Start here: Velocity Frequent Flyer

What is Velocity Frequent Flyer, and how do you join?

Step 1: understand the programme. Velocity Frequent Flyer is the loyalty programme of Virgin Australia, and the programme describes membership as free. [1] [3]

The programme runs two separate balances. Velocity Points are the currency it advertises for redemptions: they can be spent on flights, flight upgrades, car hire, hotels, products, gift cards and wine. [1] [3] Status Credits sit in their own balance and expire 12 months from the date they are earned; Status Credits in a Forever Gold balance are tracked separately and do not expire on that timetable. [1] [3]

Step 2: join. Membership is free, and Virgin Australia says members can start earning Points and Status Credits from the moment they join. [1] [3] Points earned with a Velocity Points earning credit card are loaded into the account automatically each month, and existing reward points held on an eligible credit card or charge card from the partner network can be transferred across. [1] [3] Families are covered too: the programme lists Family Pooling, Points Transfer and Parental Pause among its family options, and children can earn and redeem. [1] [3]

How do you earn Velocity Points?

Step 3: earn. Velocity lists hundreds of ways to earn, grouped around flying, shopping, everyday spend and holidays. [1] [3] Flying is the core: Points are earned on eligible Virgin Australia flights and with airline partners including United Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Air Canada. [5]

On eligible Virgin Australia domestic and international short-haul flights, the base rate is set per dollar spent on the all-inclusive fare. This covers flights marketed and operated by Virgin Australia, flights marketed by Virgin Australia and operated by Link Airways, and flights marketed by Virgin Australia and operated by Air New Zealand under a VA flight number. [5] As of 18 October 2026, the published base rates were: [5]

The all-inclusive fare covers the base fare, taxes including GST, fees and carrier charges; Points are not earned on extras such as seat selection, Economy X, preferred seating, baggage allowance or carbon offset. [5] Members who booked an eligible Virgin Australia flight before 2 April 2025 may still earn 5 Points per $1. [5]

Tier bonuses are added on top, as of 18 October 2026: [5]

Tier bonus Points do not apply to Economy Lite fares. [5] On airline partners the base rate depends on the partner, route and fare class, with bonus percentages of up to 50% for Silver, up to 75% for Gold and up to 100% for Platinum and Platinum Plus members. [5]

Households can combine their earning through Family Pooling, which allows up to six Velocity members — a maximum of two adults aged 18 or over and four children living at the same address — to pool Points and Status Credits; the pool must be set up before the Points or Status Credits are earned. [1] [3] [5]

How do you use Velocity Points?

Step 4: choose what to redeem. Velocity Points can be redeemed on flights, flight upgrades, car hire, hotels, products, gift cards and wine. [1] [3]

Points stay usable while the account keeps a qualifying activity. Points generally expire 24 months after the last date a member earned, redeemed or transferred Points, received Points from a Virgin Australia Business Flyer member, or bought Points using Points Booster. [1] [3] Each of those activities extends the Points Expiry Date by another 24 months. [5] Family Member Points transfers, Family Pooling and inherited Points may only extend the expiry date by up to one month. [1] [3]

Balances can also be moved between members. Points can be transferred to an eligible family member who is also a Velocity member, up to four times per membership year, with each transfer between 5,000 and 125,000 Points, completed after logging in. [1] [3] If a balance is short of an award, Points Booster sells the missing Points, subject to minimum and maximum purchase limits and its own terms. [5]

Step 5: plan a first award booking

Three practical checks come before a first redemption. First, the Points Expiry Date: once Points have expired they cannot be reinstated, so an award is only as good as the balance behind it. [5]

Second, the cash component. Taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable in addition to the Points required; they are quoted at the time of booking and are subject to change. [5]

Third, the funding mix. A shortfall can be covered by transferring Points from an eligible family member, within the four-transfers-a-year and 5,000-to-125,000-Points-per-transfer limits, or by buying the difference through Points Booster. [1] [3] [5]

How does Velocity status work?

Step 6: status. Status Credits are tracked in a separate balance and expire 12 months from the date they are earned; the Forever Gold balance is tracked separately, so those Status Credits do not expire on the same timetable. [1] [3]

Velocity names Red, Silver, Gold, Forever Gold, Platinum and Platinum Plus as its member tiers. Base Points are described as the minimum a Red member earns when flying Virgin Australia, while Silver, Gold, Forever Gold, Platinum and Platinum Plus members can earn tier bonus Points on top. [5] The bonus is worth 50% for Silver, 75% for Gold and 100% for Platinum and Platinum Plus, and it does not apply to Economy Lite fares. [5]

Status Credits can also be pooled: a Family Points Pool accrues both Points and Status Credits when members travel, provided it was set up beforehand. [1] [5] For the full rules behind these balances, Velocity directs members to its membership terms and conditions. [1] [3]

Exceptions and limits

• Not every activity resets expiry in full. Family Member Points transfers, Family Pooling and inherited Points may extend the Points Expiry Date by up to one month only. [1] [5]
• Lite fares sit outside the tier bonus. Tier bonus Points for Silver, Gold, Forever Gold, Platinum and Platinum Plus members do not apply to Economy Lite fares. [5]
• The credit-card rate has conditions. The 5 Points per $1 rate for bookings made from 2 April 2025 requires an eligible Velocity Points earning credit cardholder who earned Points on that card in the 12 months before flying, and the card does not need to be active at the time of travel. [5]
• Pooling has limits. A Family Pool is capped at six members — two adults aged 18 or over and four children at one address — and must be set up before the Points or Status Credits are earned. [1] [5]
• Cash charges sit outside the Points price. Taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable in addition to the Points required and are quoted at the time of booking, subject to change. [5]
• Partner earning is not uniform. On airline partners the base rate depends on the airline partner, route and fare class. [5]
• Promotional offers carry their own windows. As of 18 October 2026, one Virgin Australia offer required activation by 26 October 2026 and travel between 12 October and 30 November 2026 to earn double Points or double Status Credits. [1] [3]

Frequently asked questions

Is Velocity Frequent Flyer membership free?

Yes. Virgin Australia describes Velocity Frequent Flyer membership as free, with Points and Status Credits earned from the moment a member joins. [1] [3]

How long do Velocity Points last?

Points generally expire 24 months after the last date a member earned, redeemed or transferred Points, received Points from a Business Flyer member, or bought Points with Points Booster, and each of those activities extends the expiry date by another 24 months. [1] [5]

Do Velocity Status Credits expire?

Yes. Status Credits expire from the Status Credits balance 12 months from the date they are earned, while Status Credits in a Forever Gold balance are tracked separately. [1] [3]

Can I transfer Velocity Points to a family member?

Yes, to an eligible family member who is also a Velocity member, up to four times per membership year, with each transfer between 5,000 and 125,000 Points. [1] [3]

What happens to Velocity Points once they expire?

Once Points have expired they cannot be reinstated. [5]

Related pages

Programme: Velocity Frequent Flyer. Courses: Start here: airline miles and Start here: status and lounges. Glossary: frequent flyer terms.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. This course covers Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer only; other programmes, including Qantas Frequent Flyer, KrisFlyer and Asia Miles, are not covered here.

1. Velocity Frequent Flyer programme page and FAQs, Virgin Australia, checked 18 October 2026
2. Velocity Frequent Flyer homepage and member FAQs, checked 18 October 2026
3. Earning Velocity Frequent Flyer Points, including earn rates and Points expiry, checked 18 October 2026