Hot on the heels of Qantas’ rewards incentive for vaccinated travellers, Virgin Australia has followed suit with the launch of its national COVID-19 vaccination competition, VA-X & Win.

Virgin is offering vaccinated Velocity members the chance to win a range of prizes from a prize pool valued more than $150,000, as a thank you to those who have played their part in getting the country closer to reopening.

The major prize will see one lucky Australian travel-lover become a Velocity Frequent Flyer Points millionaire, with other lucrative prizes including Business Class flights, Virgin Australian Lounge memberships, and plenty of the airlines coveted pyjama sets up for grabs.

“We are all in this together and the sooner we are vaccinated to the thresholds required by government, the sooner we can return to a quality way of life that includes travelling freely within our own country and abroad,” Virgin Australia group chief executive officer and managing director Jayne Hrdlicka said.

Those wishing to participate must be Velocity members aged 18 or over and will need to be fully vaccinated with both doses of a COVID-19 approved vaccine. They can then enter online, with entries closing midnight 31 December 2021. Winners will be notified by 13 January 2022.

Virgin Australia has also extended an incentives promotion to employees who get vaccinated before 15 November 2021, with rewards including a holiday to Hamilton Island, additional annual leave, Business Class flights and Lounge memberships.

The airline is currently in consultation with its employees and unions regarding its proposal to require for all frontline team members to be vaccinated by 15 November 2021, and all office-based employees by 31 March 2021, with a final policy to be announced this month.

More than 75 percent of Virgin Australia frontline workforce has received at least one dose, with a further nine percent registered for vaccination.