Advice on using 78,000 points
Jan 12, 2017, 2:35 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: velocity
Posts: 13
Advice on using 78,000 points
Hi,
I have some old Velocity points - 78000 I'd like to use up.
I now however live in London.
I plan to travel from London to Melbourne (return) in the next couple of months.
Ideally I'd like to upgrade a leg or two using these points - but from what I've read you can only upgrade domestic Australian flights. Is this true?
I can see that I have enough point for one-way Lon - Melb - but when I look for one way tickets back, they are the same price as return!
Does anyone have any advice on how I might use up these points efficiently? I'd prefer upgrades over just purchasing economy - but will look at anything!
I'd be the lowest status and don't fly that regularly (3 x a year).
Thanks!
I have some old Velocity points - 78000 I'd like to use up.
I now however live in London.
I plan to travel from London to Melbourne (return) in the next couple of months.
Ideally I'd like to upgrade a leg or two using these points - but from what I've read you can only upgrade domestic Australian flights. Is this true?
I can see that I have enough point for one-way Lon - Melb - but when I look for one way tickets back, they are the same price as return!
Does anyone have any advice on how I might use up these points efficiently? I'd prefer upgrades over just purchasing economy - but will look at anything!
I'd be the lowest status and don't fly that regularly (3 x a year).
Thanks!
Jan 12, 2017, 2:30 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,009
SunnySomerset Welcome to FT (from a sunny Australia)
Yes. You can get award flights with Velocity freq flyer partners, if available. You book via Velocity.
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.co...deem/Airlines/
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.co...s/reward-seat/
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.co.../PointsTables/
You may get more award options for flights into/from SYD and then purchase for cash a SYD-MEL flight.
A one way cash fare LHR/LGW-MEL/SYD is likely to be cheaper than MEL/SYD-LHR/LGW
Another option is award flight to/from Singapore and cash fare SIN-MEL-SIN on Scoot, AirAsia Or Jetstar or a full service carrier.
Transferring ff miles/points generally results in a loss of potential value.
You would need to carefully check the Singapore SQ web site (& SQ forum on FT) on upgrades/awards.
Upgrades are never guaranteed.
Upgrading one leg of a MEL-SIN-LHR ticket may not be possible. (I expect its not)
You need to be mindful of expiry. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...-t-expire.html
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.co...deem/Airlines/
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.co...s/reward-seat/
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.co.../PointsTables/
You may get more award options for flights into/from SYD and then purchase for cash a SYD-MEL flight.
A one way cash fare LHR/LGW-MEL/SYD is likely to be cheaper than MEL/SYD-LHR/LGW
Another option is award flight to/from Singapore and cash fare SIN-MEL-SIN on Scoot, AirAsia Or Jetstar or a full service carrier.
You would need to carefully check the Singapore SQ web site (& SQ forum on FT) on upgrades/awards.
Upgrades are never guaranteed.
Upgrading one leg of a MEL-SIN-LHR ticket may not be possible. (I expect its not)
You need to be mindful of expiry. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...-t-expire.html
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jan 12, 2017 at 2:45 pm
Jan 13, 2017, 7:51 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Cairns, Australia
Posts: 924
IMHO you need to look closely at the option of transferring all of your Velocity points into Singapore Airlines.
Although you lose in terms of total number of points, you gain in that the redemption rate under the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program is commensurately less. I just booked a first class Sydney-London and it was 115,000 pts or thereabouts one way - try nearly 200,000 in the Virgin scheme!
Virgin simply do not fly to London. So you have to use their partners, which practically speaking means Etihad or Singapore Airlines. The Virgin Australia web site is absolute crap - doesn't show most of of rewards that may be available on partner airlines, so you have to spend time learning how to search for reward seats on their partner airlines and then call them and hope the agent has a clue what they are doing...
And that is where you hit a major problem or two...Singapore Airlines keeps those precious reward seats for its own members for the most part! IME Etihad reward seats may not be visible to the call centre agents at Virgin. So...you want to use your points on Singapore, you need to transfer them to Singapore first and use the Singapore system to book your seats...
For these reasons I've abandoned using Virgin Velocity totally...
..so join KrisFlyer (it's free) and search their award space to get an idea of what's available. Transfer the points from Virgin to Singapore KrisFlyer when you feel comfortable about your options...
...there are articles on making the points transfer if you Google for them...
...unless you want to use your Virgin points for travel inside of Australia, IMHO you are probably totally wasting your time with Virgin Velocity...
...also once in Singapore KrisFlyer your points can be used on any Star Alliance airline - can't find a flight on Singapore, then try Thai, and so forth...
...my plan would be to set the goal of a London or Europe to Australia reward in business class on Singapore Airlines...if you are a few points short there are ways to build up those points and / or buy at the time of reward redemption...
...or get the reward seat as far as Singapore and use a low cost carrier in business class to round off the trip (e.g. Scoot typically A$400-$500 one way in their business class recliner seats)...
...Virgin Velocity has a makeshift frequent flyer scheme muddled together for international travel; Air NZ (waste of time - hardly any reward seats), Hawaiian (waste of time if you want reward seats in business class using Virgin points), Singapore (releases rewards to its own member), Etihad (Virgin agents can't see the reward seats when you try to book), Virgin's own flights to USA (rewards only periodically available and often absent in premium classes) = pretty damned useless for international travel in business of first using points!!!
So...use tho points for Australian business class travel if that's part of your plan...otherwise forget Virgin....Singapore is your exit strategy.
Once in Australia you may elect to use Virgin for domestic travel and simply keep transferring those points to Singapore (unless you want to redeem for domestic Australian travel)...others use Qantas and book the point earn to AA for rewards across the OneWorld alliance...but that's another story...
PS London to Singapore is 68,000 pts on Singapore airlines using their website: pick the 777-300ER flight for a shot at the the latest business class seats...you should get around 52000 after your transfer...you can boost that total using he Virgin and Singapore online shopping malls or transfer some points from a credit card or hotel scheme (buy 20,000 SPG points and transfer to Singapore).
Although you lose in terms of total number of points, you gain in that the redemption rate under the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program is commensurately less. I just booked a first class Sydney-London and it was 115,000 pts or thereabouts one way - try nearly 200,000 in the Virgin scheme!
Virgin simply do not fly to London. So you have to use their partners, which practically speaking means Etihad or Singapore Airlines. The Virgin Australia web site is absolute crap - doesn't show most of of rewards that may be available on partner airlines, so you have to spend time learning how to search for reward seats on their partner airlines and then call them and hope the agent has a clue what they are doing...
And that is where you hit a major problem or two...Singapore Airlines keeps those precious reward seats for its own members for the most part! IME Etihad reward seats may not be visible to the call centre agents at Virgin. So...you want to use your points on Singapore, you need to transfer them to Singapore first and use the Singapore system to book your seats...
For these reasons I've abandoned using Virgin Velocity totally...
..so join KrisFlyer (it's free) and search their award space to get an idea of what's available. Transfer the points from Virgin to Singapore KrisFlyer when you feel comfortable about your options...
...there are articles on making the points transfer if you Google for them...
...unless you want to use your Virgin points for travel inside of Australia, IMHO you are probably totally wasting your time with Virgin Velocity...
...also once in Singapore KrisFlyer your points can be used on any Star Alliance airline - can't find a flight on Singapore, then try Thai, and so forth...
...my plan would be to set the goal of a London or Europe to Australia reward in business class on Singapore Airlines...if you are a few points short there are ways to build up those points and / or buy at the time of reward redemption...
...or get the reward seat as far as Singapore and use a low cost carrier in business class to round off the trip (e.g. Scoot typically A$400-$500 one way in their business class recliner seats)...
...Virgin Velocity has a makeshift frequent flyer scheme muddled together for international travel; Air NZ (waste of time - hardly any reward seats), Hawaiian (waste of time if you want reward seats in business class using Virgin points), Singapore (releases rewards to its own member), Etihad (Virgin agents can't see the reward seats when you try to book), Virgin's own flights to USA (rewards only periodically available and often absent in premium classes) = pretty damned useless for international travel in business of first using points!!!
So...use tho points for Australian business class travel if that's part of your plan...otherwise forget Virgin....Singapore is your exit strategy.
Once in Australia you may elect to use Virgin for domestic travel and simply keep transferring those points to Singapore (unless you want to redeem for domestic Australian travel)...others use Qantas and book the point earn to AA for rewards across the OneWorld alliance...but that's another story...
PS London to Singapore is 68,000 pts on Singapore airlines using their website: pick the 777-300ER flight for a shot at the the latest business class seats...you should get around 52000 after your transfer...you can boost that total using he Virgin and Singapore online shopping malls or transfer some points from a credit card or hotel scheme (buy 20,000 SPG points and transfer to Singapore).
Last edited by Platy; Jan 13, 2017 at 8:11 pm
Jan 13, 2017, 9:04 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,009
SYD LHR in business award
From http://www.awardace.com/redemptions/...p_type=one_way (may not be correct)
SQ Krisflyer 95,000 points
VA Velocity 127,500 points
Converting VA points to SQ points
127500/1.35 = 94444 SQ points.
Availability is another thing. Far more options with Star Alliance (SQ & many others)
And no carrier awards surcharge (YQ) with either carrier (Unlike QF, BA and many others)
From http://www.awardace.com/redemptions/...p_type=one_way (may not be correct)
SQ Krisflyer 95,000 points
VA Velocity 127,500 points
Converting VA points to SQ points
127500/1.35 = 94444 SQ points.
Availability is another thing. Far more options with Star Alliance (SQ & many others)
And no carrier awards surcharge (YQ) with either carrier (Unlike QF, BA and many others)
Jan 13, 2017, 10:02 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Lifetime *G (MP), Lifetime PE (Bonvoy)
Posts: 1,465
Jan 13, 2017, 10:58 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Cairns, Australia
Posts: 924
SYD LHR in business award
From http://www.awardace.com/redemptions/...p_type=one_way (may not be correct)
SQ Krisflyer 95,000 points
VA Velocity 127,500 points
Converting VA points to SQ points
127500/1.35 = 94444 SQ points.
Availability is another thing. Far more options with Star Alliance (SQ & many others)
And no carrier awards surcharge (YQ) with either carrier (Unlike QF, BA and many others)
From http://www.awardace.com/redemptions/...p_type=one_way (may not be correct)
SQ Krisflyer 95,000 points
VA Velocity 127,500 points
Converting VA points to SQ points
127500/1.35 = 94444 SQ points.
Availability is another thing. Far more options with Star Alliance (SQ & many others)
And no carrier awards surcharge (YQ) with either carrier (Unlike QF, BA and many others)
Respectfully - your data is miss-applied:
1) 15% discount for online bookings on SQ website, so LHR-SYD business is 80,750
2) VA Velocity is not 127,000 pts for Singapore or Etihad (wrong redemption table - different table to VA suite of airlines) but 139,000 ro a one way business LHR-SYD
Bottom line - better off transferring to SQ from VA:
1) Availability of reward seats
2) 29,000 VA pts better off (need to transfer 110,000 VA pts to get the 80,750 SQ pts so you're up 139,000-110,000)
Also, VA does charge fuel /carrier charges for some partners, definitely Etiahad and IIRC SQ as well..(others may confirm the latter)...(OT but buy Avianca Lifemiles at 135% bonus if you want SQ without surcharges whilst risking availability)...SQ has moderately high charges at $455 SYD-LHR business redemption.
Last edited by Platy; Jan 13, 2017 at 11:06 pm