Virgin eyes deeper partnership with ANA, Air Canada, Hawaiian

More partner flights will unlock more Velocity points and status credits.

By David Flynn, November 9 2022
Virgin eyes deeper partnership with ANA, Air Canada, Hawaiian

Virgin Australia intends to strengthen its relationship with ANA, Air Canada and Hawaiian Airlines to offer increased Velocity Frequent Flyer benefits on ‘codeshare’ services carrying a VA flight number.

The Japanese, Canadian and Hawaiian carriers would join the ranks of Singapore Airlines, United Airlines and Qatar Airways, according to a recent filing to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The rebooted Virgin Australia / Singapore Airlines partnership falls under a decision to permit “codeshare pricing arrangements with participating international airlines” for a five-year period through to September 2027.

However, the ACCC’s determination also reveals Virgin Australia sees the international codeshares as “a genuine stepping-stone to resuming its own long-haul international services.”

Virgin assured the ACCC it aims to resume services where they are commercially sustainable… and when it has access to wide-body aircraft.”

The consumer watchdog singled out several “public benefits” of the elevated partnerships including benefits available to Virgin’s Velocity frequent flyers.

While Virgin “has in place existing ‘earn and redeem’ agreements” with a number of airlines, these strengthened partnerships “will in some cases provide Velocity members with a better earn rate and enable them to earn more status credits, when they choose to book with a VA code rather than on a Partner Carrier code on the same flight.”

As previously reported, Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines this week reactivated their codeshare arrangement.

Virgin travellers and Velocity frequent flyers can once again book flights to 42 destinations across the Singapore Airlines global network, including perennial favourites such as Rome, Paris, London and, of course, Singapore.

The carriers say they’re looking to roll out codeshare flights to more destinations across the Singapore Airlines’ network “in the coming weeks”, subject to regulatory approval.

Paused due to the pandemic, codeshares were the last missing piece in the partnership, first established in 2011. They join existing benefits such as KrisFlyer-Velocity points transfer and reward seat bookings across all cabins, both of which returned in July.

QF

11 Jul 2014

Total posts 962

Is the Virgin booking platform going to become the new WebJet? Yesterday I looked at points-based travel from Sydney to Vancouver. Three airline options came up, I then went to the Singapore Air website and better points options came up and more date options. I'm ok with Virgin becoming a WebJet but if there isn't value for money I'm not going to use it.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

29 May 2013

Total posts 70

Know what you mean. I have been looking for business reward seats to Halifax for next year and nothing shows on Velocity. When I look on Singapore, I find a few to Vancouver or NY which I can then connect to Halifax. Trouble is by time I have found connecting flights, the other flights have gone. Hopefully more flights will be added as the world continues to open up.

oxy
oxy

03 May 2017

Total posts 25

Using krisflyer points on sq metal generally gives more results that through partners, Virgin isn't alone in this regard.

24 Aug 2011

Total posts 1205

I don't think the codeshare would give VA access to the entire SQ stock which is why you can sometimes see flight availability on the SQ website that doesn't appear on the VA website.  This would apply for both rewards and regular bookings.

08 May 2020

Total posts 85

Apart from announcing flights to Queenstown across the ditch, New Zealand is completely out of earning Velocity points and Status credits. It just being left to NZAIR and QANTAS and low class Jetstar as a Monopoly. As far as using Virgin for NZ Business travel it is completely left Dry.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

04 Nov 2017

Total posts 326

One has to ask what would be the future of secondary partners such as EY, SA, VS and others.  It does feel like those carriers are just there as 'options' on the VFF roster.

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

11 Dec 2016

Total posts 74

No mention of an expected ETA yet?


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