Points Hack – Qantas Frequent Flyer vs Virgin Velocity Family Points Transfers

For some people it can take an age to get enough points to take that first trip. There is a simple hack we can all use to boost our points (and status) balances. It’s called family points transfers or pooling.

As a first step you need to decide which program works best for you, Qantas or Virgin. Our family participates in both programs for different reasons.

Points balances don’t gather interest like bank deposits and they can get devalued with no notice. Best practice is to earn and burn. In our family we transfer (and return) points based on who has the greatest need. It’s instantaneous and the recipient can book the flight immediately. 

Both Qantas and Virgin offer family transfers or pooling,  albeit in two different ways.

Qantas Family Transfers

Qantas call their program Family Transfers. You will need to do each transfer manually. 

There are limits to which members of your family you can transfer to and the number of points that can be transferred each year. Still, the Qantas program is probably the more flexible of the two. Unfortunately Qantas doesn’t include status credits transfers in their program.

We use Qantas as a “points bank” where members can deposit and withdraw. If someone has more points than they need, e.g. having applied for a new credit card, they transfer them to the family organiser. If they never end up making a withdrawal later on, they may be compensated by the members who’ve been using the points.

The statements in Qantas are very clear so you can see where the points are going. I am the family ‘points teller’.

Virgin Family Benefits

Virgin Velocity call their program Family Benefits. It’s very good if you are looking to maximise the number of status credits you have so that you can get the benefits of the Virgin status program. There are restrictions on how points are transferred, so some preparation may be required.

The main benefit of the Virgin program is that it is easier to get to Silver, Gold or Platinum status by sharing status credits. Unlike Qantas, Virgin does not currently offer lifetime status nor does it have a comprehensive global partner program, making its program good not great.

However, another benefit of Velocity is that you can use the program to move points between partner airlines that don’t offer family pooling. We have been travelling a lot with Singapore Airlines recently. Singapore offers great redemption options but doesn’t provide family pooling.

Singapore Airlines Points Transfer Hack

 Whenever we travel Singapore Airlines we maximise our points by adding Julie’s Virgin Velocity Account to the Singapore Booking.

Singapore then credits the points and status credits to her Velocity Account. Virgin subsequently sends the points (and status credits) to my account.

I then warehouse them in Virgin until I am ready to transfer across to Singapore (albeit with a devaluation).

The great thing about this approach is by keeping the points in the Velocity program they will not expire, while Singapore points do.

American Airlines (and its predecessor US Airlines) charge a fee for family pooling, negating most of the benefits… let’s hope that does not cross the Pacific!

Tip: Choose which airline your family will focus on so you don’t end up with orphan points.