Redeeming Aeroplan points on Virgin flight - Example
Jan 18, 2022, 10:23 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YOW/HBA
Programs: Qantas Silver, MileagePlus Silver
Posts: 418
Redeeming Aeroplan points on Virgin flight - Example
I was looking at redeeming some Aeroplan miles I have and read that Virgin is now a partner. Looking at a flight I need to take I decided to price it out. x2 passengers and 1 lap child CBR-MEL
Aeroplan website prices it out as 12,100 pts + $255 CDN (Not sure if that includes sales tax) for the flight.
Alternatively - Looking up the cash price for the same flight VA's website and its $198 AUD all in (Choice Fare).
Pretty obvious what I am going to do here.
I hope you Velocity members get better value when you redeem on AC.
Aeroplan website prices it out as 12,100 pts + $255 CDN (Not sure if that includes sales tax) for the flight.
Alternatively - Looking up the cash price for the same flight VA's website and its $198 AUD all in (Choice Fare).
Pretty obvious what I am going to do here.
I hope you Velocity members get better value when you redeem on AC.
Jan 19, 2022, 4:55 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: MEL, LHR
Programs: VA, QR
Posts: 24
With cash fares at AUD 99 between CBR and MEL right now (and even cheaper through OTAs), it's not worth redeeming for reward seats through any of the programs, including Velocity. The economics worked differently when non-refundable fares on this route were regularly at AUD 160+ for the short hop. Best value I've ever gotten on this route was an economy reward seat just before Easter one year, when cash fares were going at ~AUD 400!
Looks like the biggest problem with using Aeroplan for domestic VA flights in economy is going to be the CAD 39 per person partner booking fee, which will pretty consistently destroy the value proposition. For comparison, Velocity charges 7800 points + AUD 44.58 in taxes for the route (the Aeroplan booking you priced out looks to be a points + cash booking - if doing a pure points booking, it looks like the cost would've been 8000 points per person + CAD 66.70 in fees and taxes, which is worse than Velocity on both measures, and Aeroplan points are more valuable than Velocity points to begin with).
Hope Velocity doesn't get any ideas about "partner booking fees" and such in the course of becoming friends with AC!
Looks like the biggest problem with using Aeroplan for domestic VA flights in economy is going to be the CAD 39 per person partner booking fee, which will pretty consistently destroy the value proposition. For comparison, Velocity charges 7800 points + AUD 44.58 in taxes for the route (the Aeroplan booking you priced out looks to be a points + cash booking - if doing a pure points booking, it looks like the cost would've been 8000 points per person + CAD 66.70 in fees and taxes, which is worse than Velocity on both measures, and Aeroplan points are more valuable than Velocity points to begin with).
Hope Velocity doesn't get any ideas about "partner booking fees" and such in the course of becoming friends with AC!
Jan 20, 2022, 11:57 am
#4
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-PLT, QF-GLD, DL-GM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
Posts: 8,242
Based on the fees I'd expect very few low-priced tickets would ever make sense on Aeroplan.
I recently booked a ticket on DL using Velocity points and the total in fees was US $14.5
I recently booked a ticket on DL using Velocity points and the total in fees was US $14.5