VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Partnership with Hawaiian Airlines ends June 30 2025

Hawaiian Airlines is currently a partner of Virgin Australia, which allowed you to earn and burn Velocity Points on trips between Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. The Virgin partnership will end in preparation for the combined Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines joining the OneWorld Alliance.

Bookings departing before and after 30 June 2025

For flights departing on or before 30 June 2025, there will be no adverse effect on existing bookings and their Velocity benefits.

The Velocity program does not offer points or status credits for bookings on Hawaiian Airlines scheduled for departure from 1 July 2025.

Reward seats on Hawaiian Airlines

These can still be booked using Velocity points until 30 June for travel up to 28 February 2026. Date changes will also be available until that date, but that is also the cut-off date for completing travel.

Claiming missing points

If you are owed points and were a Velocity member of the time of travel, then any points you have earnt on Hawaiian Airlines, that have not been credited to your Velocity account, and occurred before 30 June 2025 ‘can be applied for retrospectively via the Velocity Frequent Flyer website no later than 31 December 2025

Other Virgin Australia partners

If you still want to earn points on trips to Hawaii, Virgin Australia remains a partner with United Airlines and Air Canada, which still run one-stop flights to the Hawaiian Islands. These are not the same as direct flights, but they are still Velocity points-earning flights.

2PAXfly Takeout

OneWorld is about to undergo quite an expansion over the next six or so months. First, Fiji Airways and Oman Air will be confirmed as full members of the alliance before the end of June 2025.

There is also speculation that STARLUX Airlines could join Oneworld. Its premium positioning and expanding network would make a good fit for the Taipei-based carrier. The argument is it could complement existing members Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines and their Asia and North American routes. It would increase competitiveness against regional rivals like China Airlines and EVA Air, SkyTeam and Star Alliance members respectively.

Arguments against STARLUX joining the alliance include Cathay Pacific’s dominant position as a founding member of OneWorld. As a major Hong Kong-based carrier, Cathay may see STARLUX as a direct competitor. STARLUX may have no appetite to join as it has been focusing on bilateral partnerships, an example being its codeshare agreement with Alaska Airlines.

We will know soon enough.