Velocity Frequent Flyers officially have access to the 2021 Skytrax voted World’s Best Airline thanks to Virgin Australia’s partnership with Qatar Airways.
The long-awaited Qatar Airways and Velocity partnership is now live!
As a result, members of Velocity Frequent Flyer are now able to book Reward Seats on eligible Qatar Airways operated services, with redemptions being progressively loaded onto the Velocity website.
This is a massive development for those looking to use Velocity Points for redemption on Qatar Airways Qsuites, one of the best business products around.
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Virgin x Qatar codeshare explained
A joint codeshare agreement expanding across both airlines’ entire networks will make travel easier.
The Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways partnership sets to open up seamless travel to over 150 countries, creating a gateway of travel between Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Velocity Frequent Flyers can book Qatar Airways flights now; popular routes include London, Paris, Rome and Athens.
This means that, all on the one booking, passengers can travel from London to Sydney on Qatar Airways before catching a seamless domestic connection flight to Perth, for example.
Here’s what you need to know about booking a Qatar Airways flight.
How to book Qatar Airways flights using Velocity Points
You can book Qatar Airways redemptions online via Velocity Frequent Flyer. Simply login to your Velocity account and search flights (ensuring you click the “book with Velocity Points” option).
Then, simply look out for flights with a QR flight code displayed in the search results. Take care to select options that display the ‘Reward Seat available’ option, otherwise, you’ll end up burning a stack of Points on ‘Points Plus Pay”, which almost always represents a poor value proposition:
However the ‘Rewards Seats Available’ label does not necessarily mean there’s a business class seat on offer. Rewards Seats are usually in economy, but persistence (and patience) can certainly pay off here as Rewards Seats don’t get much more rewarding than Qatar Airways Qsuites.
How many Velocity Points do I need to book a Qatar Airways Reward Seat?
The number of Velocity Points needed will depend on the route and class of travel, but it’s worth knowing that it’s almost always cheaper than using points for the equivalent Classic Reward Seat via Qantas! Bear in mind that accompanying carrier surcharges applied to Qatar Airways booking can be very high, particularly for travel in premium cabins.
Below, we’ve set out the Velocity Points cost across a range of one-way routes:
- Melbourne – London (business): 139,000 Velocity Points (plus taxes/carrier fees)
- Sydney – New York (business): 139,000 Velocity Points (plus taxes/carrier fees)
- Perth – Doha (economy): 42,000 Velocity Points (plus taxes/carrier fees)
- Sydney – London (economy): 75,000 Velocity Points (plus taxes/carrier fees)
- Melbourne – Paris (economy): 75,000 Velocity Points (plus taxes/carrier fees)
Velocity Frequent Flyer members can use the Mileage Calculator on the Velocity website to determine the number of Velocity Points needed for specific redemptions. The number of points required is based on the distance you will fly.
More reciprocal benefits to enjoy
As well as the ability to book reward seats on some Qatar Airways-operated flights, eligible members of Velocity Frequent Flyer will also receive additional tier benefits, including:
- priority check-in
- priority boarding
- lounge access
Top-tier members can access these additional perks across all travel classes, which includes those travelling on an economy fare.
At Qatar’s Doha hub, lounge access is limited to the branded First Class and Business Class lounges for Velocity Platinums and Golds, rather than the more grand Al Safwa First Lounge and Al Mourjan Business Lounge (which are reserved for Qatar Airways’ own first class and business class passengers).
How to earn Velocity Points and Status on Qatar Airways
Velocity Frequent Flyer members can now earn Velocity Points and Status Credits for flights operated by Qatar Airways, while members of Privilege Club can now earn Avios and QPoints on Virgin Australia flights.
Frequent flyers can earn points by attaching their Velocity membership number on Qatar Airways-operated flights with a QR or VA flight number.
In addition to base points, Velocity members who travel on a Qatar Airways-operated flight with a VA flight number will earn the following bonus points:
- 50% for Silver members
- 75% for Gold members
- 100% for Platinum members
The Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways partnership makes it possible for Velocity Frequent Flyer members to enjoy Gold and Platinum perks sooner by amassing Status Credits on flights operated by Qatar Airways.
Depending on distance and fare class, Status Credits earned on VA codeshare flights on Qatar Airways range from 15 to 200 per flight, while Qatar Airways operated flights can earn from 10 to 200 Status Credits.
It’s quite simple to determine which Qatar Airways Privilege Club perks your Velocity Status attracts, as the two status programs run parallel as follows:
- Velocity Silver = Privilege Club Silver
- Velocity Gold = Privilege Club Gold
- Velocity Platinum = Privilege Club Platinum
In another development, the two airlines are talking of a joint offering for corporate and small-to-medium business travellers who travel between Australia, the Middle East and Europe. Watch this air space.
Will you be using Velocity Points to book Qatar Airways?
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Hi there, I am a velocity platinum member and looking to fly on Qatar to Europe- there is an option to book on Qatar website or VA website. VA is more expensive. Is there a difference in terms of benefits if I book on Qatar with velocity FF number?
The redemption booking engine does not seem to support connecting flights for Qatar. For example, if London Heathrow is selected as origin, Harare is not selectable as a destination. If Doha is selected as origin, then Harare is selectable as a destination.
Hi Maureen,
I am about to fly with Qatar. I am already a Velocity member and had added my velocity number to my booking. Do I join the Avios program as well to collect points?
Hi Karen, you can only nominate one airline to earn points and status credits with, as it isn’t possible to double dip. If you decide you’d rather earn through Qatar, you’ll need to switch out the Velocity number currently attached to your booking for your Qatar Airways Privilege Club number (you’ll receive a membership number when joining the program online for free). Happy travels.
Hi Adele, I’ve booked a Velocity reward flight for next year Adelaide to Doha – Doha to Barcelona, Business Class. How do I select my seats? Do I need to set up an account with Qatar to do this?
Hi Suzan, enjoy your trip in QSuites. You will need to select seats via the Qatar website. If you’ve received your e-ticket, it should contain a booking reference that provides access to manage your booking with Qatar. Happy travels.
Hi Adele
My wife recently flew return to Manchester (UK) from Adelaide.
We requested (after she returned) information from Qatar Airways how to transfer her Avios points into her Velocity points bucket. Qatar advised this was not possible as they are not partners….Any advice would be appreciated.
Mark
Hi Mark, that’s correct – unfortunately it isn’t possible to transfer Qatar Avios over to Velocity Frequent Flyer. However, you can use Velocity Points to book Qatar Airways award flights via the Velocity website.
Hi Adele. If I was to purchase a Qatar flight and then transfer velocity points to Qatar avios points, could I then use the avio points to upgrade to business class?
Hi Renee, unfortunately it isn’t possible to transfer across Velocity Points into Qatar Avios currency. You can book Qatar economy and business awards using your Velocity points, but you won’t be able to upgrade an existing Qatar flight using Velocity points.
Hi Adele, am trying to find clear information regarding business lounge entry with Qatar business reward flights booked via VA.
Can’t seem to figure out if I’m eligible to access the Al Moujran lounge in Hamad since I have a reward ticket ?
Some sites say reward tickets don’t include access, others say it does. Any help appreciated!
Hi Danni, based on my recent experience, you will certainly get access. I entered the lounge myself just a few weeks ago on a QR award ticket booked with VA Points. Enjoy your flight!
Hi Adel
I am a Gold Velocity Member and would like to purchase a Qatar ticket to Europe and upgrade to business with points. Is this possible and if so do I have to choose a specific level economy seat (choice or flex)to be able to achieve this?
Hi Maureen, unfortunately, it isn’t possible to upgrade on Qatar metal with Velocity Points. It’s worth noting that Qatar sometimes offers upgrades upon checkin, so it’s worth looking out for this option. You could also consider collecting Qatar Avios as a currency. Amex Membership Rewards points now transfer directly to Qatar, unlocking more redemptions on the airline.