As Virgin Australia’s loyalty program, Velocity Frequent Flyer is naturally suited to jet-setters who feel more at home in the clouds than at home. But don’t be fooled – Velocity is just as strong on the ground, with a huge array of everyday partners.
From groceries to health insurance, fuel to rideshares, you have plenty of opportunities to earn Velocity Points. Never miss out on a point again with these top five Velocity ground partners.
Earn and use Velocity Points with a bespoke list of partner airlines. Pool your Points as a family and enjoy the privileges of Gold or Platinum status faster. It’s all possible with Velocity.
This guide is brought to you with support from American Express, a Point Hacks commercial partner. All opinions expressed are solely those of Point Hacks.
1. Capture every point with American Express
A Velocity Points-earning credit card is your top tool for getting ahead in the points game. Practically every purchase you make can earn Velocity Points, setting you up for plenty of travel later on. Velocity Frequent Flyer boasts a wide range of card and banking partners.
But the American Express® Velocity Platinum Card is one of the most rewarding options on the market. Apart from a sizeable 75,000 bonus Velocity Points on approval currently on offer, there’s also a complimentary domestic return flight on selected routes with Virgin Australia every year, which even includes some longer routes such as Perth-Sydney!
You’ll be covered with complimentary travel insurance when you use the card to pay for your return trip (terms, conditions and exclusions apply such as maximum age limits, pre-existing medical conditions and cover limits – see PDS for full details).
You can also enjoy four complimentary lounge passes – two at domestic Virgin Australia lounges and two at American Express lounges in Sydney and Melbourne.
Oh, and you’ll still be earning up to 1.25 Velocity Points per dollar spent. If your average spend is $5,000 a month, that’s 75,000 Velocity Points in a year – enough to redeem for a round trip Business Class reward seat between Sydney or Melbourne to Perth using Points plus pay^ (taxes, fees and carrier charges apply).
If you’re looking for something a bit lower-key, the American Express Velocity Escape Card earn up to 0.75 Points per dollar and has no annual card fee.
2. Turn toilet paper into flights with Flybuys
One of Velocity’s biggest ground partners is Flybuys, which in turn is Australia’s largest loyalty program overall. You can earn Flybuys points at many partner stores. The big ones are Coles, Kmart, Bunnings and Officeworks. So whether you’re getting your weekly groceries or equipment for your latest project, you can earn Flybuys points.
Don’t forget to double dip on points. When you’re checking out, scan your Flybuys card to earn Flybuys Points. Then pay with your American Express® Velocity Platinum Card to pocket Velocity Points on the same transaction!
When it’s time to be rewarded, you can convert multiples of 1,000 Flybuys points into 500 Velocity Points. It’s the perfect way to keep your Velocity account topped up and ready for the next reward flight.
Say you have 72,000 Flybuys points stashed away (worth $360 at Coles), and you also want to escape on a Business Class holiday to Fiji. Instead, you can exchange those Flybuys points for 36,000 Velocity Points which is then enough for a one-way Virgin Australia Business Class flight from Sydney to Nadi^ (plus $161.75 in taxes, fees and carrier charges). How’s that for value?
3. Fuel up with 7-Eleven and save big
7-Eleven is Velocity’s fuel and convenience store partner. Found across five states and territories (excluding SA, TAS and the NT), 7-Eleven is well-known for its My 7-Eleven app, which offers Fuel Price Lock. This lets you lock in the best local price for your chosen type of fuel while it’s low so that you can use it later in the week.
You can earn two Velocity Points per $1 spent on eligible in-store purchases, and two Velocity Points per litre of premium fuel (one point per litre for standard fuel). Don’t forget to pay with your American Express® Velocity Platinum Card to double-dip on Velocity Points!
4. Shop until you drop with the Velocity e-Store
The Velocity e-Store is the place to visit before any online shopping sprees. Its premise is simple – just click out to any participating retailer and shop as usual. After you checkout, you’ll be awarded Velocity Points for every dollar you spend.
During sale periods, you can earn as much as eight Velocity Points per dollar spent. So if you drop $200 at a retailer and pay on your Amex Velocity Platinum Card, you could get up to 1,600 Velocity Points from the Velocity e-Store and 250 Points from your card, for a total of 1,850 Velocity Points.
There are hundreds of retailers and new ones are being added often, so check back to see where else you can earn bonus points when shopping.
Read our detailed guide to the Velocity e-Store →
5. Supplement your travel with Velocity
You can earn and use Velocity Points for flights, of course. But what about hotels and car hire when you get there? Luckily, Velocity still has you covered.
There are three ways to earn Velocity Points with hotels.
- Book directly with certain hotel partners such as Crown Hotels, Accor Live Limitless and IHG Hotels to earn up to three Points per $1 spent on eligible bookings in Australia. Stays at overseas properties also earn up to three Points per $1 spent or a flat rate of between 600-1,000 Points depending on the hotel you choose to stay at. You’ll need to include your Velocity number in the booking, at the time of check-in or preselected Velocity as your automatic points conversion partner.
- Transfer your balance from certain hotel points programs, such as Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, to Velocity Points.
- Book your holiday or business stay at more than 400,000 hotels worldwide through Virgin Australia and earn 3 Points per dollar spent on every hotel booking, or redeem Points, or Points + Pay, towards your stay. Also, enjoy peace of mind with free cancellation on selected hotels.
As for car hire, you’ll be able to pocket Velocity Points with five chains, including:
Check out the Velocity Frequent Flyer website for a full list of partners on the ground.
Missed our earlier guide? Here’s how to earn Velocity Points in the air →
Cards are offered, issued and administered by American Express Australia Limited. Credit provided by American Express Australia Limited (ABN 92 108 952 085). Australian Credit Licence No. 291313. ®Registered Trademark of American Express Company.
American Express income and credit approval criteria applies. Subject to Terms and Conditions. Interest rates, fees and charges apply.
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^ Reward Seat pricing T&Cs:
The quoted redemption fares are correct as at 21 October 2022 and are subject to change. Fares are subject to availability. Points value is based on a domestic one-way or return Business Reward Seat fare with Virgin Australia and must be booked through the Velocity website. Taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable in addition to Velocity Points redeemed. A Virgin Australia carrier charge is payable per sector, per person. Reward Seats and associated charges are not eligible for Points earn. Seats are limited and may not be available at peak times or on all flights. Price may vary until ticketed. Payment surcharge may apply. You can change or get a refund for your booking by paying a fee and any fare difference, at least 24 hours before scheduled departure. You may also request a refund for other reasons, including under the Australian Consumer Law. View the Velocity Rewards Seat fare rules for more information. Some flights may be operated by a partner airline. Full terms and conditions at velocityfrequentflyer.com.
It’s one thing promoting Amex (after all, you need to make a buck), but backing such promotion with inaccurate information about the value of the card is another…;)