Update: As of 1 December 2020, this benefit is no longer available to cardholders of the ANZ Reward Travel Adventures Card. Please click here to read our updated card guide.
The ANZ Rewards Travel Adventures card is aimed at Virgin Australia enthusiasts and those who are interested in rewards points.
In this guide, we delve into the complimentary return domestic Virgin Australia flight benefit that you receive each year you hold the card.
When the benefit becomes available
The complimentary domestic return flight is available each year until the card is cancelled, and becomes available after meeting a $500 minimum spend requirement within three months (note that it lower than the $1,500 minimum spend requirement to unlock the bonus points).
Where you can fly
The first key thing to understand is that there a list of routes between cities that you can redeem your Economy Class flight for—here is the table, which, thankfully, is actually fairly extensive.
You can use your complimentary flight in either direction between each city pair in the list below but double-check on the ANZ website for any changes that may have occurred since this guide was published.
| City Pairs | |
|---|---|
| Adelaide | Gold Coast |
| Adelaide | Canberra |
| Adelaide | Alice Springs |
| Adelaide | Perth |
| Adelaide | Brisbane |
| Adelaide | Melbourne |
| Adelaide | Sydney |
| Albury | Sydney |
| Alice Springs | Adelaide |
| Alice Springs | Darwin |
| Ayers Rock | Sydney |
| Ballina / Byron | Sydney |
| Brisbane | Proserpine |
| Brisbane | Perth |
| Brisbane | Newcastle |
| Brisbane | Hobart |
| Brisbane | Sydney |
| Brisbane | Townsville |
| Brisbane | Rockhampton |
| Brisbane | Cloncurry |
| Brisbane | Canberra |
| Brisbane | Darwin |
| Brisbane | Emerald |
| Brisbane | Adelaide |
| Brisbane | Hamilton Island |
| Brisbane | Mount Isa |
| Brisbane | Melbourne |
| Brisbane | Mackay |
| Brisbane | Cairns |
| Broome | Perth |
| Cairns | Sydney |
| Cairns | Brisbane |
| Cairns | Melbourne |
| Canberra | Brisbane |
| Canberra | Gold Coast |
| Canberra | Melbourne |
| Canberra | Sydney |
| Canberra | Adelaide |
| Cloncurry | Brisbane |
| Darwin | Perth |
| Darwin | Alice Springs |
| Darwin | Sydney |
| Darwin | Melbourne |
| Darwin | Brisbane |
| Emerald | Brisbane |
| Geraldton | Perth |
| Gold Coast | Sydney |
| Gold Coast | Adelaide |
| Gold Coast | Canberra |
| Gold Coast | Melbourne |
| Hamilton Island | Melbourne |
| Hamilton Island | Sydney |
| Hamilton Island | Brisbane |
| Hervey Bay | Sydney |
| Hobart | Sydney |
| Hobart | Brisbane |
| Hobart | Melbourne |
| Kalgoorlie | Perth |
| Kalgoorlie | Melbourne |
| Karratha | Perth |
| Kununurra | Perth |
| Launceston | Sydney |
| Launceston | Melbourne |
| Mackay | Brisbane |
| Melbourne | Adelaide |
| Melbourne | Brisbane |
| Melbourne | Newcastle |
| Melbourne | Sydney |
| Melbourne | Mildura |
| Melbourne | Perth |
| Melbourne | Gold Coast |
| Melbourne | Sunshine Coast |
| Melbourne | Launceston |
| Melbourne | Kalgoorlie |
| Melbourne | Canberra |
| Melbourne | Cairns |
| Melbourne | Darwin |
| Melbourne | Hobart |
| Melbourne | Hamilton Island |
| Mildura | Melbourne |
| Mount Isa | Brisbane |
| Newcastle | Melbourne |
| Newcastle | Brisbane |
| Newman | Perth |
| Paraburdoo | Perth |
| Perth | Adelaide |
| Perth | Broome |
| Perth | Brisbane |
| Perth | Darwin |
| Perth | Geraldton |
| Perth | Kalgoorlie |
| Perth | Kununurra |
| Perth | Karratha |
| Perth | Melbourne |
| Perth | Newman |
| Perth | Paraburdoo |
| Perth | Port Hedland |
| Perth | Sydney |
| Port Hedland | Perth |
| Port Macquarie | Sydney |
| Proserpine | Brisbane |
| Rockhampton | Brisbane |
| Sunshine Coast | Sydney |
| Sunshine Coast | Melbourne |
| Sydney | Hobart |
| Sydney | Hervey Bay |
| Sydney | Gold Coast |
| Sydney | Launceston |
| Sydney | Sunshine Coast |
| Sydney | Melbourne |
| Sydney | Perth |
| Sydney | Port Macquarie |
| Sydney | Townsville |
| Sydney | Albury |
| Sydney | Adelaide |
| Sydney | Ayers Rock |
| Sydney | Brisbane |
| Sydney | Ballina / Byron |
| Sydney | Canberra |
| Sydney | Cairns |
| Sydney | Tamworth |
| Sydney | Hamilton Island |
| Sydney | Darwin |
| Tamworth | Sydney |
| Townsivlle | Brisbane |
| Townsville | Sydney |
The available city pairs between which you can use the complimentary flight are fairly extensive compared to other similar benefits from other banks, with East – West Coast routings allowed between Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane and Perth.
How to maximise the benefit
It really depends on which your home airport is—someone in Albury only has one option (Sydney) to choose from and with flights starting at $238 return, may find this benefit useful for popping up to Sydney for a long weekend.
Cardholders in a larger city like Melbourne have 15 options to choose from. You may choose to use the benefit on a flight on a route with lots of competition, like Brisbane, getting you about $200 in value; or, if you had a reason to fly to Kalgoorlie via Perth, you’d be getting at least triple that in monetary value.
It is interesting that routes requiring a layover, like Melbourne – Kalgoorlie, are still included in this benefit—that is quite generous of ANZ-Virgin Australia.
How to make a booking
To make your booking, phone the ANZ Rewards Centre on 1300 367 763 between Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm AEST (excluding public holidays).
Key terms
A key restriction is that ANZ state that ‘bookings are subject to availability and some flights may not have complimentary seats available’—it depends on the fare class/es available on the specific flights you are looking at.
Next, the complimentary domestic flight is going to work best for people who can plan their trips in advance, as it must be booked at least 60 days before travel.
There is another set of restrictions to know about too—the account holder must be the traveller on the complimentary flight when it is redeemed, and you will not earn Velocity Points or Status Credits or able to upgrade to Business Class.
The terms and conditions of the free flight benefit are available here.
Summing up
The ANZ Rewards Travel Adventures card is already a solid offering with no overseas transaction fees and a healthy sign-up bonus.
The free flight on Virgin Australia that comes with the card each year you hold it definitely helps to offset the annual fee.
Depending on where you are located and what your travel preferences are, you may be able to get outsized value from this benefit by flying on routes that suffer from high ticket prices.
What is the maximum stay allowed for this free flight? I haven’t seen that specified in any of the terms and conditions.
And, can you book just a one way flight? Or do you have to go through the hassle of cancelling the return leg?
Hi Gary
By maximum stay, I’m assuming you’re meaning how long can the dates between the departing and return flight be, which for Virgin Australia is 330 days based on award availability.
You will have to book a return flight in order to redeem the complimentary flight, and cancelling the return leg will be subject to cancellation fees.
The longer I held this card the more frustrating I found it and less seats available. I could see the cheapest flights still available on the Virgin website, be able to book a reward seat using velocity points but phone up and find there was no availability through ANZ Rewards. I’d sometimes spend half an hour on the phone looking at date options and alternate routes. I was surprised there was not more availability on capital city flights, SYD-MEL/ADL/BRI. I found the card too much hassle and ended up closing the account.
I recently flew on a flight redeemed for this deal. I booked 3 months in advance and had difficulty getting a seat from Perth to Melbourne or Sydney – ended up on two red eye flights (but hey, it’s ‘freeee’!). Interestingly, I received Velocity points and status credits for both flights – which you do not receive with the Amex redemptions.
I tried SYD-HTI 9 months in advance: zero availability. “What could you offer me then?” I asked, with flex in mind. “You need to pick a date”. Ok, this. “No.” This? “No.” Ahhh …I need to get back to work now.
Trowy, where did you get your information from? The ANZ page shows Perth is a destination from Brisbane, as well as Darwin and Hobart and the product has never allowed date changes. Personally I havent had any issues with getting flights, in fact when I rang to enquire, the lads on the phone always remarked “plenty seats”
I don’t believe Kalgoorlie via Perth (with layover) is a valid option like you’ve stated/mapped – VA actually operate direct flights to Kalgoorlie from Melbourne, often flown with one of VA Regional’s A320s.
very tempted to get this card – though I’m confused by the meaning of minimum credit limit of $6000 – can someone explain pls?
Hi Harrison
This is the minimum credit that you must accept on the card in order to apply for it. By all means you can request for more credit, but cannot request less than $6,000.
The eligible cities from Brisbane is outdated..Have had this car for 2years, Brisbane to Perth is not redeemable..Basically Adelaide is as far.west.(SW) as you can go.. Im not sure if Hobart or Darwin would be available eithet. The restrictions on tbe free flights was quiet significant.from tbe first year I utilised this feature compared to tbe second year..If you wamt to change dates probably unlikely and more expensive than just purchasing flights with your hard earned!.Make sure you are ROCK solid with your dates etc.
But card is good O/S and with lounge.access etc. Just be mindful of where you can go on these free flights and the costs involved in changing dates if your plans change!
The requirement to book travel at least 60 days in advance is a notable issue. My credit card year goes from February to February. For the February 2018 to February 2019 year, I booked the complimentary flight in July 2018 for travel in December 2018. I was also looking to redeem next year’s flight over Easter in April, but because I had already booked a flight for the current year, and the next year hadn’t begun yet, it effectively leaves a black out period of 60 days for which travel can’t be booked. I understand why this is the case, because I haven’t actually paid for the next year’s annual fee, but it was a frustrating realisation nonetheless.
I live in Canberra but was able to use the free flights Melbourne – Perth – Melbourne and then booked a Canberra – Melbourne – Canberra to match those flights. In Perth they even checked my bags right through to Canberra for me.
Hi Matt,
Is it possible to book the flights then cancel the card, ie. I book for November but i cancel the card in September as the next annual fee is due? Will the tickets still be valid?
I too would like to know this.
Also how far ahead can this be booked?
2 months ahead of annual renewal? 3, 6?
As long as you make the booking before your membership year is up, the travel date can be as far as the flight calendar is open (11-12 months out).