Award Alert: You Can Now Book Virgin Australia/Qatar Flights from Australia to Doha and Beyond

Early this morning, Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program began releasing the long-awaited Virgin Australia award flights (operated by Qatar Airways) from Australia to Doha. This release was expected and no coincidence, as it aligns with the program’s recent devaluation (don’t panic—prices have increased by only 3–14%).

In exchange for this slight devaluation, Velocity has made a significant number of award seats available for booking. While price increases for award seats are never welcome, they are easier to accept when accompanied by greater availability.

However, keep in mind that Velocity Frequent Flyer award surcharges are notoriously high. The charges are calculated per segment, meaning flights to Europe can cost up to $880 in additional fees for a one-way business class ticket. It seems they’ve taken a page out of the Emirates playbook here!

Which Cities Will Have the Wet-Lease Virgin Australia Flights?

Australian frequent flyers have been able to purchase tickets on the new Virgin Australia flight numbers since last year. From today (21 January), you can also redeem Velocity Frequent Flyer points for flights departing Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane to Doha. From Doha, you’ll have access to the extensive Qatar Airways network.

Before you start hunting for award seats, note the following start dates for these flights:

• Sydney: Flights start 12 June
• Brisbane: Flights start 19 June
• Perth: Flights start 26 June
• Melbourne: Flights start 1 December

How Many Points Do You Need from Australia to Doha?

Here’s how many Velocity Points you’ll need to book Virgin Australia wet-lease flights to Doha:

• Perth to Doha Business Class: 89,500 Velocity Points + $471.79 in fees
  

• Sydney to Doha Business Class: 119,500 Velocity Points + $500.60 in fees
  

• Brisbane to Doha Business Class: 119,500 Velocity Points + $508.43 in fees
  

• Melbourne to Doha Business Class: 119,500 Velocity Points + $495.76
  

Any Sweet Spots?

Since Velocity Frequent Flyer uses a distance-based award chart, you can find destinations in Qatar Airways’ network within a lower distance band. This means shorter flights can be cheaper, while still offering access to Europe and other destinations.

Perth enjoys a significant advantage due to its proximity to Doha, falling just within the 8,500 air-mile requirement for 119,500 Velocity Points in business class.

Here are some of the sweet spots you can book for 119,500 Velocity Points in business class:

• Perth to Rome via Doha
• Perth to Munich via Doha
• Perth to Vienna via Doha
• Perth to Prague via Doha
• Perth to Athens via Doha
• Perth to Mykonos via Doha
• Perth to Venice via Doha
• Perth to Zagreb via Doha
• Perth to Istanbul via Doha
• Perth to Warsaw via Doha
• Perth to Budapest via Doha
• Perth to Belgrade via Doha
• Perth to Bucharest via Doha
• Perth to Moscow via Doha
• Perth to Antalya via Doha
• Perth to Sofia via Doha

As you can see, there’s no shortage of great-value destinations! While these examples focus on Europe, there are plenty of options in Asia and the Middle East as well.

For other major European cities such as London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Brussels, you’ll need 139,000 Velocity Points + $852.39 in taxes and fees.

How Much Are Flights from Australia’s East Coast to Europe and the USA?

Travellers from Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane will need a few more points for business class flights. For European destinations, the cost is 158,500 Velocity Points one way, plus taxes and fees of approximately $881, depending on your departure city.

Velocity applies a surcharge on reward bookings over 4,000 miles, charged per segment. This adds around US$60 in economy and US$230 in business class per segment to your ticket cost.

Flights to the USA will also cost 158,500 Velocity Points, with similar segment fees. A business class redemption will include segment fees totalling US$460, excluding fuel surcharges and taxes.

Summing Up

Velocity Frequent Flyer has released a significant number of award seats on their new wet-lease routes operated by Qatar Airways. This development opens up exciting opportunities for Australian travellers looking to use their points. It’s a welcome change, particularly given Qantas’ ongoing stinginess with award seat availability.