Coles, Virgin loyalty deal

Virgin Australia’s Velocity loyalty program has partnered with the Flybuys scheme operated by supermarket giant Coles, going head to head with the rival alliance between Qantas and Woolworths Everyday Rewards. Virgin is offering similar points earning rates for Coles shoppers, and in an Australian industry first is also offering status credits - meaning frequent flyers can help maintain their coveted tier status by shopping. While this is a compelling addition, the fine print reveals it’s capped at just 10 status credits per month - about the same as a single domestic sector. Velocity ceo Karl Schuster also touted VA’S “unrivalled reward seat availability” as a key feature.