Five ways to redeem 20,000 Velocity Points

A balance of 20,000 Velocity Points may not seem like a lot. But it’s an amount that can easily be earned without flying or with a single credit card sign-up bonus.

If you find yourself with 20K Velocity Points in the kitty, here are some ways you can redeem them for flights.

1. Upgrade two people to Business on a domestic flight

On Virgin Australia flights less than 600 miles (965 kilometres), you can book Business reward seats outright for 15,500 Velocity Points + fees and taxes. That includes routes like Sydney-Melbourne, Perth-Kalgoorlie, Brisbane-Canberra, Melbourne-Adelaide and more.

But if you don’t quite have enough points, the next best thing is upgrading a cash fare. It costs from 10,000 Velocity Points to upgrade from Economy to Business on a Virgin Australia domestic flight less than 600 miles.

To upgrade a Virgin Australia flight using points, you must be booked on a paid Economy Choice or Economy Flex fare. ‘Lite’, the cheapest fare class available, isn’t eligible for upgrades. If Business reward seats are available, your upgrade will be confirmed immediately. Otherwise, you’ll be placed on a waitlist, with the upgrade – if available – confirmed closer to your flight.

This could be an opportunity to treat yourself or someone special to the Business experience. For instance, I’ll be flying short-haul with my partner a few days before his birthday, so I’ve upgraded to Business for two people. Given that he’s never flown domestic Business before, it’s a nice surprise to kick off a short getaway – all for 20,000 Velocity Points.

Also read: A comprehensive guide to Virgin Australia upgrades

2. Soar around Southeast Asia with Singapore Airlines

While 20K Velocity Points is just short of what you’d need for a flight from Australia to Singapore, you’ve got some outbound options once you’re in the Lion City.

Sure, there are plenty of budget airlines operating throughout Southeast Asia. But you could redeem your Velocity Points to fly in Economy with full-service carrier Singapore Airlines.

For 11,000 Velocity Points + fees and taxes

• Singapore – Jakarta, Indonesia
• Singapore – Penang, Malaysia
• Singapore – Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

For 14,000 Velocity Points + fees and taxes

• Singapore – Da Nang, Vietnam
• Singapore – Bangkok, Thailand
• Singapore – Siem Reap, Cambodia

Though short, some of the routes above can set you back $400 or more when paying cash. So if your goal is to simply save money on flights, then you may find value in redeeming Velocity Points for Economy hops around Asia with Singapore Airlines.

As a side note, transferring Velocity Points to Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer program is also an option, with a 1.55:1 conversion rate. So, 20K Velocity Points would net you 12,903 KrisFlyer miles, which is enough for a one-way Saver redemption from Singapore to Malaysia, Indonesia or Brunei.

Also read: How to use Velocity Points to fly to Singapore

3. Explore North America

Virgin Australia partners with United Airlines and Air Canada, so you can redeem Velocity Points for short to medium hops across North America.

Air Canada and United Airlines are on different distance-based redemption tables, with the latter requiring fewer Velocity Points for the same distance. Both, however, have low cash co-payments. Here are some of your options.

United Airlines Economy for 19,000 Velocity Points + fees and taxes (1,201-2,400 miles)

• Newark – Dallas-Fort Worth
• Chicago O’Hare – Mexico City
• San Antonio – San Francisco

United Airlines Economy for 12,500 Velocity Points + fees and taxes (601-1,200 miles)

• San Francisco – Denver
• Los Angeles – Seattle
• Miami – Washington Dulles

Air Canada Business for 18,500 Velocity Points + fees and taxes (under 600 miles)

• Montreal – New York (JFK)
• Vancouver – Edmonton
• Toronto Pearson – Quebec City

Air Canada Economy for 15,000 Velocity Points + fees and taxes (601-1,200 miles)

• San Francisco – Vancouver
• Toronto – Winnipeg
• Chicago O’Hare – Montreal

Velocity Points can be redeemed across United and Air Canada’s entire networks. So, with some more points up your sleeve, you could even redeem Velocity Points to fly between North America and Australia.

Also read: Explore USA’s Music Capital for under $420 with points

4. Book up to three domestic flights in Economy

Closer to home, 20,000 Velocity Points will get you up to three domestic Economy flights with Virgin Australia.

The lowest amount of Velocity Points you’ll need for a flight redemption is 5,900 for routes under 600 miles. That’s three one-way trips between Sydney-Melbourne or a similar distance. On routes between 601-1,200 miles, like Melbourne-Sunshine Coast, the lowest amount of Velocity Points required is 8,900.

Fees and taxes are payable on all reward seat bookings. But again, if you just want to save on the full-price of an airfare, redeeming Velocity Points for domestic flights can have you on your way to a cheap holiday.

5. Fly return from Brisbane to Vanuatu in Economy

This one is slightly above the 20K threshold, but it deserves a mention. For a total of 23,800 Velocity Points, you could fly return from Brisbane to Port Vila, Vanuatu in Economy with Virgin Australia. Fees and taxes will set you back around $267, which isn’t too shabby for a tropical overseas getaway. Or, you could even fly Business Class one-way on this route for 23,500 Velocity Points + around $143 in fees and taxes.

To get you across the line, here are the best ways to earn Velocity Points from your everyday purchases.

Summing up

Even with 20,000 Velocity Points, you find decent value in flight redemptions with Virgin Australia and its partner airlines. That’s enough for a few domestic return getaways within Australia, a couple of domestic upgrades to Business Class, or even some short hops around Southeast Asia or North America.

What are your favourite ways to use up to 20,000 Velocity Points? Let us know below.

Also read: Ten great ways to use 80,000 Velocity Points

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