How to use Velocity Points to fly to Singapore

Singapore is one of the easiest overseas destinations to reach using Velocity Points. And Virgin Australia’s partnership with Singapore Airlines makes this super simple. There’s good reward seat availability in general, and plenty of seats in premium cabins to go around.

But it’s worth knowing too, Singapore Airlines isn’t your only option to fly to Singapore using Velocity Points. There are alternatives available for when you really need to fly – they just cost a lot more points. Here’s a look at how Singapore Airlines stacks up on Velocity Points, and those other paths for when you really need a reward seat.

Using Velocity Points to book Singapore Airlines to Singapore

With a partner like Singapore Airlines, the best way to spend Velocity Points on flights to the Lion City is quite clear. And Singapore Airlines is a great option to have, with direct services running from seven Australian cities. This makes Singapore Airlines the best-connected carrier for Australian travellers venturing to Singapore itself.

Best of all, Singapore Airlines’ map of Australian cities covers those up north, others down south, and those far east and west. This means many travellers won’t need to worry about a connecting flight. They can simply get on the plane, and it’ll land right where they need to be.

Here’s how many Velocity Points you’d need for a one-way flight to Singapore with Singapore Airlines.

It’s not currently possible to directly redeem Velocity Points for flights in First Class or Suites with Singapore Airlines. This can only be achieved by converting Velocity Points into Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles, and then using KrisFlyer miles to book these flights.

Jet to Singapore on other Star Alliance airlines using Velocity Points

If you’re not using Velocity Points to book Singapore Airlines itself, there are some other options. But be warned straight up – these alternatives aren’t necessarily the most practical paths to Singapore in terms of travel time, distance or cost. If you need an alternative though, it’s worth knowing about your options all the same.

One path is to spend Velocity Points on the program’s newest airline partner, ANA. These bookings can now also be made via the Virgin Australia website. But when Singapore is your destination, ANA – a Japanese carrier – isn’t too practical. In Australia, the airline only serves Sydney and Perth. And the distance from these cities to Singapore via Japan stretches so far that the points tally matches what you’d need for a flight to the Middle East or Canada.

For instance, you’d spend 56,000 Velocity Points just to fly one-way in Economy with ANA (Australia to Singapore via Tokyo). And you could be booking Singapore Airlines Premium Economy from the biggest cities for fewer points instead, or even Business Class for around the same points from other cities, as above. As for Business Class on ANA, it’d set you back 104,000 Velocity Points one-way. The same as a flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi, Doha or Vancouver.

Your other option – and it’s also pricey – is to convert your Velocity Points into KrisFlyer miles. You could then use those miles to book flights with Star Alliance airlines. This includes carriers that aren’t otherwise attached to the Velocity program. Options include Thai Airways via Bangkok and Air New Zealand via Auckland, to name just a couple.

But the cost is high. A one-way Business Class ticket from Australia requires 81,500 KrisFlyer miles. Given the 1.55:1 conversion rate from Velocity, that’s 126,325 Velocity Points. It should be a real last resort.

Summing up

Heading up to Singapore using Velocity Points is usually quite straightforward. Singapore Airlines releases plenty of seats in Economy Class to Velocity members. And in fact, it’s usually not too difficult to find seats in premium cabins either. Especially if you plan far ahead, or sometimes, search at shorter notice.

But if there isn’t a Singapore Airlines flight or reward seat to suit, things get a bit tougher. This is where it’s handy to have flexible credit card points, or indeed, some Qantas Points to spend as well.

For travellers venturing to Singapore, Qantas Points can unlock flights on Qantas itself – as the Red Roo flies from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Add to that, Qantas Points can also be spent on British Airways’ daily Sydney-Singapore flight. There’s also a daily Melbourne-Singapore service on Emirates, and Jetstar flies to Singapore too. All can be booked using Qantas Points, subject to reward seat availability.

But Singapore Airlines has the hometown advantage. And for Velocity members, it’s truly the easiest and best-value way to spend those hard-earned Velocity Points.

Also read: How to hack your way to Singapore with points

All images courtesy of Addie Lentz/Pexels.