The best ways to spend 100,000 Velocity Points

If you’ve earned bonus Velocity Points from a new credit card or just saved them up, here's what 100,000 Velocity Points can get you.

Key takeaways

  • Virgin Australia's Frequent Flyer program lets you redeem your Velocity Points for flights, flight upgrades, hotels, car hires, or shopping and cashbacks via the Velocity Rewards Store.
  • The value you get from 100,000 Velocity Points varies widely. Based on Finder analysis, the best ways to spend points, from a dollar value perspective, is via reward flights or upgrades.
  • You can also use Velocity Points to book hotels, hire a car or shop at the Virgin Rewards Store. But these options cost more points and give you less value.

The most rewarding ways to use 100,000 Velocity Points

Flight upgrades

Using Velocity Points to upgrade a flight offers great value when you break it down to the $ value per 1,000 points. If you wanted to upgrade a one-way flight from Sydney to Melbourne from economy class to business, this would cost you 10,000 Velocity Points. Now the cost difference between an economy and business class flight right now is $240. So that upgrade is worth about $24 for every 1,000 Velocity Points. Business upgrades on other routes can end up being worth over $60 per 1,000 points.

Reward flights

Reward flights offer some of the best points value. You could fly return economy from Melbourne to Singapore for 58,000 Velocity Points if you get a reward flight, plus fees and taxes. That could cost you around $1,536. That works out to $26 per 1,000 Velocity Points.

Less effective ways to spend 100,000 Velocity Points

  1. Hotels. You won't get as much value from booking hotels via Virgin Australia's travel booking site. For example, you could book a one night stay in The Darling at The Star Gold Coast for 103,300 Velocity Points. That would cost you $620 otherwise, which works out to $6 of value per 1,000 points.
  2. Car hire. Using Velocity Points to hire a car tends to work out to a similar value as hotels, with a points value of around $6 per 1,000 points.
  3. Shopping. Probably the worst way to spend your points, from a dollar value perspective. A $500 Ultimate Home Gift Card costs 103,511 points. That gives you a points value of $4.80 per 1,000 points.
Richard Whitten's headshot

"I never use my Velocity Points for upgrades. Going up to business class may be the most lucrative way to use points, but I prefer to save my points for as many reward economy flights as I can. Which goes to show that the best use of Velocity Points depends on what matters to you. A $300 coffee machine for 80,000 points is not good value, but if you never plan on traveling anywhere, why not! "

Money Editor

Flight upgrades

Using your points for flight upgrades gives you the opportunity to move into business class without paying more in cash.

With 100,000 Velocity Points to spend, you have a lot of options. But upgrades on longer flights offer the most value because they give you more time to enjoy the business class perks.

Here are some examples of how far 100,000 Velocity Points could go:

FlightExisting fare classPoints to upgrade to business classNo. of upgrades with 100,000 Velocity Points
Brisbane to Tokyo (Haneda)
Choice
40,000 points one-way
2 (totalling 80,000 points)
Perth to Auckland
Choice
24,000 points one-way
4 (totalling 96,000 points)
Melbourne to Bali (Denpasar)
Choice
24,000 points one-way
4 (totalling 96,000 points)
Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne to Auckland
Choice
16,000 points
6 (totalling 96,000 points)

Source: Velocity website, April 2025

What's the value of a business class upgrade?

Let's say you want to fly one way from Melbourne to Bali. You book an economy flight for $379 and upgrade it for 24,000 Velocity Points.

The same flight costs $1,870 for business class. This makes it $1,491 more expensive. And that means the value of the upgrade in Velocity Points is 62 cents per point, or $62 for every 1,000 Velocity Points.

3 things to know about Velocity flight upgrades

  1. Velocity Frequent Flyer doesn't currently offer upgrade options for international long-haul flights.
  2. If you have platinum Velocity status, you get 4 complimentary upgrade credits per year for eligible domestic and short-haul international flights operated by Virgin Australia.
  3. You can also bid for an upgrade on eligible flights using the UpgradeMe Premium Bid service

Redeeming Velocity Points for reward flights

With 100,000 Velocity Points, you have your pick of many domestic and international flight options, including first and business class options. You can redeem points for flights with 9 different airlines. But flights with Virgin Australia, Virgin Atlantic and United offer the most value.

Here, we’ve outlined some international and domestic flight options you could enjoy with 100,000 points. These are based on the Velocity websites points tables and arranged by lowest to highest point requirements.

Domestic flights you can take with 100,000 Velocity Points

Flight (one way)Fare classPoints per flightNumber of flights for 100,000 points
Melbourne to Sydney
Economy
5,900 points
16 flights (total 94,400 points)
Brisbane or Melbourne to Sydney
Business
15,500 points
6 flights (total 93,000 points)
Sydney to Adelaide
Economy
8,900 points
11 flights (total 97,900 points)
Sydney to Adelaide
Business
23,500 points
4 flights (total 94,000 points)

Source: Velocity website, April 2025

How can I redeem flights with Velocity Points?

Follow these steps to use your Velocity Points for a flight or flights:

  1. Log in to your Velocity account.
  2. Click on “Redeem”, “Flights” and then “Book a flight”. This will take you to a search page for reward seats.
  3. Make sure “Use Points + Pay” is selected, enter the flight details and click “Find flights”.
  4. Browse the available options and click on your chosen flight or flights, then follow the prompts to complete your booking.

Alternatively, you can make your booking by calling the Membership Contact Centre on 13 18 75. Note that if you don’t have enough points to pay for the entire flight, you can also buy points to make up the difference or use a combination of points and cash.

Hotels and accommodation

As long as you have a minimum of 2,000 points, you can use your Velocity Points to pay for accommodation bookings around the world via virginaustralia.com/au/hotels/. The number of points required varies depending on the hotel, the time of the booking and date/s you want to stay.

But to give you an idea of the potential options you’d have with 100,000 points, here are some examples of where you could stay for a one-night booking in June 2025.

LocationHotelCost in points (per night)Cost in $ (per night)*
Gold Coast, AU
Burleigh Beach Tower
88,800 points
$456
Melbourne, AU
United Places Botanic Gardens
88,000 points
$528
Sydney, AU
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel
93,900 points
$564
Los Angeles, USA
Ocean View Hotel, Santa Monica
95,700 points
$625
Tokyo, Japan
The Prince Park Tower Tokyo
98,300 points
$590

Source: Velocity website, April 2025. *Prices correct at time of booking for June dates in 2025.
In these examples, Velocity Points used to book hotels are worth about $5-6 for every 1,000 points.

How to redeem Velocity Points for accommodation bookings

Here are the steps to make a booking through the Velocity Hotels service:

  1. Log in to your Velocity account.
  2. Go go https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/hotels/.
  3. Choose "Redeem Velocity Points" in the search box, enter your travel plans and search for accommodation. Note that you can sort the search results based on points, deals or ratings.
  4. Select your chosen accommodation and follow the prompts to complete the booking.

Earning more points for your Velocity hotel booking

If you pay with a combination of points and cash, you’ll also earn Velocity points on the cash part of the payment. You could also maximise your points by paying the cash portion with a Velocity credit card.

Other travel rewards

Velocity also allows you to redeem your points for car hire with partners including Thrifty, Hertz and Europcar.

  • You could rent a Mazda CX-3 via Hertz for 4 days from Sydney Airport for 82,400 Velocity Points. That car hire would cost you $494.40, which works out to a value of $6 per 1,000 Velocity Points.
  • You could rent a compact MG 3 Core via Europcar from Gold Coast Airport for 6 nights for 98,120 Velocity Points. That car hire would cost you $565, which works out to a value of $5.70 per 1,000 Velocity Points.

Car hire in other cities tends to have similar costs, when looking at the same models.

How to use Velocity Points for car hire

  1. Log in to your Velocity account.
  2. Go to https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/car-hire/.
  3. Enter the required details and choose "Use points" before completing the search.
  4. Select your preferred rental and follow the prompts to complete the booking.

Shopping and cashback options

If you’re not currently interested in travel and don’t want to save your points, you could also use them to buy items or gift cards from the Velocity Rewards Store. This tends to be the least effective way to use your points.

Some of the examples here give you a points value of around $4 or $5 per 1,000 points when looking at the retail prices of the items.

With 100,000 Velocity Points to play with, here are some of your options:

CategoryItemPoints
Cameras
Garmin Dash Cam Tandem
91,109 points
Luggage
Samsonite MAGNUM ECO SPINNER 81/30
83,644 points
Gift cards
$500 Ultimate Home gift card
103,511 points
Apple products
Apple Watch SE GPS 44mm Starlight Aluminium Case
86,153 points
Outdoors
Coleman Instant Up six person tent
95,167 points
Kitchen
KitchenAid 13 Cup Food Processor KFP1319
80,644 points
Sport
Clicgear Model 4.0 Buggy - Black
99,387 points

*Points and items based on search from April 2025

Note that products do vary depending on when you want to redeem your points. But the points pricing for items also includes delivery, so you won’t have to pay more if you already have enough points in your account.

How to use points on the Velocity Rewards Store

To redeem your points for items on the Velocity store, just log into your account and follow these steps:

  • Select “Redeem” then “Velocity Rewards Store”.
  • Browse the range of items available or search for your chosen reward.
  • Select the reward and follow the prompts to complete your redemption.

Once you’ve completed the redemption process, you should receive your reward item/s in 14 business days.

How much is 100,000 Velocity Points worth?

Based on the rewards examples in this guide, a Velocity Point is typically worth between 0.52 cents and 8 cents. So 100,000 Velocity Points is worth between $520 and $8,000 depending on how you use it.

If you have a different amount of Velocity Points, you can also get an estimate of the value using Finder's points to dollars calculator.

Points-to-dollars calculator 💵

What else do I need to know about using Velocity Points?

To make the most of your Velocity Points, keep these details in mind:

  • Availability. Flights, flight upgrades, hotel bookings and most other rewards are subject to availability. This means there could be times when you won’t be able to use points to get the rewards you want. Planning ahead and leaving some room for flexibility can help you get the most out of your points.
  • Taxes and airfare fees. There may be taxes and additional fees that add to the cost of your rewards flight bookings. These are not automatically factored into the points you need for a flight but you can usually use points to pay for them (if you have enough). Just bear this in mind so you’re not caught short when you’re booking.
  • Point value. The dollar value of your points can vary significantly depending on what you use them for. Flights and flight upgrades usually offer the greatest value, although this can also depend on availability and demand. Remember to consider this and choose rewards that offer value based on your goals and needs.
  • Points + Pay. For reward flights, hotels, holiday packages and many other rewards, you have the option of using a combination of points and cash. This could help you get rewards you want that may be worth more than 100,000 points.
  • Buying points. If you don’t have enough points for your reward, another option is to buy them. The cost starts from $18 for 500 points and you can buy up to 20% of the points you need for a reward. Velocity lets you use this option a maximum of two times per year.
  • Point expiry. Remember that Velocity Points stay valid as long as you earn or redeem them at least once every 24 months. So if there isn’t anything you need right now, you could save your 100,000 Velocity Points for future rewards.

In general, you’ll get the most financial value from Velocity Points when you use them for flights or flight upgrades. But there can also be value in using points to pay for other travel plans or items that you want, especially if you don’t quite have enough cash on hand. So when you’re thinking about how to use 100,000 Velocity Points, factoring in both the dollar value and the convenience of specific rewards will help you get the most out of them.

Compare Velocity Frequent Flyer credit cards

Product Bonus points Points per $ spent Purchase rate p.a. Annual fee
American Express Velocity Business Card image
Bonus points
200,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$249
New American Express card members can get 200K bonus Velocity Points (170K when you spend $5,000 in the first 2 months + 30K when you activate offer on Velocity site). ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Ends 30 April 2025.
American Express Velocity Platinum Card image
Bonus points
100,000
Points per $ spent
1.25
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$440
Limited time offer: Enjoy 100,000 bonus Velocity Points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, up to 100 bonus Status Credits and up to 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent. Ends 30 April 2025.
Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer Card - Balance Transfer Offer image
Bonus points
N/A
Points per $ spent
0.66
Purchase rate p.a.
20.74%
Annual fee
$149
Get 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 24 months (with 1% BT fee) and $129 Virgin Australia Gift Voucher.
NAB Rewards Platinum Card – Velocity Points image
Bonus points
80,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$95 first year ($195 after)
Get up to 80,000 bonus Velocity Points: 60,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 60 days and 20,000 after 12 months. Ends 31 July 2025.
American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card image
Bonus points
30,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$95
Get 30,000 bonus Velocity Points when you meet the spend requirement, receive $50 statement credit and earn up to 1.75 Velocity Points per $1 spent. Ends 30 April 2025.
Westpac Altitude Velocity Platinum
Velocity Frequent Flyer
Westpac Altitude Velocity Platinum image
Bonus points
75,000
Points per $ spent
0.5
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$250
Get 75,000 bonus Velocity Points when you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first 90 days.
Westpac Altitude Velocity Black
Finder AwardVelocity Frequent Flyer
Westpac Altitude Velocity Black image
Bonus points
120,000
Points per $ spent
0.75
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$370
Up to 120,000 bonus Velocity Points (90,000 points in year 1 when you spend $6,000 in the first 120 days & 30,000 after the first eligible spend in year 2).
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Richard Whitten's headshot
Money Editor

Richard Whitten is Finder’s Money Editor, with over seven years of experience in home loans, property and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University. See full bio

Richard's expertise
Richard has written 608 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Home loans
  • Property
  • Personal finance
  • Money-saving tips

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