Unwrapped: Virgin Australia's new Velocity Platinum pack

When airlines come to packaging up their frequent flyer cards, there's a bit of art involved. It's all about the presentation, and that includes a simply yet cleverly-orchestrated 'reveal' – the moment when you open the box and see your precious new card.

Virgin Australia has got this down pat with its new Velocity Platinum card, which arrives in this long wide cardboard pack. It's substantial, glossy and of course very platinum.

Pull on each end, as the arrows indicate, and there's a neat slide-out at both ends for the 'reveal'. (Note that you need to pull both arrows at the same time.)

Ahhh. Your new Velocity Platinum membership card. So shiny!

It's pre-loaded with perks including free top-tier membership in either the IHG Priority Club Rewards or Hilton HHonors schemes, as well as the Europcar and Hertz hire car programs, free credit card and identity theft protection through Secure Sentinel (plus more which are detailed here).

The joys of membership are also extolled in this booklet, which does its little Batcave exit from the right side of the origami box.

Flip that right cardboard panel over and you'll find bag tags – three of them, compared to the two in the Velocity Gold kit. They're pleasingly solid and come with wire fasteners for affixing to your carry-on and checked luggage.

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.