• Virgin Australia launches Virgin Australia Business Flyer, a loyalty program providing unrivalled value and affordability for businesses, along with commitment to significantly grow the airline’s SME market share.
• After joining for free, Virgin Australia Business Flyer members will, for the first time, receive Velocity Points for their business in addition to earning Points as an individual, meaning members can double dip on Points whenever they fly^.
• Business Flyer members will be able to immediately access additional discounts off base published airfares*.
• Two Velocity Pilot Gold memberships gifted to Business Flyer members who join and spend at least $2,000 on flights in the first three months of membership^^^.
• Virgin Australia announces increased service frequencies on key business routes, including the Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane triangle, to March 2020 levels.
• Virgin Australia targets 33 per cent of domestic market share.        
• Virgin Australia’s invitation only premium lounges (formerly The Club) will re-open on 20 April 2022.
• Virgin Australia Business Flyer is free to join and there’s no minimum spend to start being rewarded.

Virgin Australia will further reward its small to medium-sized business (SME) customers and entice new SME customers by giving them a taste of flying with a fun, vibrant and value-for-money airline, under a new rewards program called Virgin Australia Business Flyer, launched today.

With Virgin Australia SME travel demand soaring to levels not seen in two years, Virgin Australia Business Flyer is aimed at protecting and growing the airline’s share of the SME market, while recognising and providing excellent value and affordability.

In an airfare study conducted in 2021, Virgin Australia Economy airfares were up to 67 per cent lower priced than the competition, and just last week Virgin Australia announced that Business Class fares have reduced by up to 60 per cent compared to pre-COVID levels**. Virgin Australia’s excellent value airfares and award-winning service, coupled with the extra airfare discounts and new Velocity Points earning ability available under the Virgin Australia Business Flyer rewards program^^, will be an attractive proposition for value conscious SME travellers.

Key benefits^

• Free membership, no sign-up costs, and no minimum spend.

• Velocity Points earn for businesses launched today with Points earn for every dollar spent on eligible flights by the business member as well as Velocity Points and Status Credits earn for the individual flyer.
• Three new tiers of loyalty launched today with a faster Velocity Points earn rate and more exclusive benefits for higher tiers.
• Discounted airfares, with a reduction of up to six per cent off the base airfare cost.
• Velocity Points earnt by the business can be transferred to any personal Velocity account to use for flights, upgrades, hotel car hire and through partners.
• Two Velocity Pilot Gold memberships gifted to Business Flyer members who join and spend at least $2,000 on flights in the first three months of membership^^^.
• Discounted Lounge memberships available for just $379 per annual membership.
• Dedicated Virgin Australia Business Flyer travel management portal accessible via the Virgin Australia website.

Join for free and double dip on Points

After joining for free, Virgin Australia Business Flyer members will receive further discounted airfares and Lounge memberships, as well as Velocity Points for their business – an expansion of the Velocity Points earning potential for every dollar spent on eligible Virgin Australia flights (allowing members to double-dip on points earnt from every flight). As members spend and fly more, their Points earn rate and benefits will increase.

Velocity Points for business can be reinvested or transferred to any personal Velocity Frequent Flyer account of a staff member of the business, allowing members to double dip on Points to directly redeem on flights, upgrades, hotels, car hire, through partners or for purchases at the Velocity e-store.

Staff members of businesses will continue to earn Velocity Points and Status Credits at the same rate as all Virgin Australia airfares, even with the additional Virgin Australia Business Flyer airfare discounts.

New loyalty tiers and discounted airfares to match

Virgin Australia Business Flyer members will immediately be able to access up to six per cent off the base ticket fare, cementing Virgin Australia as one of the best value airlines in Australia for SME customers when comparing ticket pricing, extra perks and loyalty points offering at other Australian carriers.

Each Virgin Australia Business Flyer member will sit within three new loyalty tiers, and unlike other airline SME loyalty programs, there’s no minimum spend or join fee for businesses to start reaping the benefits of the loyalty program, including discounted airfares and extra perks.

Tier 1 – $0-$9,999 flight spend per annum

• Earn 1 point per $1 spent on eligible flights.
• An additional 4 per cent off Flex Economy fares and 6 per cent off Business Class fares.
• $379 discounted Virgin Australia Lounge Membership.
• Two Pilot Gold Memberships for three months when they spend at least $2,000 on flights in the first three months of joining.

Tier 2 – $10,000-$49,999 flight spend per annum

• Earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on eligible flights.
• An additional 4 per cent off Flex Economy fares and 6 per cent off Business Class fares.
• $379 discounted Virgin Australia Lounge Membership.
• Other exclusive benefits and offers.

Tier 3 – $50,000-$300,000 flight spend per annum

• Earn 2 points per $1 spent on eligible flights.
• An additional 4 per cent off Flex Economy fares and 6 per cent off Business Class fares.
• $379 discounted Virgin Australia Lounge Membership.
• More exclusive benefits and offers.

Fast track to Velocity Gold membership

Virgin Australia Business Flyer members who spend a minimum of $2,000 on eligible flights in the first three months of joining, will receive two complimentary Velocity Pilot Gold memberships – immediately elevating two nominated employees to Velocity Gold status.

Velocity Gold members are among Virgin Australia’s most loyal guests and receive perks like Fly Ahead on selected fare types, to priority check-in and boarding, extra baggage allowances, access to Virgin Australia lounges and 75 per cent more Velocity Points on eligible Virgin Australia flights.

To retain Velocity Gold on a rolling 12-month membership, Virgin Australia Business Flyer members will simply need to fly on one eligible Virgin Australia service and earn at least 80 Velocity Status Credits during the first three-months of membership.

CEO commentary

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said that Virgin Australia represents great value for Australian small to medium sized businesses.

“Great value and award-winning service is at the heart of Virgin Australia, and we’ve raised the value stakes even higher with the launch of the Virgin Australia Business Flyer rewards program,” said Ms Hrdlicka.

“We are continuing to provide exceptional service experiences and product offerings at great value prices, and we know that’s important for small to medium-sized businesses and corporates who are emerging from the pandemic more conscious of value provided by their partners than ever before.

“Virgin Australia has always played an important role in the travel needs of small and medium sized businesses and our team has been working hard over the last 15 months to re-imagine the best way to bring value to this part of our customer base.  Today’s announcement is the beginning of our journey to add even higher levels of value to this community and ensure that we fiercely compete for our fair share of our heartland customers. 

“There is no other Australian airline that offers a free rewards program for businesses, lounges in every capital city, three types of domestic seating choices including Business Class, jet services to hundreds of destinations around the country, and all the bells and whistles at such an excellent value-for-money price point.

“Business Class fares are up to 60 per cent cheaper than what they were prior to the pandemic**, and in an independent airfare study released in July 2021, our Economy fares were found to be up to 67 per cent cheaper#. With the additional airfare discounts we are offering under the Business Flyer loyalty program, on top of Velocity Points earn for businesses, it’s going to be very hard for any business owner to look past Virgin Australia when choosing a domestic airline partner,” she said.

Since relaunching in 2020, Virgin Australia has been transformed to focus on its heartland customers which include value conscious corporate and small to medium sized businesses travellers and premium leisure travellers. In recent months Virgin Australia has considerably grown its share of the domestic market in Australia and intends to hold its market share at 33 per cent over time, in order to ensure depth and breadth of network and schedule to its core customers.

For more information on Virgin Australia Business Flyer and to sign up, visit here.

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MORE INFORMATION

SME survey findings

In a recent survey of Virgin Australia SME customers, the following aspects of flying were listed as most important in choosing an airline to fly with (in order of priority):

• Low fares;
• On time performance
• Ease of booking;
• Loyalty rewards; and
• Comfortability in the cabin.

Update on corporate travel rebound and schedule frequencies

To coincide with the launch of Virgin Australia Business Flyer, the airline has foreshadowed increased frequencies during peak business hours on services between Melbourne and Sydney to operate up to 35 flights per day from the start of the new Financial Year. This will be the highest level of service frequencies offered since March 2020.

Virgin Australia will also significantly expand other routes in the triangle (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane) routes with up to 20 daily on services between Sydney and Brisbane, up to 13 daily on services between Brisbane and Melbourne, plus up to 11 daily on services between Adelaide and Melbourne. Services on all trans-continental Perth routes will also increase from April following the WA border re-opening last month.

In March, Virgin Australia relaunched services between Sydney and Canberra, with up to 9 daily return services, while also significantly investing in areas of emerging SME customer demand, including the Gold Coast.

Accelerate members

Members of Accelerate will automatically be transitioned into the Virgin Australia Business Flyer loyalty program, so they can start earning additional rewards when they fly Virgin Australia, including Velocity Points for business. As a result, the Virgin Australia Accelerate program will be discontinued from today. Information, including access details to the Virgin Australia Business Flyer booking portal, will be shared via email from today.

To celebrate Accelerate customers being the first SME businesses to upgrade to the Virgin Australia Business Flyer rewards program, they will receive: 

• Bonus Velocity Points for their business, for those members who have travelled between from 1 January – 28 February 2022; and  
• Tier jump that reflects their last 12-months of travel spend with Virgin Australia. 

FOOTNOTES

*Fare advantage terms and conditions: 4% discount applies to Flex fares and 6% discount applies to Business Class fares.

^Membership Terms and Conditions apply.

#Research undertaken by independent corporate travel procurement consultancy, Butler Caroye, released on 30 July 2021. Price based on average Economy fares paid by corporate travellers on key business routes, comparing the same periods for 2019 vs 2021. The research found that:

• on average, Virgin Australia domestic corporate airfares are now up to 67 per cent cheaper than its key competitor; and
• the already substantial corporate pricing gap between the airlines has approximately doubled when compared with corporate fare prices from H1 2019.

^^ Virgin Australia Business Flyer and Velocity Frequent Flyer Terms and Conditions apply.

^^^ Applies to new Members who spend at least $2,000 on flown flights within the first three months of joining Virgin Australia Business Flyer.

**Based on a comparison of all domestic Business Class fares available on 19 November 2019 and 26 March 2022. By way of example, those fares on the following routes have been reduced by around 60% (both directions): Perth-Hobart, Brisbane-Melbourne, Brisbane-Mackay, and Sydney-Darwin.