What is this Privacy Statement about?
Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd (ABN 36 090 670 965) (Virgin Australia) operates the Virgin Australia Business Flyer program for small and medium businesses and participates in the Velocity Business Program operated by Velocity Frequent Flyer Pty Ltd (ABN 60 601 408 824) (Velocity).
This Privacy Statement is intended to provide an overview of the personal information Virgin Australia and Velocity (“we”/ “our”/ “us”) may collect in relation to Virgin Australia Business Flyer and the Velocity Business Program, why we are collecting it and how we may handle this information.
Other than as set out in this Privacy Statement, bookings made with Virgin Australia are treated in accordance with Virgin Australia’s usual processes and procedures. Accordingly, for bookings, Virgin Australia collects and handles personal information as set out in the Privacy Statement for Virgin Australia Bookings.
For an explanation of how we handle personal information more broadly, please read the privacy policies available on the Virgin Australia and Velocity websites.
How is personal information collected?
The application process
When a business applies to join Virgin Australia Business Flyer, Virgin Australia and Velocity will collect some personal information about individuals associated with the business. This information will include:
Key Contact: details of an individual with authority to act on behalf of the business, including to activate and manage the business’ Virgin Australia Business Flyer and Velocity Business Program memberships and receive communications about the programs on behalf of the business;
Account Administrator: details of an individual who has authority to administer the business’ Virgin Australia Business Flyer and Velocity Business Program membership and receive some communications about the programs on behalf of the business; and
Travel Management Company (TMC): details of the business’ TMC, if the business uses a TMC to manage their travel bookings and loyalty point claims.
Once the application is approved, the business will become a Member, and the Member will be automatically enrolled in the Velocity Business Program.
Bookings
Virgin Australia will collect personal information about other individuals associated with the Member, when:
- the Member gives an individual access to the Virgin Australia Business Flyer portal, as a Travel Booker or Traveller, to make or manage bookings;
- an individual is travelling on a booking which is made through the Virgin Australia Business Flyer portal or has otherwise been linked with the Member’s Virgin Australia Business Flyer account through the Member’s ABN in the booking or a retro-claim made by the Member or nominated TMC, known as a Linked Booking; or
- the Member, or a representative, provides their team member’s personal Velocity Frequent Flyer number.
When creating login credentials for the Virgin Australia Business Flyer portal for their team members, the Member should only use business contact details.
Linked Bookings will be visible to the Member in the Virgin Australia Business Flyer and Velocity Business Program portals.
Earning Velocity points and benefits
Velocity will collect information about Linked Bookings to award Velocity points on eligible flights to the Member and their passengers, where the passenger is a Velocity Frequent Flyer member.
Virgin Australia and Velocity will also collect personal information about individuals associated with the Member and nominated to receive or use benefits provided as part of Virgin Australia Business Flyer and the Velocity Business Program. This may include when:
- an individual receives a Lounge membership; or
- the Member requests to transfer the Member’s Velocity points to an individual’s personal Velocity Frequent Flyer account.
See the privacy policies for the types of personal information collected.
Why is personal information collected?
Virgin Australia and Velocity collect personal information as part of Virgin Australia Business Flyer and the Velocity Business Program to allow us to operate and improve the programs, provide or arrange the services and products requested by the Member or individuals associated with the Member, and provide recognition and benefits under the programs. This may include to:
- set up and provide access to the Member’s account within the Virgin Australia Business Flyer and Velocity Business Program portals, including Key Contact, Account Administrator, Travel Booker and Traveller logins (where applicable);
- process and make arrangements for Linked Bookings;
- calculate and arrange recognition and benefits for the Member and individuals associated with the Member with Virgin Australia, Velocity, and airline and non-airline partners;
- facilitate the transfer of the Member’s Velocity points to an individual’s personal Velocity Frequent Flyer account;
- communicate with the Member and their Key Contact, Account Administrators, Travel Bookers and Travellers about Virgin Australia Business Flyer and the Velocity Business Program, including Linked Bookings, tier status, benefits and points earned and transferred; and
- perform administrative and back-office functions, such as calculating the Member’s annual spend, tier status and benefits.
At other times, Virgin Australia and Velocity collect personal information to carry out our functions and activities because we have a legitimate business interest in handling the information for these functions and activities or have the consent of the person the information is about. For example, Virgin Australia and Velocity, our related bodies corporate or third parties associated with the programs, may use personal information to contact the Member and individuals associated with the Member, with direct marketing promoting brands, products and services (including third party offers) and surveys in relation to or in connection with the programs by email, SMS text message, mail, phone call, push notifications on a mobile device (if these are enabled on the device), targeted online advertising on other websites, including through digital platforms (such as Google and Facebook) and personalised advertising on our websites and mobile apps.
See the privacy policies for details of how to opt-out of receiving direct marketing and for further information about other purposes we may collect personal information for.
Does personal information have to be collected?
If Virgin Australia and Velocity cannot collect personal information as described above, we will not be able to provide login credentials for our portals, link bookings with a Member’s Virgin Australia Business Flyer and Velocity Business Program accounts or provide benefits under the programs. In addition, we may not be able to fully investigate an incident, complaint or claim, or provide all or some of our other products and services.
Who is personal information disclosed to?
To facilitate the link between Virgin Australia Business Flyer and the Velocity Business Program, Virgin Australia and Velocity share personal information collected or generated in operating the programs with each other.
Virgin Australia and Velocity may also disclose personal information to:
- the Member, the Member’s Virgin Australia Business Flyer and Velocity Business Program portal users or the Member’s nominated TMC;
- our related companies;
- airline and non-airline partners to allow them to identify whether the Member or any individual associated with the Member is eligible for any benefits, and to arrange and communicate those benefits; and
- our third party service providers who provide products and services to us or help us provide our products and services, including marketing, digital and technology services, technology-related support services and call centre services.
There may be other circumstances in which we need to disclose personal information, as described in the privacy policies.
Overseas disclosure of personal information
Virgin Australia and Velocity are based in Australia, so personal information is processed in Australia. However, we are likely to disclose personal information to countries located outside of Australia where:
- our third party service providers are located overseas; and/or
- our Virgin Australia Business Flyer and Velocity Business Program partners are located overseas.
See the privacy policies for a list of the countries to which we may disclose personal information.
How long is personal information kept for?
The Privacy Policies contain information about how long we will keep personal information.
Access and correction of personal information
The Privacy Policies contain information about how personal information can be accessed or corrected (as well as additional rights which might apply depending on where the individual is located).
Privacy queries and complaints
The privacy policies contain information about how to make a privacy complaint or ask us a question about our privacy practices, and how we will deal with a privacy complaint or respond to a privacy query.
For any queries or complaints, the Virgin Australia and Velocity Privacy Officer can be contacted at privacy@virginaustralia.com.
Last updated April 2022