hawaiian airlines ends virgin australia partnership

From 1 July 2025 onwards, Hawaiian Airlines is going to end its almost twenty-year-old partnership with Virgin Australia and thus its ties with its Frequent Flyer program.

Why Hawaiian Airlines to End Partnership with Virgin Australia?

• This sudden move comes with Hawaiian Airlines's commencement of expectations of joining the Oneworld alliance in 2026. From 1 October, the airline will open its doors for Qantas Points booking for Classic Reward seats, along with a scope of codeshare partnership, which will not only assist in unlocking the Qantas Points but also help to maximise its status credits earning.
• Hawaiian Airlines ensures all its passengers that “there will be no impact to existing (Velocity) bookings and associated benefits for flights departing on or before 30 June 2025. " However, from 1 July onwards, everything will change.
• Passengers flying with Hawaiian Airlines after 30 June 2025 will no longer get benefits for Velocity members and won't earn any rewards on Velocity Points or Status Credits. If one wants to use their Velocity Points in booking rewarded seats with Hawaiian Airlines, it can be done only till the bookings of 30 June 2025, although the travel date can be booked until 28 February 2026.
• Moreover, the flyers are also permitted to make changes in their current Velocity Points until 28 February 2026, subject to availability at that time.
• However, in case one wants to make a claim for their missing Velocity Points with an eligible Hawaiian Airlines flight that they travelled on or before 30 June 2025, then they are required to make that retrospective claim by 31 December 2025, and that only with the Velocity Frequent Flyer website.
• Though the ending of this partnership is mostly unfortunate and hard to hear for its frequent flyer program members, the two airlines already had some limitations. This partnership was solely an earn/burn partnership since there are no additional reciprocal status advantages for Velocity Silver, Gold, or Platinum members travelling on Hawaiian Airlines.
• However, the conclusion of Virgin Australia’s partnership with Hawaiian Airlines is not entirely unexpected. This development has been on the horizon for some time, as Hawaiian Airlines is already in the process of merging with Alaska Airlines.
• Still, on the positive side, the frequent flyers with Qantas will be provided with more consistent status recognition and advantages on Hawaiian than Velocity members ever did when Hawaiian Airlines joined Oneworld.
• Thus, these impending changes in their operational structure made it evident that separation from Virgin Australia was likely, allowing both airlines to navigate their new trajectories.