Velocity Frequent Flyer members will soon be able to transfer Velocity Points into Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles once again. It’s a move that’ll swing back open the doors to flight bookings right across Star Alliance for those based in Australia who primarily collect Velocity Points.
By converting Velocity Points into KrisFlyer Miles, they can then be used to book reward flights across the Star Alliance global network of carriers. This includes airlines not otherwise affiliated with Velocity, such as Air India, EVA Air, Lufthansa, Thai Airways, United, Turkish Airlines and more. Because of this, Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer has always been a popular redemption option for Virgin Velocity members in Australia.
The partnership was paused in 2020 but is returning in 2022
Nick Rohrlach, CEO of Virgin’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program, tells The Star Alliance Flyer the popular transfer option officially returns from 19th July 2022, more than two years since it was suspended in April 2020 in the lead-up to Virgin collapsing into administration and the COVID19 pandemic.
In February this year, Velocity reintroduced the ability to book reward seats on Singapore Airlines, albeit only in Economy. At the time, it promised that points transfers between the 2 schemes would return “soon”, and from 19 July 2022, they are back.
Benefits of transferring between Virgin Velocity and Singapore Krisflyer
If you have a small number of KrisFlyer miles and don’t think you’ll be earning more, transferring them into Velocity gives you more ways of spending them locally in Australia.
That’s especially handy because KrisFlyer Miles expire 3 years after you earn them. Velocity Points expire if you haven’t had any account activity for 2 years, but it’s easy to keep your account active without flying by converting Flybuys points into Velocity.
Conversely, if you want to earn KrisFlyer miles from your credit card but live in Australia, there are lots more cards that can earn Velocity Points than allow earning KrisFlyer miles directly.
The conversion rate between Virgin Velocity and Singapore Krisflyer
When transferring from KrisFlyer into Velocity, you get 1 Velocity Point for each 1.55 KrisFlyer miles. The same ratio applies for transactions from Velocity into KrisFlyer. You have to transfer at least 5,000 points/miles each time (which would work out at 3,225 points/miles).
Can I get reward seats with Singapore Airlines anywhere using Velocity Points?
Not quite. Trips to Hong Kong and China aren’t eligible. On popular routes such as Singapore-London competition for rewards seats is also fierce.
Also: You can now book Economy, Premium Economy and Business seats, but not First as yet.
The Catch
You’ll notice a hike in the number of KrisFlyer miles needed to book seats or upgrade your booking compared to 2020 on some flights. Singapore Airlines has increased the number of KrisFlyer miles needed to book its Saver award seats as well as to lock in an upgrade to premium economy, business class or even first class. Also on the rise: the number of KrisFlyer miles for booking an award ticket on its Star Alliance partners.
The hike in miles required will be after 5 October 2022, when the Velocity Points required for Singapore Airlines rewards flights are being tweaked slightly. (To be clear, it’s the date the ticket issues that matters, not when you actually plan to fly.)
The previous 10 different distance ranges used to calculate points values are being expanded to 12. In some cases, that works to your advantage. For instance, Sydney-Singapore is 3,912 miles.
As an example, if you book an Economy reward flight that’s ticketed before 5 October, you’ll need 35,000 Velocity Points. After 5 October, that drops to 29,000.
Linking your Virgin Australia Velocity and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer accounts
If you’ve decided to move some points between programs, you’ll need to link your accounts first.
- Ensure you have both a Velocity and a KrisFlyer account.
- Log in to your Velocity account, go to ‘Link & Transfer’ and then ‘Airline Points Transfer‘.
- Add your KrisFlyer membership number and ensure your name and date of birth match on both accounts.
- If everything lines up, your accounts will be linked instantly.
How to convert Velocity points into KrisFlyer miles
Once your accounts are linked, it’s easy to get the transfer underway.
- Log in to your Velocity account, go to ‘Link & Transfer’ and then ‘Airline Points Transfer‘.
- Click the words ‘Transfer Now’ (it’s directly above the big ‘Unlink Accounts’ button).
- Choose how many Velocity points you’d like to convert into KrisFlyer miles (minimum 5,000 Velocity Points).
- Double-check the number of KrisFlyer miles you will be receiving, then click ‘Proceed’.
- Those miles should appear in your KrisFlyer account almost instantly.