American Express and
Velocity, the award winning frequent flyer program of the Virgin Australia group of airlines, have joined forces to launch the
American Express Velocity Cards. The cards are designed to help people escape sooner and more often with the Virgin Australia group of airlines and its alliance partners.
There are three cards in the suite(1), with the American Express Velocity Platinum Card offering the richest travel benefits and rewards. The unlimited two for the price of one offer on the Platinum Card entitles members to complimentary international business class companion airfares on full priced seats flying with V Australia or codeshare partner flights with Delta(2). In addition, the card comes with a complimentary annual domestic return economy flight to a choice of 26 destinations flying Virgin Australia. Flights are booked through American Express Travel Services.
The American Express Velocity Platinum Card has the highest Velocity Points earn rate of any card in the market. For every $1 spent on the Card, 1.5 Velocity Points are earned. Three Points are earned for every dollar spent with the Virgin Australia group of airlines. Points can then be redeemed for flights, accommodation or other travel expenses through the Velocity Program.
“Flying business class doesn’t have to be just for work trips or affluent travellers. The American Express Velocity Platinum Card makes flying business class more affordable for all Australians and helps them escape faster on their next holiday”, said Rob Hennin, Vice President of Consumer Products for American Express.
Virgin Australia General Manager of Velocity, Phil Gunter said “We are constantly looking for new ways to ensure our members get the most value out of our Velocity Frequent Flyer program, and one of the easiest ways for members to earn Velocity Points is through everyday spending on direct earn credit cards. With their excellent earn rates and unique airline benefits, we know that these new American Express Velocity Cards will be very attractive to people who want to fly more often with Virgin Australia.”
Credit card comparison website,
CreditCardFinder.com.au compared the American Express Velocity Platinum Card with other premium airline co-brand cards on the market and found it offered the best value.
"The American Express Velocity Platinum Card is the best rewards card in Australia for the high spending frequent flyer", said Jeremy Cabral, Editor of
CreditCardFinder.com.au. “A domestic traveller who spends $2,000 a month on the card each year will receive $834 worth of value from the card annually. For an international traveller it's $1,319, which is impressive when you consider the card has an annual fee of $349."
National research(3) conducted by Galaxy on behalf of American Express shows that 2.5 million Australians have flown business class for reasons other than work, and people are more likely to pay for the cost of a business class airfare themselves (41%) than their place of employment (31%). It also highlights the popularity of using rewards points to pay for the cost of travel.
The research revealed that for around a quarter of Australians, a card with rich benefits, features and rewards is more important than a card with a low interest rate and annual Card fee.
“More than a million Australians have used credit card rewards points to fly business class and around three quarters of the population would fly business class if they could take a companion for free”, continued Hennin. “It shows that people want to fly business class and that picking the right credit card can be just the ticket to getting there. It’s not about spending more, it’s about choosing the right card and using it smartly so that every time you do, you’re one step closer to enjoying the holiday you deserve.“
The American Express Velocity Cards offer 2 single entry Virgin Australia lounge entries per annum, domestic and international travel insurance and purchase and retail protection. For more information about the American Express Platinum Velocity Card visit
www.amexvelocity.com.au
