Virgin launches new Reward Seat search tool

Building up a stash of Virgin Australia Velocity Points is one thing, but finding low-priced Reward Seats on which to use those points is something else.

Virgin hopes to change that with the launch of a new Points Calendar, which goes live today as part of a more flexible booking screen.

This all-in-one flight search tool shows points-based Reward Seats, cash fares and Points + Pay options on a single calendar-based view, spanning two months at a time.

The airline says the feature will be introduced progressively across its website and app “as part of a staged rollout, with full availability to all customers by mid-year.”

Virgin’s own flights will be covered at launch, with its international partners – including ANA, Air Canada, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and United Airlines – following in stages across the year.

Virgin’s digital chief Alex Plummer describes it as “a step change in the booking experience, giving customers a simpler, more transparent way to find the flights that work best for them.”

“Today, customers are typically limited to searching one route at a time, which can make it difficult to compare options and find the best value,” says Virgin Australia General Manager for Digital, Alex Plummer.

It'll hopefully be easier to spot and snare points-based Virgin business class seats.

“This changes that, where for the first time, customers can see every available way to book flights in a single calendar view, unlocking far greater choice across dates and fares.”

The rollout of Virgin’s Velocity Reward Seats super-search tool comes two weeks after Qantas launched its own Flight Reward Finder.

This lets Qantas Frequent Flyer members quickly find international Classic Reward seats on Qantas and more than 30 partner airlines, ordered by region-based destination and cabin type.

However, one strength of Virgin’s all-in-one approach is that this is part of the booking process – having found a reward seat, you’re just a click or two away from locking it in – while the Qantas Flight Reward Finder lacks that integration.

Also read: What to expect from Virgin Australia Economy X