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Virgin Australia is giving Velocity Frequent Flyer members a 30% bonus on points transferred from its global hotel partners. The promotion runs through June 6, 2025. And it’s been a couple of years since we’ve seen this kind of offer from Virgin Australia, so it’s great to see it come back.
Here's everything you need to know so you can take advantage of the transfer bonus this time around.
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Virgin Velocity 30% Hotel Transfer Bonus Key Terms
This Virgin Velocity transfer bonus is pretty straightforward, but here are the key terms you need to keep in mind:
- Get a 30% bonus when transferring points from Accor Live Limitless, IHG One Rewards, or Shangri-La Circle.
- Valid for transfers made through June 6, 2025 (by 11:59 pm AEST).
- Transfers may take up to six weeks to post.
- Bonus can be earned multiple times during the promo period.
- Must be a member of both the hotel program and Velocity to transfer.
To initiate a transfer, click here and scroll down the transfer bonus page. Select the logo of the hotel program you want to transfer from to view specific instructions. Some transfers can be completed online, while others require a phone call.
Related: All Current Transfer Bonuses
Which Hotels Are Participating in This Virgin Velocity Transfer Bonus?
You’ll get a 30% bonus when transferring points from any of these three hotel loyalty programs:
Accor Live Limitless
- Transfer 4,000 ALL points and receive 5,200 Velocity Points.
- Minimum transfer: 4,000 points.
- Points may take up to six weeks to post.
IHG One Rewards
- Transfer 10,000 IHG points and receive 2,600 Velocity Points.
- Minimum transfer: 10,000 points.
- Points typically post within four to six weeks.
Shangri-La Circle
- Transfer 1,000 points and receive 1,300 Velocity Points.
- Minimum transfer: 1,000 points, then in 500-point increments.
- Allow up to six weeks for points to post.
Making the Most Out Of Virgin Australia Velocity Points
Virgin Australia uses a distance-based award chart, which includes several great sweet spots for flights within Australia and with international partners. Some of the best include:
- Flights under 600 miles within Australia cost between 5,900 and 12,900 Velocity Points, plus taxes and fees. With the 30% transfer bonus, you'd need to transfer between 5,000 and 10,000 Shangri-La points.
- For domestic flights between 601 and 1,200 miles, award prices range from 8,900 to 18,900 Velocity Points. With the bonus, that means transferring between 7,000 and 14,500 Shangri-La points.
Remember, some of the best value isn’t just on domestic awards; there are excellent sweet spots with international partners, too. One example is transatlantic business class for flights under 3,600 miles, such as New York to London on United or Virgin Atlantic. These cost 51,500 Velocity Points one way, plus taxes and fees.
With the 30% bonus, you'd need to transfer 40,000 Accor points to cover that. Given that Accor points have a fixed redemption value of €40 per 2,000 points, you’re giving up €800 in value towards hotel stays. But in exchange, you're getting a business class ticket worth much more.
Virgin Australia Points Expiration Policy
Virgin Australia Velocity points typically expire after 24 months of no account activity. Fortunately, the airline is pretty generous about what counts as qualifying activity to reset that clock.
While transfers from family members or pooled accounts don’t extend your points’ validity, Virgin doesn’t exclude transfers from credit cards or hotel partners. So, transferring points with this promotion should help keep your Velocity balance active if it’s nearing expiration.
Our Take
As with all promotions, you need to crunch your numbers to see if this offer is right for you. One thing to keep in mind is that no matter how good the deal is, it is almost never worthwhile to transfer points speculatively. Only initiate a transfer if you have a specific redemption lined up.
One use of this promotion is extending the validity of your Virgin Velocity points. If you have a few points due to expire after 24 months of inactivity. Transferring some points during this promotion will count as activity and reset your mileage expiration clock.
However, keep in mind that the terms of this Virgin Australia transfer bonus say that points can take up to six weeks to transfer to Virgin. So, if you want to transfer points and book an award relatively quickly, this promotion may not work in your favor. But if it does, be sure to initiate your transfer before June 6, 2025.
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