Virgin Blue offers double Velocity points

Virgin Blue is now offering double Velocity frequent flyer points to travellers who book flights on Virgin group airlines around the world.

The offer applies to flights booked through Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America, and you'll need to register for the points at the Velocity promotion web page.

The bookings must be made, and travel completed, between 1st March and 31 May 2011.

Oddly, the promotion seems very much related to 'cross pollinating' customers between the different Virgin Group airlines as the offer doesn't apply to Virgin Blue's own international offshoots of V Australia, Polynesian Blue, or Pacific Blue.

Other Virgin Group airlines have been offering similar double-points deals to their passengers, which would benefit Virgin Blue – that's presumably Virgin Blue is matching this deal, at the same time as it promote its recently-launched V Australia/Etihad tie-up.

Virgin Blue is working hard to remake itself as an international business airline, and is currently reconsidering its brand in Australia. It will, in all likelihood, drop the "Blue" from its name.

It may well be that the Virgin Group airlines, which are all held under different ownerships and business structures, are considering moving to a more unified brand worldwide in an effort to compete on a global scale with the world's largest airlines.

See our earlier review: Virgin America: the flying the friendly iPod of the skies?

danwarne