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Our favourite card for earning Velocity Points and enjoying travel perks with Virgin Australia is Amex’s most rewarding Velocity card: the American Express Velocity Platinum Card.
It comes with a complimentary domestic economy return flight every year, a very strong points earn rate on spend, four airport lounge entries each year, comprehensive travel insurance, and the opportunity to earn 100 Velocity Status Credits each year.
New cardholders can also pick up 60,000 bonus Velocity Points when you apply online via our Amex partner link , are approved, and spend $3,000 on your new card within the first 3 months (T&Cs apply; new Amex Card Members only).
Here’s an overview of the benefits you can enjoy with this card.
1. Earn piles of points and fly with top airlines
Turbocharge your Velocity Points balance by earning 1.25 points per $1 spent on purchases: one of the highest Velocity Points earn rates in Australia.
You’ll earn 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent with Virgin Australia and 0.5 points per $1 spent with government bodies.
Hundreds of thousands of merchants accept Amex in Australia, and that number is growing, so there’s no shortage of places where you can rake in the points with this card.
There’s also no cap on how many points you can earn.
You can use those points to fly with Virgin Australia and an array of partners, including:
- Singapore Airlines
- United Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- Qatar Airways
- Air Canada
- All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- Hawaiian Airlines
- South African Airways
- Virgin Atlantic.
With so many partners to choose from, the whole world is within reach.
2. Take off with a complimentary domestic return flight each year
You can book a complimentary Virgin Australia domestic economy return flight when you first receive the card and make a purchase with it, and then again on each anniversary of your card membership.
This gives you an opportunity every year to enjoy a holiday, explore somewhere new, or visit family and friends.
Best of all, this perk can offset most or all of the $375 annual card fee.
There are many eligible routes to choose from, as you can see in the table below.
| Departure City | Eligible Destinations |
|---|---|
| Adelaide | Alice Springs, Brisbane, Canberra, Coolangatta (Gold Coast), Melbourne, Sydney |
| Brisbane | Adelaide, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Emerald, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Mackay, Melbourne, Newcastle, Proserpine, Rockhampton, Sydney, Townsville |
| Hobart | Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney |
| Melbourne | Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Coolangatta (Gold Coast), Hobart, Launceston, Maroochydore (Sunshine Coast), Newcastle, Sydney |
| Perth | Adelaide, Kalgoorlie, Melbourne, Sydney |
| Sydney | Adelaide, Ballina/Byron, Brisbane, Canberra, Cairns, Coolangatta (Gold Coast), Hamilton Island, Hobart, Launceston, Maroochydore (Sunshine Coast), Melbourne |
| Other cities | Click here to see the routes from other cities. |
It’s simple to book the flight online or over the phone, and you can reserve it for yourself or any person you choose.
3. Enjoy four airport lounge entries each year
Relax before your next flight in style, even if you’re flying economy.
Each year you’ll receive two passes to a Virgin Australia Lounge, which gives you access to stylish spaces around the country to relax in before your flight.
These passes will be automatically loaded onto your Velocity membership card, and you can use one of the passes to bring in a guest.
You’ll also receive two entries each year to Amex’s exclusive The Centurion Lounge at Sydney Airport international or Melbourne Airport international, which are the two airports in Australia that have Amex lounges so far.
Simply present your Amex card at the door to get in, and you may use one of the passes for a guest (children under the age of 17 get in for free).
4. Earn 100 Velocity Status Credits when you spend $50,000 in a year
Attain elite Velocity status faster by receiving 100 Status Credits when you spend $50,000 on eligible purchases within a membership year.
Eligible purchases are all spend made by you and additional card members, except cash type purchases like travellers’ cheques and foreign currencies, and interest, fees and charges on the account.
This is a very handy perk for frequent flyers chasing status, as you only need 250 Status Credits to attain Silver (200 to keep it in subsequent years) or 500 Status Credits to attain Gold (400 to keep it in later years).
The higher your status, the more perks you enjoy – like additional Virgin Australia lounge passes when you hit Silver and unlimited lounge access when you reach Gold.
5. Travel securely with domestic and overseas travel insurance
You’ll receive comprehensive travel insurance cover when you pay for a return trip with your card or use Velocity Points to book.
This cover extends to your domestic partner and dependent children up to the age of 25 when they are travelling with you.
You’ll be covered for:
- inconvenience (flight delays, cancellations or missed connections, and delayed luggage)
- medical emergency expenses
- damaged, destroyed, lost or stolen baggage, money or documents
- travel cancellation and amendment costs
- personal liability
- COVID-related trip change and cancellation costs.
If you’re currently paying for travel insurance and this cover meets your needs, you can save money by relying on it.
6. Earn more points, save money and enjoy lifestyle benefits
There are many other perks to enjoy with this card, including:
- up to 4 complimentary Additional Cards for family members or friends over 16 years of age – an easy way to earn points faster
- up to 55 days interest-free on purchases
- ‘buy now, pay later’ with American Express Plan It™ Instalments: pay off your card balance in equal monthly instalments with 0% interest and a fixed monthly fee
- use your card with Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay
- Amex Offers: save money and earn bonus points via regular offers with top brands
- American Express Experiences: access sought-after events like music, theatre and film, including via pre-sale tickets, and enjoy exclusive lounges at selected events.
Plus 60,000 bonus Velocity Points
Receive 60,000 bonus Velocity Points when you apply online via our Amex partner link , are approved and spend $3,000 on your new card within the first 3 months (new Amex Card Members only).
This offer is only available to new American Express Card Members. That means you must not have held an American Express card in the last 18 months. However, you are eligible if you’re an Additional Card Member on someone else’s account (including a corporate account).
It’s very simple to apply, including on mobile devices.
We’re delighted to partner with Amex to bring our readers this offer. Remember, it’s only available for a short time via our partner link below, so don’t miss out – you could be booking a holiday in no time!
To access this offer and apply, click here (mobile friendly).
Important: This article is not intended to suggest that you should apply for a card. You should seek independent, professional advice and consider your personal circumstances before deciding to apply for a card.
If you apply for a card via a link in this article, we may receive a commission from Amex. This income helps keep our site running, and we thank you for your support.
Read more in our Cards Disclosure.
