Virgin Australia’s Ola rideshare partnership coming to an end

Velocity frequent flyers will no longer be able to earn Points when using the rideshare platform.

By Chris Ashton, May 10 2023
Virgin Australia’s Ola rideshare partnership coming to an end

Earning a side of Velocity Points for your airport commute will soon be a thing of the past as Virgin Australia’s partnership with rideshare platform Ola comes to an end later this month.

A statement on the Velocity website notes the partnership officially ceases on May 28, though “Members who were eligible for points made on Ola rides prior to the 28 May 2023 will receive their Velocity Points in accordance with the offer Terms and Conditions.”

Velocity’s tie-up with Ola has been in play since 2019 and acted in a similar fashion to that of rival Qantas and its Uber partnership, whereby Qantas Frequent Flyers earn Points on rides to and from select Australian airports.

When it debuted, members were able to earn one point for every $1 spent on daily rides and a double helping on those to and from eligible airports, mostly in capital cities. It was later expanded to deliver additional status-based points for higher tier frequent flyers.

However, despite an enticing double helping of Velocity Points up for grabs, it wasn’t always smooth to use, with the service often criticised by members as unreliable with limited cars outside Sydney and Melbourne.

With the loss of Ola, Velocity is currently without a rideshare partner. However, Executive Traveller can confirm the airline is assessing alternate options, noting it wants to provide a service that delivers genuine value for its members. 

01 Sep 2019

Total posts 2

I completed a recent Velocity survey on ride share preferences (I think it was within the last few weeks) so they are potentially already looking into options.

31 Mar 2014

Total posts 378

I thought Ola closed in Australia a couple years ago. I have long deleted the app.

Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus

15 Jan 2013

Total posts 467

What Virgin could and should do is get into partnership with smart car australia or whatever they call themselves these days for the chauffeur drive services.I looked at their prices compared to Uber Premium and it's line ball but the main difference is it really feels and is premium.You could get someone with an Audi,Skoda or Lexus or even a Genesis show up on the proven limo services or it could well be a Mercedes,BMW OR Maserati very new.The Uber Premium or XL options might be cheaper on paper but you don't know who or what kind of driver you get or their cultural background.The last time I flew Virgin I took an Uber to my local bus interchange 2km from home(I am in Adelaide)then caught the J2 Bus to the airport but coming home from holidays I was relegated to Ola as Uber could not give me a ride for 25 minutes(I don't do Taxis and it was getting too late to get a Bus).

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

24 Jan 2018

Total posts 699

Nailed it, Abudhabil.  I use the same limo hire service (BMWs and Chrysler 300Cs) and get a fixed total fare of $125 which is aggregated and invoiced monthly (more frequently if I want it).  The fare and service is stable 24 hours a day - 7 days of the week - 365 days of the year.   Driver always arrives 5-10 minutes before scheduled pick-up and waits patiently.  And if neccessary the driver has flexibility to wait 20 minutes longer than booked without a problem (only happened once).  They're tapped into flight schedules and know when a flight has been delayed.  Bottle of fresh water included on return trips home.  Always met at carousel when have checked luggage.  

The one time I used an Uber for day time flight I was charged $147. 

Virgin would offer a killer service if they had a form of 'partnership' or referral with a limo service that didn't add to the cost of that service.

TRS
TRS

25 Aug 2016

Total posts 3

what's the service called?

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

24 Jan 2018

Total posts 699

Check your PMs on this site.  

Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus

15 Jan 2013

Total posts 467

This was ages ago now but I remembered the days when the now long gone Ansett as well as the still with us Qantas partnered their limo services with Hughes limousines long before all these Ola/Uber services were even thought of.Maybe Virgin could consider finding a proven limo company that exists nationally for people who will use them for an airport transfer or school formals.I wouldn't use that for a daily service though.uber handles my smaller trips.


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