months and 30k points after 15 months.

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