Virgin joins AIA, 50% cashback on flights 2X per year

[muppet]

Received an email this week. Singapore Airlines also added to the cashback program. Might need to get back to the gym!

Plus a bunch of other changes devaluing the product.

Flight bookings gone from 10 day advance to 21 day. A new limit on only one international booking eligible for cashback. But yes, now includes Singapore Air.

Total shopping vouchers reduced from $650 to $500.

 

[pauly7]

Received an email this week. Singapore Airlines also added to the cashback program. Might need to get back to the gym!

Because they had a furious member backlash once they replaced QF with VA... it was a blatant cost cutting exercise moving to VA so they’ve been forced to find an international airline to substitute.

 

[blacksultan]

Received an email this week. Singapore Airlines also added to the cashback program. Might need to get back to the gym!

Do you have any further info in that regard ?

 

[jch]

Do you have any further info in that regard ?

There was a link in the email to the following PDF:

https://resources.aia.com.au/rs/482-ROS-457/images/VIT4998_V2.pdf

 

[Must...Fly!]

The T&Cs state "first two" flights. Does anyone know if this is actually referring to bookings, i.e. a return? Or if a return direct ticket (e.g. MEL-DRW-MEL) would be considered as "two flights" and thus exhaust your cashback at relevant status rate?

 

[odysseus]

The T&Cs state "first two" flights. Does anyone know if this is actually referring to bookings, i.e. a return? Or if a return direct ticket (e.g. MEL-DRW-MEL) would be considered as "two flights" and thus exhaust your cashback at relevant status rate?

It's bookings, return or single. A return is one usage.

 

[FTac]

I’m an AIA platinum member and loved this benefit back when it was with qantas. Very flexible and easy to use.

I’m yet to see any good value with VA or Singapore. The problem is the only tickets that can be bought are the more expensive ones. Hoping to find some sweet spot with a PE ticket to Europe or the US.

Has anyone been able to find some savings here?

 

[Johnno101]

Currently only found pe to Singapore, none to Hong Kong. Tokyo does not even have economy availabke. Presumably as it is new and the benefits not loaded onto the website.problem I am finding is that unless on va metal or delta cannot use points to upgrade.

 

[pauly7]

I’m an AIA platinum member and loved this benefit back when it was with qantas. Very flexible and easy to use.

I’m yet to see any good value with VA or Singapore. The problem is the only tickets that can be bought are the more expensive ones. Hoping to find some sweet spot with a PE ticket to Europe or the US.

Has anyone been able to find some savings here?

Agree and I was in the same boat! - AIA are just cutting the guts out of this program and using VA/SQ ‘selected fares’** is a massive devaluation of their benefits. You are better off buying direct half the time (of course it depends on the status level you hold with AIA).

As a Plat I have yet to find a fare worth purchasing.

With the QF arrangement it was much more generous.

 

[SeaWolf]

With the QF arrangement it was much more generous.

I suspect that's why the arrangement ended, it was too generous to be viable in the long term.

 

[pauly7]

I suspect that's why the arrangement ended, it was too generous to be viable in the long term.

Probably. But the pendulum has swung too far.

 

[glasszon]

Are all fares fair game as long as the AIA Vitality tag appears next to them? I am thinking about booking a freedom fare from MEL-SYD-WLG return and upgrade the SYD-WLG leg using the platinum benefit, freedom fares appear to be bookable using AIA Vitality if the getaway fares are sold out for that flight.

 

[Johnno101]

Are all fares fair game as long as the AIA Vitality tag appears next to them? I am thinking about booking a freedom fare from MEL-SYD-WLG return and upgrade the SYD-WLG leg using the platinum benefit, freedom fares appear to be bookable using AIA Vitality if the getaway fares are sold out for that flight.

Yet they are. Pity however that you cant get a business fare at 50% as not much more expensive then than freedom and get the points and sc. although as platinum you might have enough of those.

 

[glasszon]

Yet they are. Pity however that you cant get a business fare at 50% as not much more expensive then than freedom and get the points and sc. although as platinum you might have enough of those.

Thank you, I wonder when the new BNE-HND route will be eligible for AIA Vitality, I tried to book one today but none of the BNE-HND flights are eligible for AIA Vitality.

 

[Johnno101]

Thank you, I wonder when the new BNE-HND route will be eligible for AIA Vitality, I tried to book one today but none of the BNE-HND flights are eligible for AIA Vitality.

I asked AIA to chas it up but they Sid it was up to Virgin. Maybe they could organise I well get onto them. Noy ones to Tokyo currently are singapore in premium and can’t therefore upgrade wth points

 

[lilkid28]

Can anyone with 50% cashback kindly help to confirm an example of Freedom fare for MEL/SYD-HKG (before and after 50% cashback)? I'm seeing approx $1325 base fare + $220 taxes doing a normal search on VA website, so with 50% cashback on base fare + taxes it would be about $880? Then can use 27,500 velocity points to upgrade to business one-way as Velocity Gold/Platinum (as long as there is availability)

Also can one achieve Platinum in AIA (for the 50% cashback) without joining the gym membership?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Can anyone with 50% cashback kindly help to confirm an example of Freedom fare for MEL/SYD-HKG (before and after 50% cashback)? I'm seeing approx $1325 base fare + $220 taxes doing a normal search on VA website, so with 50% cashback on base fare + taxes it would be about $880? Then can use 27,500 velocity points to upgrade to business one-way as Velocity Gold/Platinum (as long as there is availability)

Also can one achieve Platinum in AIA (for the 50% cashback) without joining the gym membership?

Same base fare shown via AIA with an eligible flag added. So it should quality for 50% cash back in 21 days.

As for reaching Platinum, largely it depends how healthy you are!

 

[blacksultan]

Same base fare shown via AIA with an eligible flag added. So it should quality for 50% cash back in 21 days.

As for reaching Platinum, largely it depends how healthy you are!

Possibly , But difficult is there is a limit to the amount of points one can earn through gym / fitness devices .
you earn a max of 100 / gym visit which can also be earned by doing 12500 steps ( max of 100/ day totally ) , but after a limit you get 0/ visit / day .

 

[FTac]

Possibly , But difficult is there is a limit to the amount of points one can earn through gym / fitness devices .
you earn a max of 100 / gym visit which can also be earned by doing 12500 steps ( max of 100/ day totally ) , but after a limit you get 0/ visit / day .

I find getting to platinum quite easy, I always get there within the first 6 months of each membership year.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Possibly , But difficult is there is a limit to the amount of points one can earn through gym / fitness devices .
you earn a max of 100 / gym visit which can also be earned by doing 12500 steps ( max of 100/ day totally ) , but after a limit you get 0/ visit / day .

Quite true. I am only at Gold at the moment and have a little under 3 months to earn 5,500 points. I am hoping I make it by virtue of achieving the challenge. The health check at the pharmac_ is worth a lot of points, again, if you are "healthy" (in terms of BMI, blood pressure & cholestrol)