Should I book domestic economy flights using Amex points, Velocity points or cash?

Hello,

I’m trying to decide which of the following options would be best in order to maximise value for money.

I have over 50,000 velocity points in my velocity account and I have 200,000 amex membership rewards points. I only plan on doing domestic travel in the future, which would either be to the Gold Coast or Adelaide as that is where my family live.

I can book a OOL to CBR direct flight on Amex travel for $93.01 or 18,602 membership reward points. Alternatively, if I book with Virgin Australia, the cost is $93.01 or 15,000 velocity points or a combination of 7,800 velocity points plus $42.19

Hi temporiser,

Given that Virgin’s cash fares are very low at the moment, and Amex MR points transfer at 2:1 to Velocity, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to consider booking the flight direct from Amex Travel. As a cash fare, it’ll earn points and Status Credits. Just keep in mind you need to go through Amex Travel for changes and cancellations, which could be a good or bad thing. You may need to pay Amex’s change/cancellation fees on top of Virgin Australia’s fees.

If you transfer your MR points to Velocity, it’s probably best to stick with Reward Seats which is the 7,800 Velocity Points + $42 option. It doesn’t normally earn points or Status Credits (though there are bonus SCs on reward seats at the moment). But reward seats are generally easier to change or cancel. And strictly speaking, it’s still the lowest use of points on that route.

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