Our Velocity guides updated with new June 2016 changes: a summary

This month, two significant changes were made to the Velocity program, namely the first revaluation of their award chart in five years and the introduction of an ‘Etihad Airways Reward Seat Carrier Charge’.

Many readers are still likely to want to redeem Velocity points as they are some of the most accessible for travellers in Australia and New Zealand, and good value can still be found on Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines and Virgin America flights, amongst others.

Given that many guides we’ve published on Velocity over the last couple of years relied on the old pricing, it was worth going back and updating them.

Here’s what’s been updated:

Six ways to get the most out of your Velocity points

Redeeming for Business Class tickets on Virgin Australia-operated flights still represents good value, with reductions in pricing in Table 2 making Singapore Airlines redemptions more attractive. If flying First Class or looking for increased award availability, transfers to KrisFlyer is the way to go. And Virgin America still offers amazing availability for domestic US flights for Velocity members.

How to redeem Velocity points for Business & First Class flights to the USA from Australia

If you can find availability, the direct Virgin Australia flights from East Coast capitals to Los Angeles are your cheapest bet, with Singapore Airlines overtaking Etihad as the solid second choice for redemptions to the US.

How to redeem your Velocity Points for Etihad’s A380 Business Studios and First Apartments

Now you need to reconsider whether whether redeeming Velocity points with Etihad is the best goal to aim for with your point balance. Etihad redemptions have many things going for them – often good redemption availability, an excellent cabins, service and lounges – but since Velocity moved Etihad to Table 2 and introduced the new Etihad redemption charge, you’ll now be paying a premium to fly with Etihad when using your Velocity points.

Minimising taxes and fees when choosing between Velocity or KrisFlyer long-haul redemptions

Whether you use Velocity points directly or transfer them to KrisFlyer will depend on the specific Singapore Airlines redemption you have in mind – and you’ll need to compare the costs in both programs to calculate which is the better option. This guide shows you how.

How to and why to transfer your points between Velocity and KrisFlyer

We thought we’d run a refresher on how to calculate how many points/miles you’ll receive and the process of transferring points between these two programs.

How to get to Italy using your Qantas, Velocity, Asia Miles or KrisFlyer points/miles

Unless you’re sitting on a bunch of Qantas points to use on Qantas/Emirates flights, transferring Velocity points to KrisFlyer is the cheapest way to get to Italy on a points-for-points basis.

How to search for award seats on Virgin Australia and tips for making Velocity ‘award’ bookings using your Velocity points

Half the battle with frequent flyer points are finding the seats you want for your trip and using your points for your ideal travel goal. Read more about how to search and book Velocity redemptions.