Guide to Virgin Australia’s Partnership with United Airlines

Velocity Frequent Flyer members can now earn and redeem points on United Airlines, as well as earning status credits and receiving reciprocal status benefits.

Overall, this is great news for frequent flyers of both Virgin Australia and United. The partnership is reasonably comprehensive and there are benefits available in both directions. However, United MileagePlus members won’t be able to earn Premier qualifying credits on Virgin Australia operated flights.

Virgin Australia has also now negotiated lounge access in Sydney and Melbourne for Velocity Gold and Platinum members travelling with United Airlines. Eligible Velocity members will now be able to use the Singapore Airlines lounges in Australia.

To celebrate the new partnership, Virgin Australia is even giving bonus Velocity points and status credits if you activate this special offer by 19 June 2022, book a United Airlines flight to the USA and travel by 31 December 2022. (See the Velocity website for full details about this offer.)

Here are the full details about how the new partnership works for Velocity Frequent Flyer and United MileagePlus members…

Benefits for Velocity members on United Airlines

Since 24 May 2022, Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer members can earn and redeem points, earn status credits and receive reciprocal status tier benefits on United Airlines flights.

Status tier benefits

According to the Velocity Frequent Flyer website, Velocity Silver members can earn 50% bonus points on United flights. But most of the reciprocal status benefits are reserved for Velocity Gold and Platinum members.

The benefits for Virgin Australia Gold and Platinum members on United are:

• 75% (Gold) or 100% (Platinum) bonus points
• Access to United operated lounges with an international ticket
• One additional checked bag up to 23kg
• Priority check-in
• Priority boarding
• Priority baggage
• Priority security

Unfortunately, Velocity Gold and Platinum members will generally only have access to United owned and operated lounges, and only with a same-day boarding pass for a United international flight.

United does not operate any of its own lounges in Australia. But an exception has been made for Velocity Gold and Platinum members departing from Sydney or Melbourne in United Economy or Premium Plus. These passengers are entitled to use the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge in Sydney or Melbourne.

Velocity members would be able to access United Club lounges in the USA, including in Los Angeles, San Francisco or Houston prior to flying to Australia, but not on a purely domestic itinerary.

The same rule regarding domestic lounge access also applies to United MileagePlus members when travelling on United flights. However, frequent flyers who hold Star Alliance Gold membership through airlines other than United can normally access United lounges on domestic itineraries.

Earning Velocity points & status credits on United Airlines

The amount of Velocity points and status credits you’ll earn when flying with United Airlines depends on whether you’ve booked on a Virgin Australia codeshare flight with a “VA” flight number, or a United marketed flight with a “UA” flight number.

For Virgin Australia marketed flights operated by United, you’ll earn Velocity points at the following rate:

And you’ll earn status credits for “VA” codeshare flights at the following rates:

Points are earned at the following rates for flights marketed and operated by United Airlines:

And for United marketed & operated flights, status credits are earned at these rates:

Redeeming Velocity points for United Airlines flights

It’s also now possible to redeem Velocity points for reward seats on United Airlines. Bookings are available on the Virgin Australia website and United reward seats are priced at the same (lower) level that applies to Velocity reward seat bookings for Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic flights.

It would cost 44,800 Velocity points + $115.38 for a one-way United Economy Reward ticket from Sydney to San Francisco. Business Class on the same route – if available – would cost 95,500 Velocity points + $115.38 in taxes.

At the moment, there seems to be plenty of United Economy (X class) reward seat availability on trans-Pacific routes between Australia and New Zealand. United seems to have also just released a little bit of Business (I class) award availability, but we couldn’t find anything in Premium Economy.

Theoretically, if it was available, a United Premium Economy reward seat from Australia to Los Angeles or San Francisco would cost 71,700 Velocity points.

Benefits for United MileagePlus members flying with Virgin Australia

United MileagePlus members can also access benefits when flying with Virgin Australia.

Status benefits

The United website says that MileagePlus Premier Gold, Platinum and 1K members are eligible for the following benefits when travelling on Virgin Australia operated flights:

• Priority checkin
• Priority boarding
• Priority security (where available)
• One additional checked bag (except on Virgin Australia Economy Lite fares)
• Access to Virgin Australia operated lounges (available at 7 Australian airports)

Earning United MileagePlus miles on Virgin Australia flights

United MileagePlus members can earn award miles, but not Premier qualifying credits, on Virgin Australia flights.

Virgin Australia flights booked on a United ticket earn award miles at a rate of 5x the fare, in US Dollars, excluding taxes. Bonus award miles are available to United’s frequent flyers with elite status.

Virgin Australia flights on tickets issued by airlines other than United (e.g. booked through the Virgin Australia website) earn United MileagePlus award miles at the following rates:

Redeeming United MileagePlus miles for Virgin Australia flights

Virgin Australia award flights are now available to book on the United website.

Unfortunately, United MileagePlus no longer publishes award charts so there is no fixed award pricing. The number of miles you’ll need for an award flight on Virgin Australia is subject to change, and will be shown at the time of booking. But there does seem to be a pattern.

For domestic Virgin Australia flights within Australia, you could expect to pay between 8,000 and 17,500 United miles for a one-way Economy seat (depending on the length of the flight) or 25,000 miles for Business Class (it’s the same price regardless of the route) when booking at least 20 days in advance. Taxes are also payable, but not carrier charges.

However, there seems to be a “late booking” surcharge of 3,500 miles for Virgin Australia award seats. If booking less than 20 days out from departure, the price seems to increase to 11,500-21,000 United miles for a one-way domestic Economy flight or 28,500 miles for Business.

You can also include Virgin Australia flights on one ticket with a connecting international flight on United Airlines or another Star Alliance partner airline.

A delayed launch

In late 2021, Virgin Australia and United Airlines jointly announced that the two airlines would commence a comprehensive partnership in April 2022. This was later delayed to “late May 2022”.

“We appreciate your patience as we’ve worked to connect our IT systems over the past few months, and we look forward to sharing detailed information about your benefits shortly,” Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka told Velocity members a few weeks ago.

In the meantime, Virgin Australia’s partnership with Delta Air Lines will remain live until 12 June 2022. You can still earn or redeem Velocity points on Delta until this date.

Virgin Australia’s new partnership with United is designed to replace the Delta agreement. But over the coming weeks, there will be a short overlap period where Velocity members will have access to benefits with both United and Delta.

Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: United Airlines new Virgin Australia / Velocity Partner

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.