Virgin Australia and ANA expand partnership

Virgin Australia and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have finally launched their broadened partnership. On the menu are codeshare flights, the ability to earn Velocity Points and Status credits on NH flights, and some reciprocal priority perks for elite Velocity members. But noticeably missing at launch is the ability to redeem Velocity Points on ANA (that’s coming soon), and reciprocal lounge access.

Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO, Nick Rohrlach, says that the partnership is a significant milestone for Virgin Australia and Velocity Frequent Flyer.

We are incredibly excited to be expanding our partnership with ANA, creating more value and choice for our guests and members, as we connect them to more destinations than ever before. From today, our 11.5 million members can earn Points and Status Credits on flights to more than 130 additional destinations through ANA’s global network across Japan, Asia, North America and Europe.

Following the commencement of our inaugural Cairns to Tokyo (Haneda) service last month, it is fantastic to be opening up more opportunities for our guests and members when travelling to, and within, Japan, with the nation’s largest airline.

– Nick Rohrlach, Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO, 18 July 2023

What’s new for the Virgin Australia and ANA partnership?

Book the VA codeshare on ANA-operated flights

Virgin Australia and ANA now have an expanded codeshare partnership, with passengers able to book more ANA flights through the Virgin Australia website. Velocity members booking the VA codeshare (as below) can earn a greater number of Velocity Points based on their status, with bonuses of up to 100% more points.

In addition to Tokyo, you can also book the VA code on ANA domestic flights to 12 other destinations such as Sapporo, Fukuoka, Osaka and Okinawa.

Here are the base Velocity Points you can earn on codeshare flights, before any status bonuses:

And if you’re looking to bolster your Status Credits, here’s how many you can earn per flight. Note that VA-marketed codeshares count towards your Eligible Sector requirement for Velocity Silver, Gold and Platinum status.

Earn Velocity Points and Status Credits on NH flight numbers

You don’t need to book a codeshare to benefit. Even if you just book a standard NH flight number on ANA, you can add your Velocity membership number to earn points and Status Credits. You’ll earn a set number of Velocity Points per mile flown on ANA, based on your fare class.

You’ll also earn Status Credits at a similar level to the VA-codeshare table above. But note that NH-marketed flight numbers do not count towards your Velocity Eligible Sectors.

Reciprocal frequent flyer benefits

The main feature we’ve all been waiting for is the introduction of reciprocal loyalty benefits. Velocity Gold and Platinum frequent flyers will enjoy some VIP treatment when flying with ANA. Unfortunately, lounge access does not appear to be part of the deal, for now.

Of course, ANA’s Mileage Club Platinum and Diamond members can look forward to the same warm welcome when flying with Virgin Australia.

• 50-100% bonus points on NH flights with a VA code (at least Silver and higher).
• Priority check-in on ANA flights (at least Gold and higher).
• Priority baggage on ANA flights (at least Gold and higher).
• Boosted luggage allowance on ANA flights (at least Gold and higher).

Virgin Australia has varying lounge access agreements with each partner, so it’s not entirely surprising that lounge access hasn’t been implemented with ANA. It’s still a disappointing move, as it appears that Velocity Gold and Platinum members won’t have access to lounges before ANA’s flights between Tokyo and Sydney and Perth.

That’s when having lounge access through a rewards credit card or lounge membership comes in handy. For example, a Priority Pass membership would cover you for lounge access in Perth, Sydney and Tokyo Narita (but not Haneda).