Flights vs. Foot Spa: Which Is the Smarter Use of Velocity Points?

What is the best way to spend 25,000 Velocity Points? A $119 foot spa or flights to four AFL games across three cities in one weekend? This week I chat to our Customer Experience Specialist, Josh Weckert: the only man brave enough to ask these questions and then actually test it out.

Watch his original video below to learn how we carried out this very scientific experiment.

In this episode we cover:

• Comparing 25,000 Velocity Points spent on a foot spa vs. on domestic AFL flights
• Why flights almost always beat merchandise redemptions in cents-per-point value
• How to navigate Virgin Australia’s dynamic pricing on reward seats
• Booking tips: when to lock in the lowest redemption rates and how Business Class differs
• How newcomers can build up a points balance without flying
• Final cents-per-point calculations and what this says about the true “floor vs. ceiling” value of Velocity Points

Key Takeaways

Flights tend to outperform merchandise:
Using Velocity Points for flights gave us ~2.3 cents per point value. In contrast, the foot spa delivered closer to ~0.5 cents per point.

Book early:
Virgin Australia’s economy reward flights are priced within a set range based on distance and demand. As my experience showed, waiting just a few days can cost you thousands more Velocity Points points for the same itinerary.

Earning enough Velocity Points to fly domestically can be easy:
By combining credit card sign up bonuses, everyday spending (groceries, fuel, shops), and loyalty programs, you can quickly build up a decent stash of Velocity Points. Enough to get you anywhere in Australia.

Further reading and helpful links

Read more about Josh’s AFL experiment and how to book a trip like this for yourself.

The top 5 ways to earn Velocity Points without flying.

If you’re in the mood for more alternative uses of frequent flyer points you’ll love another Josh Weckert idea – using Qantas Points to fly First Class and save money on a romantic night out.

Ready to fly? Credit card sign-up bonuses and point earning credit cards are often one of the most effective tools to boost your Velocity Point balance. Take a look at the card below or peruse our list of Velocity Point earning credit cards to find a card that suits your needs.

American Express Velocity Platinum

Find Out More & Apply

Read the guide

Sign-up Bonus:

60,000 bonus Velocity Points*

Rewards Earn Rate:

1.25 Velocity Points earned per $1 on all eligible spend except for government bodies˜. 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent on selected Virgin Australia purchases˜. 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 on Government spend˜

Annual Fee:

$440 p.a.

The American Express Velocity Platinum Card has 60,000 bonus Velocity Points* on offer for new American Express Card Members who apply, are approved and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of approval. Includes several perks such as Virgin Australia Lounge Access^ every time you fly domestically with Virgin Australia, 2 VA Guest Lounge Passes⁼ each year and a Complimentary Domestic Return Virgin Australia Flightˢ. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. New American Express Card Members Only.

Where to watch and listen

For the full experience, including additional tips and footage from our adventures, you can watch Point Hacks on our YouTube or Facebook pages. We also publish our key takeaways on Instagram and TikTok.

Prefer to listen? Point Hacks is now available in your favourite podcasting app including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, iHeartRadio, and good old fashion RSS.

Video and podcast produced by Tobias Venus. Video captured by Tobias and Josh, travelled who travelled at Point Hacks’ expense.