How to earn Velocity Points on partner flights

Marketing carrier and operating carrier

The page describes two partner situations on the Virgin Australia network. The first is a Virgin Australia-operated flight sold with a partner airline flight number, such as a two-letter partner code followed by digits. The second is a VA flight number flown as part of a partner airline international journey. In both cases, Velocity says members earn Velocity Points and Status Credits based on their fare class and the number of miles flown. [3]

For Status Credits specifically, Velocity lists eligible Virgin Australia-marketed flights with a VA flight number operated by partner airlines, Virgin Australia flights between Australia and Doha with a VA flight number from VA1 to VA29, and partner-airline-marketed flights carrying the partner's own flight number. Earn on those flights is based on the fare type purchased and the miles flown, at the rates published on the relevant partner airline page. [3] The programme also states that Status Credits can only be earned on eligible flights marketed and operated by Virgin Australia and/or a Velocity airline partner. [3]

Operating carrier matters even on Virgin Australia numbers: the flights between Australia and Doha numbered VA1 to VA29 are operated by Qatar Airways for Virgin Australia, and they earn on fare type purchased and miles flown rather than on spend. [3]

Fare class decides the earn

Velocity ties partner earn to the fare class originally purchased and the miles flown, and publishes the resulting rates on the partner airline pages rather than on the Virgin Australia page. [3] That means a cheap booking class and an expensive one on the same partner route can credit differently, and the applicable table has to be read for the airline actually being flown.

Upgraded fares do not change the basis. Members travelling on upgrades purchased with Points, through the Upgrade Me Platinum Member Offer, through Upgrade Me Premium Bids, or with cash at the airport earn on the fare class originally purchased. [3]

Partner rules are programme-specific, so they should not be carried across from another loyalty scheme. Air Europa's SUMA programme, for example, publishes its own table for Aerolíneas Argentinas flights that credits some business booking classes at 125% of base miles, some promotional classes at 50%, and the booking classes O, F, Z, X and P at nothing. [4]

One extra is also fenced off. For bookings made from 2 April 2025, members who have earned Points from spending with an eligible Velocity Points earning credit card within the 12 months before flying receive 1 additional Base Point per dollar on Virgin Australia-operated flights with a VA flight number; the additional Base Point cannot be earned on Virgin Australia-marketed flights operated by a partner airline. [3]

Status Credits and tier recognition

Status Credits earned on partner flights are valid for 12 months from the date flown. [3] A member's Status Credit balance is calculated daily over the previous 365 days, so new credits arriving and older credits reaching the end of their validity move the balance. [3]

From 1 October 2025, Eligible Sectors are no longer required to upgrade or maintain status. To upgrade into Silver, Gold or Platinum, a member needs the required number of Status Credits in the balance earned during the previous 365 days, with at least 50% of them earned on Virgin Australia-marketed and/or Virgin Australia-operated flights flown by the member. [3] Status Credits earned on partner-airline marketed and operated flights do not count towards that minimum, and neither do Status Credits from Family Pooling received as a beneficiary, Flybuys, eligible Velocity Points earning credit cards or other partners. [3]

Tier Bonus Points are described on the Virgin Australia page as additional Points beyond Base Points, earned by Silver members at 50%, Gold at 75% and Platinum and Platinum Plus at 100%, on all fare types excluding Lite with Virgin Australia, based on the status held at the time of flying rather than at the time of booking. [3]

Exceptions and limits

• Wrong membership number. Points and Status Credits cannot be earned on a flight where the membership number entered is not that of the passenger travelling. [3]
• Reward Seats. Reward Seat bookings do not earn, with the exception of Any Seat bookings. [3]
• Unlisted fare types. Velocity states that any fare type not listed in the applicable table does not earn Points, and any fare class not listed does not earn Status Credits. [3]
• Charter flying. On charter services operated by Virgin Australia Regional Airlines and Alliance Airlines, members may not be eligible to earn Velocity Points; eligibility depends on the fare flown and is governed by the chartering company. [3]
• Missing credit. Points can take up to 14 days to appear after a flight. If they have not credited after 14 days, or the membership number was not added before travelling, a missing Points claim can be submitted from the Velocity account. [3]
• Rate gaps.

Related pages

Programme profile: Velocity Frequent Flyer. Term: partner earning. Practical checks: partner flight credit checklist. Redemptions on the home airline: booking Virgin Australia Velocity awards. All terms: glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers Velocity Frequent Flyer only; the individual Velocity partner airline pages are not covered, and other programmes' partner-earning rules are not covered, with the Air Europa SUMA table used only as an illustration that fare-class tables differ between programmes.

1. Velocity Frequent Flyer — Virgin Australia flying and status page, checked 18 October 2026
2. Air Europa SUMA — earning and redeeming miles with Aerolíneas Argentinas, checked 18 October 2026