I have previously taken a look at the steps you can take to prevent your Qantas Points from expiring. In this article, I take a look at the issue from the Velocity perspective. While there are some similarities between the two programs, there are different rules and partners involved.
When Do Velocity Points Expire?
The expiration rules for Velocity are defined in their terms and conditions as follows:
10.9.1 A Member’s Points will expire the later of:
(a) 36 months after the date of last Account Activity, where last Account Activity occurs before 1 June 2016; or
(b) 24 months after the date of last Account Activity, where last Account Activity occurs on or after 1 June 2016.
The relevant period will be 24 months or 2 years, as any points from pre-June 2016 will have expired by now.
Keep in mind that some activity does not extend the life of your points. In the case of Velocity, any points received through family pooling or by a points transfer will not reset the clock on your activity.
Keeping Your Account Active
Earning Points
Fly
First up, you can fly. Any points earning flight will work – so this includes most of the commercial fares sold by Virgin Australia. You can also choose partner airlines, but will need to be careful of the actual booking class. Choose the wrong class, and you may not get any points at all.
Credit Cards
After flying, Credit cards are probably the biggest source of points for most people. You can choose from a range of cards that credit directly into the Velocity Program. For example, Virgin Money offer cards such as the Virgin Money Velocity Flyer Card that will deposit points directly into your Velocity account.
There are also a range of cards that earn in a more flexible structure, such as the American Express Membership Rewards program. Earning points in such a program allows you to transfer points at a time suitable for your own needs. You just need to make sure you do it every 18 months, if you are not earning points elsewhere.
Flybuys transfers
If you have linked your Flybuys and Velocity accounts, you can transfer your Flybuys points across to Velocity. You can transfer in multiples of 2,000 Flybuys points, and you will receive 870 Velocity Points for each 2,000 Flybuys points. The transfer is usually fairly quick, with the points appearing in your Velocity account shortly after the transfer is made.
Other partners
Velocity has a wide range of commercial partners offering Velocity Points. You can view the current partners on the Velocity website.
Partners of interest include:
- Velocity eStore – offers points when shopping at a range of online retailers
- Ola – where you can earn Velocity Points when using the rideshare service
- Hotels – You can earn points in your sleep when staying at a range of partner hotels
Redeem Points
The other option to keep your points ticking over is to redeem points. While flights are the obvious redemption, Velocity offers a range of other options.
Final Words
In order to keep your velocity Points alive, you need to earn or redeem points at least once in any 24 month period. While flying is the obvious way, the wide range of partners available means that it is easy to keep the account active.
