Yahoo Finance Travel hack to visit France, UK, US for nothing: ‘Free money’
Anthony Alsop has been collecting Virgin Velocity Frequent Flyer points for more than a decade.
An Aussie has revealed his secret to scoring free domestic flights around Australia, along with international travel to destinations like Singapore, Egypt, France, the UK, Switzerland and the United States.
Anthony Alsop has been collecting Velocity Points for more than a decade, with his work as a marketing professional often requiring him to travel.
The Melbourne local has built up his points by travelling exclusively with Virgin Australia for work, opening up a points-earning credit card, transferring his FlyBuys points into Velocity points, and filling up with fuel at 7-Eleven.
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Alsop said it took him about two years to accumulate enough points for his first free international trip. Since then, he’s been lucky enough to redeem round-the-world tickets, travelling business class, with his points twice.
“The biggest tip is to focus all your effort on one rewards program,” Alsop told Yahoo Finance.
“That could mean flying on just one airline, making online purchases through a store that will give you points, or moving your Points from other platforms into a program like Velocity.
“Another crucial point is regarding credit card bonuses, which will get you on your next holiday the quickest. Do your research at any of the credit card or frequent flyer comparison websites to see which is the best offer for you.”
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Favourite travel experience
Alsop’s favourite travel experience paid for using points was a recent trip to the United States with friends.
“Friends from Melbourne came with me to Texas, and I met up with other friends from the US while travelling,” Alsop said.
“We took in a musical festival in Texas, sat courtside at an NBA game and experienced amazing live music in New Orleans. Then I went to Las Vegas where I visited the new Sphere, had access to pit lane at a NASCAR race and even won a few dollars on the poker tables.
“All trips were paid for by moving my Velocity Points to Singapore Kris Flyer, but this particular trip went business class from Melbourne to Los Angeles via Singapore.”
Expert tips to boost your points
Aussies can earn Velocity Points by taking out a partner credit card, shopping at 7-Eleven, and making everyday purchases at stores like Coles, Coles Express, Bunnings, Officeworks, Kmart, Target, Liquorland and First Choice Liquor through Flybuys.
Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Nick Rohrlach recommended people “be smart” about where they shopped to ensure they were getting the most points for every purchase.
“If you’re shopping with a credit card, make sure you check that you’re receiving loyalty points for every dollar spent,” Rohrlach told Yahoo Finance.
“We’ve actually got some incredible offers at the moment where you can earn up to 120,000 points for simply taking out a new credit card, which could get you a return flight to Europe this July. So, there’s great perks when you’re savvy with your spending.”
Once you’ve built up your points, you can redeem them for travel with Velocity, along with partner airlines like Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, as well as on products and holiday packages.
“Velocity Points are literally free money that you can turn into holidays for you and your family,” Rohrlach said.
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