Virgin Australia targets everyday spending with new restaurant rewards partnership for Velocity Rewards

Your next pub meal could earn you flights as Virgin makes a move that could see Aussies score bonus Velocity Points. This is how it’ll work.

Exclusive:Virgin is taking another bite at luring more Aussies to earn and redeem Velocity Points every time they eat and drink at some of our most popular bars, restaurants and pubs.

Aussies can now earn Velocity Points and use Pay with Points at more than 3000 participating restaurants, cafes and bars through me&u, a platform that enables people to pay for food and drinks directly from their own mobile devices through scanning a QR code.

The online ordering platform is affiliated with major hospitality groups such as Merivale, Hunter St. Hospitality, and HQ Group.

Under the new partnership, Velocity members can link their accounts and earn 100 bonus points, and earn one Velocity Point for every $5 spent on eligible orders.

Virgin has partnered with me&u to offer dining points. Picture: AFP

Velocity members could also turn points into direct savings on their meals with Velocity’s option to Pay with Points on eligible transactions.

me&u CEO Kim Kim Teo said venues on their platform will soon be able to offer their own bonus point promotions.

“Together, we’re turning everyday dining into real benefits for millions of Australians and making great food even more rewarding,” she said.

The new initiative is different to Qantas and its frequent flyer program, which enables frequent flyers to earn points on every shop at Woolworths and through its partners HelloFresh and YouFoodz, as well as Qantas Wine.

Avid Aussie traveller and frequent flyer expert Steve Hui, who has flown to 33 countries and 162 cities and founded I Fly Flat to help people fly business class on points, described the offer from Virgin as “very generous”.

“You get something for almost nothing with this program,” Mr Hui said.

“You’d have gotten food anyway, and now you’re earning points with your meal – it’s a win-win.”

He also pointed out that Aussies can “double dip” to maximise rewards.

“If you hook up a credit card to the transaction you use with me&u, then you can earn points from Virgin’s partnership as well as points from your credit card,” he said.

Steve Hui of iflyflat.com.au says Virgin’s latest offer is very generous. Picture: Prue Aja

Mr Hui said this “new avenue” to find customers comes as banks threatened to hike credit card fees and cut rewards in response to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s proposal to ban card payment surcharges and reduce interchange fees.

If approved, the RBA’s proposed July 1, 2026, changes will cut card interchange fees, which banks currently use in part to fund airline reward points that make their credit cards more attractive.

Virgin’s initiative also comes amid data showing double-digit year-on-year growth in members redeeming points with Velocity retail partners such as Myer, DiDi and DoorDash.

Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Nick Rohrlach said the airline had also seen a 40 per cent increase in members earning points through non-air partners.

Top items that customers are redeeming points on via the Velocity Rewards Store include Apple products, KitchenAid appliances, gift cards and movie vouchers.

“From shopping at Myer to dining out with me&u, we’re opening more ways for our members to earn and use their points – on the ground, not just in the air,” he said.

Originally published as Virgin Australia targets everyday spending with new restaurant rewards partnership for Velocity Rewards