How to plan and book free Virgin Australia flights via AMEX

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The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.

The AMEX Velocity Platinum Card includes a complimentary return Virgin Australia flight every year to help offset its annual fee – and it’s a great perk, provided you put it to good use.

Here’s how you can plan and book that free trip.

American Express Velocity Platinum Card: free Virgin Australia flight

Slip an American Express Velocity Platinum credit card into your wallet and you’ll be entitled to a complimentary return domestic flight every year with Virgin Australia, once the card’s annual fee of $375 has been charged to your account and you’ve used your card to make at least one purchase after that.

Where you can travel depends on where you live. Here’s where you could fly to from Sydney…

… while from Melbourne, you can travel as far north as Hamilton Island:

Brisbane’s central location on the east coast sees flights to Cairns, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin available…

… and if you live in Perth, your free return flight can take you across to Sydney and back – but note that if you live in Sydney, you can’t book a return ticket to Perth – only the cities mapped above.

For journeys beginning in other cities, use the interactive map on the AMEX website to see where you could travel.

Flights can only be booked in economy class, don’t normally earn points or status credits, and can’t be upgraded using Velocity points or cash. However, you can book your complimentary flight in another person’s name, such as for your partner to join you on a business trip, or as a gift.

Just keep track of when your credit card annual fee falls due every year, because the free flight credit doesn’t carry forward into your next AMEX ‘membership year’ if you haven’t used it, and when your annual fee hits your account, that signals the start of your next AMEX ‘membership year’.

You can normally book flights for travel up to 11 months in advance, however, so you do have the option of travelling during your next membership year – you just need to make that booking this membership year to avoid this year’s free flight going to waste.

To book, head to this page on the Virgin Australia website, login with your Velocity details and follow the prompts. That is, unless you’re wanting to fly from Perth to Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide; or from Darwin to Sydney or Brisbane, for which you’ll need to call 1300 153 006 instead.

Don’t already have the AMEX Velocity Platinum Card? Eligible new customers who apply, are approved and spend $3,000 on the card within the first three months can earn 50,000 bonus Velocity points, with other perks included too such as AMEX and Virgin Australia lounge access.

Disclaimer

Executive Traveller may receive a commission when you apply for these credit cards via our links.

The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.

Chris C.

A former contributor to Executive Traveller, Chris lives by the motto that a journey of a thousand miles begins not just with a single step, but also a strong latte, a theatre ticket, and later in the day, a good gin and tonic.