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.

The Velocity Frequent Flyer program offers a wide range of ways to earn and redeem points, including flights with Virgin Australia starting from 6,200 points. But some rewards are worth a lot more than others.

So if you’ve jumped through hoops to collect 100,000 Velocity Points, here are the best ways to use them based on the value you can get for your points in 5 key rewards categories. You can also check out Finder's Velocity Frequent Flyer guide for more information on how the program works.

What are some of the most rewarding ways to use 100,000 Velocity Points?

From flights and upgrades to gift cards and shopping sprees, compare some of the ways you can redeem your Velocity Points below.

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.

International flights you could get with 100,000 Velocity Points

FlightFare classOne-way or return?Points
Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney or Gold Coast to Auckland with Virgin AustraliaBusinessReturn71,000 points
Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney to Singapore with Singapore AirlinesFirstOne-way95,000 points
Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney to Los Angeles with United or Virgin AtlanticEconomyReturn89,600 points
Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney to Los Angeles with United or Virgin AtlanticBusinessOne-way95,500 points
Perth to Auckland with Virgin AustraliaBusinessReturn99,000 points

Source: Velocity website, 21 February 2024

Domestic flights you can take with 100,000 Velocity Points

FlightFare classPoints per flightNumber of flights for 100,000 points
Melbourne to SydneyEconomy Tier 16,200 points16 flights (total 99,200 points)
Brisbane or Melbourne to SydneyBusiness15,500 points6 flights (total 93,000 points)
Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney to PerthEconomy Tier 317,800 points5 flights (total 89,000 points)
Sydney to AdelaideBusiness23,500 points4 flights (total 94,000 points)
Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney to PerthBusiness35,500 points2 flights (total 71,000 points)

Source: Velocity website, 21 February 2024

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.

Flight upgrades

Using your points for flight upgrades gives you the opportunity to move into a higher cabin class without paying more in cash. Depending on the upgrade, this could give you access to benefits including:

  • Priority services (check-in, baggage,
    security screening and boarding)
  • Priority in-flight service
  • Larger seats
  • Additional baggage
  • In-flight a la carte dining
  • Velocity Lounge access
  • Flat-bed seats

With Velocity’s UpgradeMe Points service, your options for requesting a flight upgrade using points depend on your flight route and Velocity Membership status. The amount of points you need also depends on miles flown and your existing fare class, so we’ve outlined the different flight options below.

Domestic flights

If you’re booked on a Choice or Flex fare, you can request an upgrade to business class on domestic flights operated by Virgin Australia with a VA flight number. 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.

This makes domestic flights to and from Perth a popular upgrade choice. For example, if you were flying between Perth and Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, here's how many upgrades you could get based on your fare class.

  • Choice fare upgrades. 30,000 points per upgrade = 3 upgrades for a total of 90,000 points.
  • Flex fare upgrades. 9,900 points per upgrade = 10 upgrades for 99,000 points.

With the difference between economy and business class fares often worth hundreds of dollars, these upgrades could help you save a lot of money if you regularly travel between Perth and other capital cities.

International short-haul flights

You can request an upgrade to business class when you have a Choice or Flex fare on an eligible international short-haul flight operated by Virgin Australia with a VA flight number. 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)Choice40,000 points one-way2 (totalling 80,000 points)
Perth to AucklandChoice24,000 points one-way4 (totalling 96,000 points)
Melbourne to Bali (Denpasar)Choice24,000 points one-way4 (totalling 96,000 points)
Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne to AucklandChoice16,000 points6 (totalling 96,000 points)
Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne to AucklandFlex9,900 points10 (totalling 99,000 points)

Source: Velocity website, 21 February 2024

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

hotel pool banner

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 with over 400,000 properties 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 on Friday 26 May 2023. We’ve also included the cost if you booked your one-night stay with 2,000 points plus cash to show you the potential dollar value.

LocationHotelCost in pointsPoints plus pay cost
Gold Coast, AUSheraton Grand Mirage Resort89,300 points$524 plus 2,000 points
Melbourne, AUCrown Towers Melbourne99,200 points$584 plus 2,000 points
Sydney, AUInterContinental Sydney Double Bay91,300 points$536 plus 2,000 points
Los Angeles, USACal Mar Hotel Suites98,300 points$578 plus 2,000 points
London, UKResidence Inn London Bridge99,500 points$585 plus 2,000 points
Paris, FRHotel Le Ballu99,000 points$582 plus 2,000 points

Source: Velocity website, 21 February 2024
Although there are some differences in the value of these rewards, each of your points would be worth between 0.65 cents to 0.66 cents per point (based on the “cost in cash” amounts). It’s also worth noting that we’ve selected some of the most expensive hotels. Depending on your travel plans and budget, you could get anywhere from 1-3 nights away by using your points for hotel bookings.

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. With 100,000 Velocity Points, here are some options you could get:

  • A 2-day Europcar premium car rental from Sydney airport for 90,900 points, worth $530.26 compared to paying for hire
  • A 5-day Thrifty economy car rental from Gold Coast airport for 91,100 points, worth $546.20 compared to paying for hire
  • A 3-day Hertz economy car rental between Melbourne and Sydney for 92,600 points and $361.35 in cash, worth $916.18 compared to paying for hire

Source: Velocity website, 21 February 2024.
Point values were compared based on car makes, models and companies to get a dollar value comparison.

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

CategoryItemPoints
CamerasGarmin Dash Cam Tandem91,109 points
LuggageSamsonite C-LITE Spinner 55/2087,405 points
Gift cards$500 David Jones gift card95,555 points
Apple productsApple Watch SE GPS + Cellular 40mm Aluminum Case91,762 points
OutdoorsColeman Instant Up six person tent95,166 points
KitchenKitchenAid K400 Variable Speed Blender85,891 points
EntertainmentGarmin Approach S4291,109 points

*Points and items based on search from 21 February 2024

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 around $520 and $8,000.

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

Name Bonus points Points per $ spent Purchase rate p.a. Annual fee
American Express Velocity Platinum Card
American Express Velocity Platinum Card image
Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
60,000
Points per $ spent
1.25
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$440
Go to siteMore Info
Enjoy 60,000 bonus Velocity Points, up to 100 bonus Status Credits and up to 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent. Plus, a return domestic flight each year.
Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer Card - Balance Transfer Offer
Virgin Australia Velocity Flyer Card - Balance Transfer Offer image
Finder Award
Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
N/A
Points per $ spent
0.66
Purchase rate p.a.
20.74%
Annual fee
$149
Go to siteMore Info
Get 0% p.a. on balance transfers for 24 months (with 1% BT fee) and $129 Virgin Australia Gift Voucher.
American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card
American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card image
Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
20,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
23.99%
Annual fee
$95
Go to siteMore Info
Get 20,000 bonus Velocity Points when you meet the spend requirement, receive $50 statement credit and earn up to 1.75 Velocity Points per $1 spent.
American Express Velocity Business Card
American Express Velocity Business Card image
Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
120,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
0%
Annual fee
$249
Go to siteMore Info
ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Get 120,000 bonus Velocity Points when you spend $3,000 in the first 2 months.
NAB Rewards Platinum Card – Velocity Points
NAB Rewards Platinum Card – Velocity Points image
Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bonus points
80,000
Points per $ spent
1
Purchase rate p.a.
20.99%
Annual fee
$95 first year ($195 after)
Go to siteMore Info
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.
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