Ready for Take-Off: Virgin Australia 1 Point Store

Melbourne will be home to Australia’s first-ever Velocity Frequent Flyer 1 Point Rewards Store when it officially opens at 565 Chapel Street, South Yarra, tomorrow (Saturday) at 9.00am.

The store, which will open for 24 hours only (or until sold out), will allow Melburnians to be the first in the country to take advantage of Velocity’s first-ever 1 Point Rewards initiative, announced this week.

For just 1 single Velocity Point, Melburnians will be able to purchase Virgin Australia domestic flights to the airline’s most popular destinations, as well as coveted items worth up to hundreds of dollars, like Dyson hair dryers (RRP $649) and vacuum cleaners, Weber Baby Q BBQs, Apple AirPods, watches and more, directly from the pop up store.

With more than 1,000 1 Point bargains up-for-grabs, hundreds of Victorian-based members are expected to descend on South Yarra’s Golden Mile to attend the opening to nab household products and Virgin Australia flights. Velocity’s 1 Point Rewards initiative will officially launch online nationally this Sunday 11 June 2023.

1 Point Rewards is underpinned by Velocity’s new program promise, Velocity means fast, aimed at getting members to loyalty rewards quickly. The initiative follows a series of announcements made by the program this week, including a reduction in the Points required to redeem a Virgin Australia domestic flight – with the program now boasting the lowest lead in domestic redemption airfares compared to any other Australian airline (taxes, fees and carrier charges apply in addition to Reward Seat pricing).²

Recent nationwide consumer research studies uncovered that Australians want ease of earning points and a faster way to secure their next loyalty reward:

• The top concern for more than half of Australians (51 per cent) when it comes to loyalty programs is “the effort required to earn rewards”*.
• Redeeming flights for fewer points ranked as the most compelling feature for Australians looking to participate in airline loyalty programs**.

Commentary 

Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO, Nick Rohrlach, said Christmas was coming early for Melbourne with the 1 Point bargains needing to be seen to be believed.

“We are laser focused on getting Australians to their loyalty rewards faster and so we are really proud to open our first-ever 1 Point Rewards store on Melbourne’s bustling Chapel Street.

“I expect Saturday to be a scene from the Black Friday sales, with hordes of shoppers trying to nab a Dyson hair dryer or Apple Watch for just 1 Velocity Point. We even have Virgin Australia flights for 1 Velocity Point to places like the Gold Coast, Cairns and Hobart – it really is something to be seen to be believed,” he laughed.

“Most people I’ve spoken to have said the initiative is too good to be true, but I assure you we are serious about fast rewards, and this initiative is a testament to that.”

Commenting on why Melbourne was chosen to host the program’s first store, Mr Rohrlach said: “There are millions of Velocity members based in Victoria so it made sense to choose Melbourne to launch this Velocity-first initiative knowing how much they love to travel.

“Chapel Street is a mecca for Melbourne’s cosmopolitan culture. It’s the home of great food, coffee, fashion and food, and from Saturday, it will also be home to Australia’s most-loved loyalty program.

“We are expecting the rewards to be snapped up quickly, so we encourage members to arrive early for the best chance to be rewarded. Christmas is certainly coming early for Melburnians!”

Mr Rohrlach added: “Innovation is at the core of our business, and we are delivering this week what we delivered for the Middle Seat Lottery last year. We know it’s hard to believe that a member can go on a holiday for just 1 Velocity Point or purchase a Dyson hairdryer for the equivalent of a $2 purchase at Coles, but this is the beauty of our 1 Point Rewards initiative and it’s fantastic to be able to launch it in Melbourne,” he said.

1 Point Reward highlights (available at Australia’s first-ever Velocity 1 Point Rewards Store this Saturday – 565 Chapel Street, South Yarra): 

Ranked as the nation’s third-largest loyalty program, Velocity has gone from strength to strength over the past 24-months under the successfully transformed Virgin Australia, with recent partnerships including Qatar Airways, United Airlines and Myer. Last week, the program also announced a proposed partnership with Luxury Escapes to commence mid-2023.