What is the best use of Westpac Altitude points while Velocity points option is unavailable?

Credit Cards & Credit Card Programs
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I chose Westpac business altitude for Velocity points. Ended up using all my Velocity points on useless tech stuff just before they closed the store (Need to check if they will accept returns as I haven’t opened them!).
I have around 155,000 points currently with Altitude and want to close my card asap while waiting for a better option to sign up for in coming months.
I could put them to KrisFlyer but who knows when we will be allowed to travel that far again?
What would my best option be if I want to use them today/this week?
Thanks

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Hi @morepointsplease

That’s a really good question. In the current climate, with so much uncertainty, by far the best option, really, is to keep your points where they are until things are clearer. However, if you absolutely must close your card account right now and need to move your points somewhere, your best two options (in order of what my recommended preference would be) are as follows:

  • Transfer your points to Asia Miles, which can be used on Qantas flights. Asia Miles points have the added benefit of never expiring, as long as you add or use points at least once every 18 months.

  • Transfer your points to KrisFlyer. There’s nothing I can find on either the KrisFlyer or Virgin Australia websites that says that you can no longer use KrisFlyer points on Virgin Australia flights. Call or message Virgin to double-check this, but it looks like while KrisFlyer/Velocity transfers have been suspended, you can still use KrisFlyer points on Virgin flights.

To be honest in the current climate I think Asia Miles is the safer option.

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thanks sixty-eight - not ideal but probably wise advice

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I have the same issue with ANZ Rewards points as Velocity transfers are suspended. I am hopeful, when transfers are reactivated they may do a 30-50% bonus transfer promo?

My options are 3:1 with Krisflyer & Asia Miles which is possibly the same for Altitude

But, I am also mindful if Virgin Australia will retain agreements with Singapore Airlines and Etihad?

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Wondering if anyone has been following and has more thoughts on this now that Velocity is going again. I cant see myself flying at the level I used to for some time (if ever sadly) for work, domestic. But still want to travel to UK to visit family in London - and en route Asia for R&R, so need to figure out best option very very soon - I cancelled card and am close to the 90 days if not (hopefully not) already past it, that they will still allow me to allocate my points…

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Hi @morepointsplease

I don’t think my original advice would change at this point. If you transfer to Asia Miles and/or KrisFlyer, you’ll be ready to travel overseas whenever that’s permitted again. In the meantime, you can use your points for Qantas flights (in the case of Asia Miles) or Virgin flights (KrisFlyer) if need be.

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thanks - I wasn’t sure if Velocity will still have a tie in with Singapore moving forward, in which case not much point…

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Looks like I missed out in the end… cancelled my Business Altitude card a few months ago because I had specifically chosen it for Velocity points and wasn’t sure that Virgin/Velocity was even going to exist any more so didn’t seem worth the annual fee. I knew I had 90 days after closing to tell them what to do with my altitude rewards and rang then about 10 days ago to check where I was at. The guy I spoke to couldn’t tell me exactly what date but seemed very relaxed about the timing. I intended to call back last week to finalise it, but then the latest Covid outbreak started causing havoc with rearranging various work things/moving to online etc, as well as getting tested. And this slipped further down the list, only got around to calling today. So I finally find that I am now a few days past the 90 days.
Has anyone had any luck getting them to be flexible by a few extra days and allow you to still transfer the points to your chosen program?