Travel is an increasingly essential part of doing business, whether it’s ducking between cities for meetings or gathering remote teams for in-person events. It’s also an incredibly valuable opportunity, and not just for the relationships it builds.

With Virgin Australia Business Flyer in your corner – a reward program specifically tailored for small to medium-sized businesses – you have the ability to turn flights into tangible benefits. It can save money too.

Best of all, it’s free and easy to join, with discounts of up to 6%¹ on domestic airfares and up to 10%² on international airfares with United Airlines, double dipping on Velocity Points³ and a dedicated portal which streamlines booking and reporting just a few of the upsides unlocked. All you need is an ABN.

So how does Virgin Australia Business Flyer work, and why should you consider signing up?

For member Jon McConkey, Chief Revenue Officer for Before You Buy – a tech company which streamlines ‘due diligence’ such as property inspection reports for real estate buyers and sellers – it’s simply about value, while also delivering benefits tailored to the size and goals of his business.

The benefits of Virgin Australia Business Flyer

Sitting alongside the Velocity Frequent Flyer program, it’s a one-stop shop allowing you to book and manage flights, plus view a range of exclusive offers for hotels and car hire – with both the business and personal flying earning Velocity Points³. Those flights earn Status Credits as normal too.

It also unlocks savings across Virgin Australia flights, with 4%¹off Flex economy airfares or 6%² in business class, plus 5%² off Qatar Airways or a generous 10%² on United Airlines.

Plus, it gives you greater visibility and reporting on your travel expenditure, which is always a consideration for small businesses, thanks to its easy-to-use booking tool.

Virgin Australia Business Flyer can supercharge your Points earning potential on the ground as well, when paying bills, buying office supplies or making purchases through more than 30 on-ground partners including Apple, Thrifty, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and VistaPrint³.

And once you’ve amassed a bounty of points you can then redeem them, either transferring to an eligible frequent flyer account or swapping them for airfares, Economy X upgrades or additional luggage via the new ‘Pay with Points’ option⁴.

Benefits for businesses, big and small

Of course, as a small to medium-sized business owner or employee, selecting a program is about more than just points and rewards (though they are certainly great additions).

Virgin Australia’s network, well-priced fares and overall “vibe” were also big considerations for McConkey, who’s taken more than 200 Virgin Australia flights since late 2021.

“Our philosophy is that we don’t necessarily want to do business over the phone,” McConkey shares. So while Zoom has its place, he flies around the country at least twice a month to visit state sales teams and clients, but always with his eye on the bottom-line.

“We are very careful about how we spend our money, but we also want to make sure that we’re not skimping on travel. And Virgin really does suit us,” McConkey explains.

His advice to fellow business travellers and prospective Virgin Australia Business Flyer members: make yourself aware of the program’s benefits and take full advantage of them.

“I think that the great thing about Virgin is it doesn’t matter what size business you are, they are very much wanting to look after you. So if you’re a small medium enterprise or if you work for a larger corporation, there are benefits that suit everybody.”

Accelerating your business rewards

Like the Velocity Frequent Flyer program, Virgin Australia Business Flyer has membership tiers, which are unlocked through annual spend on Virgin Australia-marketed flights (that includes Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and United Airlines with a VA flight number).

There are three tiers on offer, with benefits ramping up significantly as you climb. 

Tier 1 is the entry level and delivers some great perks straight out the gate, including 4%¹ off flex fares and 6%¹ off business class fares, and 15% off Virgin Australia annual lounge memberships⁵.

You’ll also earn 1 Velocity Point for every $1 spent on eligible travelled flights³. Plus, after spending $2,000 in the first three months, you’ll receive two Velocity Pilot Gold memberships⁶, which you can take advantage of yourself or share within your team.

Tier 2 kicks in after between $10,000 and $49,999, giving you a free 12-month Velocity Gold membership⁷, plus a choice of 20,000 bonus Velocity Points for the business or five single-use lounge passes⁸.

Of course, these are on top of the standard 4-6% flight discounts¹ and discounted lounge memberships⁵, while eligible flight spend rises to 1.5 Points per $1 spent³.

Tier 3 is the top level and, in addition to 2 Points per $1 spent on eligible flights³, delivers two 12-month Velocity Gold memberships⁷ and a choice of 50,000 bonus Velocity Points for the business, 10 single-use lounge passes, or two Business class upgrades⁸.

No matter what way you look at it, these are great benefits – and all from a program which is free to join, with no ongoing membership fees. Isn’t it time you made the switch?

Get with the more rewarding business travel program: Virgin Australia Business Flyer

This article was produced in collaboration with Virgin Australia.

1 The Fare Advantage Discount of 4% applies to Flex fares (L, K, H, W, B, Y class) operated and marketed by Virgin Australia and 6% applies to Business Class fares (D, C, J class) operated and marketed by Virgin Australia and is available to Virgin Australia Business Flyer members. The Fare Advantage Discount levels are subject to change without notice. Please check our website for current discount levels. Fare Advantage Discounts can only be booked through the Booking Portal, our Guest Contact Centre, or a registered self-ticketing Travel Management Company (TMC) or travel agent and are not available through the public Virgin Australia website. If your TMC or travel agent is not registered to process Fare Advantage Discounts, please instruct your TMC or travel agent to contact the Virgin Australia Business Flyer team at [email protected]. Fare Advantage Discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount and cannot be combined with any other Unpublished Fares or Promotional Fares. Fare Advantage discounts do not apply to any bookings made via the Virgin Australia conference and group travel area, sale fares or other tactical fares offered from time to time, and bookings for children and infants. If you have any questions regarding the application of Fare Advantage Discounts, please contact the Virgin Australia Business Flyer team. Virgin Australia Business Flyer Terms and Conditions apply.

2 As at 1 November 2023, the following discounts apply to the United Airlines and Virgin Australia base fares (which excludes fees, carrier charges and taxes) of Virgin Australia marketed and United Airlines operated flights (with a VA flight number) booked by Virgin Australia Business Flyer members (Members), which may change without notice: Business Fares: VA Fare Class J, C and D: 10% Economy Fares: VA Fare Classes Y, B, W, H, K and L: 10% VA Fare Classes R and E: 5% Please check the Virgin Australia Business Flyer website for current discount levels. UA Business Discounts can only be booked through the Booking Portal, our Guest Contact Centre, or a registered Travel Management Company (TMC) or travel agent and are not available through the public Virgin Australia website. If your TMC or travel agent is not registered to process these UA Business Discounts, please instruct your TMC or travel agent to contact the Virgin Australia Business Flyer team [email protected]. UA Business Discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount and cannot be combined with any other Unpublished Fares or Promotional Fares, unless otherwise stated. UA Business Discounts do not apply to any bookings made via the Virgin Australia conference and group travel area, sale fares or other tactical fares offered from time to time, and bookings for children and infants. If you have any questions regarding the application of UA Business Discounts, please contact the Virgin Australia Business Flyer team. Virgin Australia Business Flyer Terms and Conditions apply.

3 Virgin Australia Business Flyer Members can earn up to 1,000,000 Points from completed travel on eligible flights marketed and operated by Virgin Australia or marketed by Virgin Australia and operated by eligible airline partners, per annum, based on the rolling 12 month period from when the Member joins Virgin Australia Business Flyer. Points aren’t earned on certain fees, taxes, or charges. Virgin Australia Business Flyer Terms and Conditions apply.

4 Minimum 3,000 Points required when using Pay with Points. Virgin Australia fare rules apply to Pay with Points flight bookings. Virgin Australia Business Flyer membership terms & conditions apply.

5 Discounted Lounge Membership: Discount is compared to the usual annual fee of $450. Discounted Virgin Australia Lounge Memberships are available for Key Contact, Account Administrators, Travel Bookers and Travellers. Subject to the Virgin Australia Business Flyer Terms and Conditions, and Virgin Australia Lounge Terms and Conditions. Virgin Australia Lounge entry is subject to space availability.

6 Velocity Membership Terms and Conditions apply.

7 Velocity Gold Membership: Virgin Australia Tier 2 members receive one complimentary annual Velocity Gold Membership. Virgin Australia Tier 3 members receive two complimentary annual Velocity Gold Memberships. These complimentary memberships are for member employees only, as nominated by the member.

8 Whenever a Virgin Australia Business Flyer member is: (a) upgraded to a higher Tier Level (i.e. upgrade from Tier Level 1 to Tier Level 2); (b) retained at Tier Level 2 or 3 following the member’s annual Tier Level review; or (c) downgraded from Tier 3 to Tier 2 following the member’s annual Tier Level review, your business will have the option to choose a reward. To choose a reward, click on the link in the email sent to the member’s Key Contact and select from the options. The link in the email will expire in four weeks from receipt or once you have chosen your reward. Once a selection has been made, it cannot be changed. The Single Use Lounge Pass or Business Class Upgrade rewards must be allocated to a Velocity Frequent Flyer member who is directly employed or contracted by the Member within 1 year or they will expire. The bonus Points reward must be transferred to a Velocity Frequent Flyer member who is directly employed or contracted by the Member within 2 years or they will expire. Please note that any unallocated rewards will also expire if you are upgraded to a higher Tier Level (at which time we will provide you with new rewards to choose from). See the Virgin Australia Business Flyer Terms and Conditions for details of the available rewards and conditions of use.