Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to Book Virgin Australia Velocity Awards
A Virgin Australia Velocity award is a flight booked with Velocity Points, where the Reward Seat base fare is paid in Points and taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable on top. [1] Velocity Frequent Flyer is the frequent flyer programme of Virgin Australia, membership is free, and Points can be redeemed with Virgin Australia and with the programme's airline partners. [2] This guide covers bookings made with Virgin Australia; where a flight is operated by a partner airline, the operating and marketing carrier's terms also apply. [1]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Virgin Australia says Reward Seat bookings must be made on the Virgin Australia website by selecting "Use Points", with the base fare paid in Velocity Points. [1]
- Taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable in addition to the Points redeemed, and can be paid in cash or by redeeming Velocity Points. [1]
- Reward Seats are limited, may not be available at peak times or on all flights, and the price may vary until ticketed. [1]
- Reward Seats and their associated charges do not earn Points. [1]
Where to search and book
Virgin Australia's Reward Seat conditions state that Reward Seat bookings must be made on the Virgin Australia website by selecting "Use Points". [1] Points can also be used for things other than flights, including flight upgrades, car hire, hotels, products, gift cards and wine, and redemption is available with Virgin Australia and across Velocity's airline partners. [2] Partners named on the Velocity site include Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways, United Airlines and Singapore Airlines. [2]
Availability is the constraint to plan around: Reward Seats are limited and may not be available at peak times or on all flights. [1]
What an award costs
An award has two parts. The Reward Seat base fare is payable in Velocity Points, and taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable in addition to the Points redeemed for that base fare. [1] Those charges can be settled in cash or by redeeming Velocity Points. [1] Carrier charges apply to Reward Seat bookings on flights operated by Virgin Australia. [1]
Virgin Australia advertises one-way economy Reward Seats with "from" prices, for example:
- Sydney–Melbourne from 5,900 Points plus taxes, fees and carrier charges; the quoted domestic redemption fares are the lowest Reward Seat pricing available from 17 October 2024. [1]
- Sydney–Bali (Denpasar) from 22,500 Points, and Sydney–Singapore with Singapore Airlines from 38,900 Points, priced as at 21 January 2025. [1]
- Sydney–Los Angeles with United Airlines from 48,000 Points, likewise priced as at 21 January 2025. [1]
- Sydney–London via Doha with Qatar Airways from 80,000 Points plus taxes, fees and carrier charges from $401.25, priced as at 10 July 2026. [1]
These are headline examples rather than a price list, and Virgin Australia states that the price may vary until ticketed. [1]
Checks before you ticket
- Price and totals. Because the price may vary until ticketed, compare the Points total and the cash charges on the final screen before confirming. [1]
- Earning. Reward Seats and their associated charges are not eligible for Points earn, so a redemption will not add to your balance. [1]
- Changes and refunds. 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. [1] You may also request a refund for other reasons, including under the Australian Consumer Law. [1]
- Account activity. Velocity Points generally expire 24 months after the last date you earned, redeemed or transferred Points, so an award redemption resets that clock. [2]
Exceptions and limits
- Partner-operated flights. Some flights may be operated by a partner airline, and different baggage allowances and conditions may apply to those flights. [1] Any voluntary change by a member to a Reward Seat with an international partner airline requires cancellation and rebooking on a new ticket, and the original ticket is refunded if applicable. [1] See the partner award booking checklist.
- Points expiry carve-outs. The 24-month clock excludes Family Member Points transfers and Family Pooling, and family transfers, pooling or inheritance transfers may only extend the Points Expiry Date by up to one month. [2] Points transfers to an eligible family member are capped at four per membership year, each between 5,000 and 125,000 Points. [2]
- Not the same as Status Credits. Status Credits expire from your balance 12 months after they were earned, and Forever Gold Status Credits are tracked in a separate balance. [2]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers Velocity awards booked with Virgin Australia only; awards flown on other programmes, including Qantas Frequent Flyer, are not covered here.
- Virgin Australia website, Reward Seat terms and advertised redemption fares, checked 18 October 2026
- Velocity Frequent Flyer website, programme overview and member FAQs, checked 18 October 2026