DiDi Australia and Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer loyalty program have today commenced a new partnership giving Australians the opportunity to earn Velocity Points on every single DiDi ride they take.
As rideshare continues to play a significant role in the day-to-day lives of Australians, the partnership will see DiDi’s 4 million customers and Velocity’s 12 million members earn Velocity Points no matter where they are travelling to and from, in an Australian airline loyalty program exclusive.
The new partnership is set to skyrocket the Velocity Points balances of millions of Australians, getting them to their next holiday faster.
Velocity members can redeem Velocity Points on flights with Virgin Australia and its partner airlines, holiday packages, experiences, household goods and more.
How to earn Velocity Points with DiDi
- Download the DiDi app and create an account.
- Link a Velocity Frequent Flyer or Virgin Australia Business Flyer membership number in the DiDi app to get 1,000 bonus Velocity Points for an individual member or a business member.* Existing DiDi customers will also receive 1,000 bonus Velocity Points when they link their accounts.
- Velocity members and Virgin Australia Business Flyer members will earn 1 Velocity Point per $1 of eligible spend on every DiDi ride within Australia, when they link their accounts.^ Members who have linked both accounts must choose whether to earn on their Velocity Frequent Flyer or Virgin Australia Business Flyer account before booking a ride.
- There is no limit to the number of Velocity Points Velocity or Virgin Australia Business Flyer members can earn.
Velocity reaches new heights with 12-million-member milestone
Today’s announcement comes as Velocity, one of the country’s largest loyalty programs, reaches 12 million members – the equivalent of one member in every Australian household.
The growth rate in new Velocity members has increased 34 per cent in the last year, with a whopping one million plus new members joining the program in that time.
DiDi is the latest addition to Velocity’s growing stable of partners, giving members the opportunity to earn Velocity Points for going about their every day. Earlier this month, the loyalty program announced its partnership with one of the country’s leading energy retailers, AGL, joining the likes of 7-Eleven, and Flybuys who partner with retailers Coles, Coles Express, Bunnings, Officeworks, Kmart, Target, Liquorland and First Choice Liquor.
Commentary
Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO, Nick Rohrlach, said the partnership with DiDi was born from a shared vision of delivering industry-leading value to Australians across airline loyalty and rideshare.
“At a time when value is so important to Australians, we are proud to be opening up a new and convenient way for our members to earn Velocity Points for going about their everyday,” said Mr Rohrlach.
“We are the only airline loyalty program in Australia giving members the opportunity to earn Points on every rideshare trip they take. DiDi also offers Australians affordable everyday fares, which aligns with our ongoing focus of delivering value to our members across all areas of the program.
“Similarly to AGL in energy, DiDi fills an important gap in the Velocity program to ensure members can earn Points in just about every facet of their daily lives.
“Australians could soon be riding their way to a holiday thanks to our partnership with DiDi, and we look forward to seeing our 12 million members benefit from earning Points with every ride they take,” he said.
Speaking of Velocity’s 12-million-member milestone, Mr Rohrlach said the program is going from strength to strength.
“Velocity is on an extraordinary growth trajectory with the pipeline of new partners fuller than anyone had expected. From a membership perspective, more than one million new members have joined in the last 12 months, 34 per cent higher than the previous year. We are really proud of where the program is going and the value we are unlocking for Australians to get to their next flight or reward faster,” he said.
DiDi Australia’s Head of External Affairs, Dan Jordan, said the partnership with Velocity Frequent Flyer will deliver the best travel experience possible to Australian riders.
“At DiDi, we are relentless in our pursuit of offering our riders the best possible value and experience and now, in partnership with Velocity Frequent Flyer, we’re reaching new heights.
“Riding with DiDi can now get you one step closer to your next adventure. From Toorak to Tokyo or Cairns to Canada, we’re excited to welcome in a new era of travel for our Australian customers.”
