Back in September 2022, Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways formed a new strategic partnership, allowing reciprocal benefits for Velocity and Privilege Club members, including the ability to earn and redeem Avios on each airline’s flights.
At first, the option really wasn’t too exciting, because the Qatar Privilege Club (QRPC) partner award chart was unattractive to say the least – charging 50,000 Avios one-way in Business Class from Perth to Melbourne, for example.
With KrisFlyer offering the exact same award on partner Virgin Australia for 44,000 miles, there wasn’t much point in exploring the Avios option – it was just interesting that it now existed for the first time.
Even shorter Virgin flights like Sydney – Melbourne in Economy Class were no better using QRPC at 12,500 Avios, with KrisFlyer charging 12,000 miles.
Thankfully, things have changed for the better. Now Qatar Avios should be your go-to redemption option for Virgin Australia flights, bookable wholly online at far more competitive rates than before, plus you can port British Airways Avios across for free, to unlock the same great deals with those too.
Qatar partner award rates were slashed in 2023
As we reported last year, Qatar Airways has introduced a new partner award chart, effective from 19th June 2023, and it now matches the British Airways Executive Club partner chart, with much more competitive one-way Avios pricing on a per sector basis.
Partner Award Chart
(since 19th June 2023)
That brings a Perth – Melbourne redemption on Virgin Australia (VA) in Business Class down from 50,000 Avios to 22,000 Avios, a 56% reduction, while in Economy Class the former 25,000 Avios rate is now 11,000 Avios under the new pricing, also a 56% reduction.
On shorter routes like Sydney – Melbourne the lowest award rates now come in at only 6,000 Avios in Economy Class, and 12,500 Avios in Business Class.
The big difference for most of our readers is that redeeming these VA flights using KrisFlyer miles (award chart here) costs practically double these levels – something you definitely don’t want to be doing if you have an Avios balance to hand instead.
Here’s an example of the savings you’ll achieve using Qatar Airways Avios points to redeem Virgin Australia flights, compared to using KrisFlyer miles for the exact same thing, in Economy Class.
Virgin Australia Awards
KrisFlyer vs. QRPC
Economy Class
| Route |  |
 |
QRPC Saving |
| Perth – Melbourne | 21,500 + AU$42 |
11,000 + AU$42 |
10,500 miles (49%) |
| Sydney – Melbourne | 12,000 + AU$32 |
6,000 + AU$32 |
6,000 miles (50%) |
| Brisbane – Nadi | 21,500 + AU$116 |
11,000 + AU$116 |
10,500 miles (49%) |
| Brisbane – Bali | 28,000 + AU$116 |
13,000 + AU$116 |
15,000 miles (54%) |
| Cairns – Brisbane | 12,000 + AU$38 |
9,000 + AU$38 |
3,000 miles (25%) |
| Queenstown – Sydney | 19,500 + NZ$101 |
11,000 + NZ$101 |
7,000 miles (44%) |
As you can see there are some great savings here, competitive even for Economy Class travel, especially where award space exists but fares remain relatively high.
For example, this Perth – Melbourne flight on Friday this week (26th April 2024) costs AU$445 including one checked bag, but comes in at only 11,000 Avios + AU$42.
That generates a value per mile of 3.66 Australian cents per mile (3.21 Singapore cents per mile), practically unheard of for Economy Class redemptions.
Of course you can lock in this same award using the KrisFlyer programme, but at 21,500 miles instead of 11,000 Avios, your value per mile then drops to 1.87 Australian cents per mile (1.64 Singapore cents per mile), not really worth it for most of our readers targeting 2-cent-plus Business and First Class redemption value.
Here’s the same comparison table for Business Class awards, where savings of up to 31,750 miles are possible using Avios points instead of KrisFlyer miles.
Virgin Australia Awards
KrisFlyer vs. QRPC
Business Class
| Route | |
|
QRPC Saving |
| Perth – Melbourne | 44,000 + AU$41.82 |
22,000 + AU$41.82 |
22,000 miles (50%) |
| Sydney – Melbourne | 23,500 + AU$31.77 |
12,500 + AU$31.77 |
11,000 miles (47%) |
| Brisbane – Nadi | 44,000 + AU$116.02 |
22,000 + AU$116.02 |
22,000 miles (50%) |
| Brisbane – Bali | 70,500 + AU$116.02 |
38,750 + AU$116.02 |
31,750 miles (45%) |
| Cairns – Brisbane | 23,500 + AU$38.42 |
16,500 + AU$38.42 |
7,000 miles (30%) |
| Queenstown – Sydney | 38,500 + NZ$101.08 |
22,000 + NZ$101.08 |
16,500 miles (43%) |
A Brisbane to Fiji flight in Business Class, for example, is half the number of Avios as KrisFlyer is charging for the exact same flight, but with the same cash component payable.
Indeed you’ll also probably notice that a Perth – Melbourne redemption on Virgin Australia in Business Class, at 22,000 Avios, is practically the same redemption rate that KrisFlyer charges in Economy Class on the same flight (21,500 miles).
Make no mistake – if you’re holding both Avios and KrisFlyer miles, it’s Avios that’s your go-to redemption option on Virgin Australia.
Online booking is now available
Until recently, one of the main drawbacks when using Qatar Airways Avios points to redeem Virgin Australia flights was that the booking process was entirely offline, meaning you had to search availability though another portal like KrisFlyer, then complete an award request form to actually secure a redemption.
The good news is that Qatar Airways has been progressively adding online award search and booking functionality for partner flights, and Virgin Australia is now one of them.
That means there’s no longer a need to first search Virgin Australia award space through another portal like KrisFlyer, then send off a redemption request form to actually book.
The whole process can now be completed instantly and online.
This also works for British Airways Avios
If you’re holding a balance in British Airways Avios points but not in Qatar Airways Avios points – don’t worry.
The two are now interchangeable, with instant, fee-free and fully reversible transfers of any amount you like between the two, as often as you wish, now possible online.
In order to move your BA Avios instantly 1:1 into Qatar Airways Avios you will simply need to have an account with both airlines with a matching name in order to link the two accounts.
Head for Points has an excellent guide on how to complete this process.
You will then be able to redeem those Avios for Virgin Australia flights, something you can’t do through the BA’s own portal because Virgin Australia is not a Oneworld carrier, nor a British Airways partner airline.
You can transfer credit card points into both BA and Qatar Avios frequent flyer programmes from the following banks in Singapore.
Singapore Bank to Avios transfer partners
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
||||
|
= All miles cards for this bank
= Only for the T1 card (all cards from 28th May 2024)
On a similar note, you may recall how we recently highlighted that you can now secure Finnair Business Class to Europe using only 62,500 BA Avios + S$87, and take advantage of fuel-surcharge-free intra-Asia awards on Cathay Pacific using as few as 9,000 Avios.
Avios are also useful for Qantas domestic flights
Don’t forget that the competitive Avios partner award rates for sub-2,000 mile flights in Business Class and sub-3,000 mile flights in Economy Class are also available when you redeem Qantas flights, which covers many domestic routes ‘down under’.
In this case though, Qatar Airways hasn’t got around to adding online search and award booking, so you’re better off sticking with the British Airways Avios portal.
Again if your Avios are in Qatar and not BA, you can link your accounts and move them across as needed in order to book these Qantas awards.
Here are some examples where BA Avios redemptions on Qantas can get you much better value, compared with KrisFlyer miles redemptions on other carriers flying the same routes.
Qantas Avios Awards
vs. KrisFlyer pricing
| Route | |
|
Avios Saving |
| Sydney – Melbourne (Economy) |
6,000 + AU$49 (QF) |
12,000 + AU$32 (VA) |
6,000 miles (50%) |
| Sydney – Melbourne (Business) |
12,500 + AU$49 (QF) |
23,500 + AU$32 (VA) |
11,000 miles (47%) |
| Melbourne – Perth (Economy) |
11,000 + AU$45 (QF) |
21,500 + AU$42 (VA) |
10,500 miles (49%) |
| Melbourne – Perth (Business) |
22,000 + AU$45 (QF) |
44,000 + AU$42 (VA) |
22,000 miles (50%) |
| Singapore – Perth (Economy) |
13,000 + S$103 (QF) |
21,500 + S$86 (SQ) |
7,500 miles (40%) |
Qantas applies a small fuel surcharge to award bookings, increasing the cash component a tad, but nonetheless you can still realise big miles savings using Avios on Qantas domestic flights compared to the KrisFlyer alternative with Virgin Australia.
One of the major benefits of choosing Qantas over Virgin Australia in Business Class is that some flights are operated by wide-body Airbus A330s or Boeing 787s, which offer good privacy and flat-bed comfort.
Check out our recent review of the Qantas A330 Business Class experience to see what you can expect.
Virgin Australia, on the other hand, only offers recliner seats in Business Class on its Boeing 737s.
As we showed in the table above, even Singapore to or from Perth on Qantas using Avios comes in at 40% fewer miles in Economy Class (13,000 Avios) than KrisFlyer charges for SIA (21,500 miles).
The daytime Qantas Singapore to Perth flight is operated by an Airbus A330 – with a 2-4-2 configuration in Economy Class – perfect for couples by the window – and at 13,000 Avios each way that’s a nice miles saving over SIA too.
You should also know that you can redeem British Airways Avios points on QantasLink flights, but these are not searchable or bookable online.
Simply find award space on these flights using either the Qantas Frequent Flyer page (search ‘Classic Awards’) or through the American Airlines site which also shows these services. The British Airways phone agent should then be able to see and access this award space for you.
Remember to ensure the phone agent waives the offline service fee, since these bookings cannot be made online.
Summary
When Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia became partners in 2022, including for reciprocal frequent flyer redemptions, the former carrier’s partner award chart was uncompetitive to say the least, and bookings couldn’t be made online.
It meant that KrisFlyer miles were still the best way to lock in Virgin Australia redemptions, at least for the majority of our Singapore-based readers.
Now the Qatar Avios partner award chart has been significantly revalued, and Virgin Australia awards have become fully searchable and bookable online, the whole situation has been turned on its head.
Avios is now the go-to redemption option for these flights via QRPC, which can yield really competitive value even in Economy Class, adding to the great Qantas options we already had via BA Avios.
Better still, with BA Avios and QR Avios now completely interchangeable, it’s now easy to secure good value domestic award redemptions in Australia with this currency, whichever account you hold you Avios in.
(Cover Photo: Virgin Australia)
T1 also transfers to Qatar Avios (just at a worse rate)
Yes the T1 card is on the list
Do you get Virgin lounge access with Qatar status?
Yes, QRPC Gold and Platinum members can access any Virgin Australia lounge before their domestic flight on VA.
Confused as to why she I am looking for same flights as in this article the cash segment is much higher. Ie between MEL and PER I am getting AU109.41