'Game changer' airfare move: Huge boost for Virgin, Qantas club members

Don't let those airline points go to waste - Australia's two major carriers are boosting their "reward" seats on domestic and international flights in 2025.

Reward seats could be booked using airline club points and airlines make a certain amount available on select flights.

If you're a member of Virgin's Velocity Frequent Flyer program or Qantas' Frequent Flyer program and you have been amassing points, you might have enough to take a trip interstate or overseas.

Here's how.

Virgin Australia has just tripled its reward seats between Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Doha to celebrate its collaboration with Qatar Airways.

Under the collab, Virgin will be able to fly to the Middle East and Europe using Qatar aircraft - its first foray into overseas flying since the pandemic.

Virgin customers could book journeys on the Virgin website to these destinations and the route will take them via Doha in the Middle East.

More rewards seats are now available on flights booked for travel between June 12 and December 10, 2025, in a move Virgin calls a "game changer".

A business class journey will start from 89,500 Velocity points one-way and economy class seats start at 42,000 points (plus taxes, fees and carrier charges for both classes).

Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Nick Rohrlach said customers would have an "unparalleled experience" onboard with access to Starlink internet and "seamless connections through one of the world's best airports."

The carrier is also offering a sale on flights to London, Athens, Paris and Rome via Doha until midnight January 31, 2025.

Qantas has unlocked one million discounted seats across Australia and every one of them could be booked using either rewards points or cash.

The sale spans 30 domestic routes, including the popular Sydney to Melbourne route, which starts from $139 or 8,400 Qantas points plus $55.

Sale fares are for travel between March 1 and April 3, April 29 and June 26, and July 22 and September 18, 2025, and must be booked by 11.59pm on January 23, 2025.

Fly Ballina to Sydney from $109 or 6,400 points plus $45, Hobart to Sydney from $139 or 8,100 points plus $58, or Melbourne to Newcastle from $139 or 8,700 points plus $52, and more.