Is Velocity Silver "worth" more than QF Silver?

[ChrisCunard]

I recently enquired about tier matching my QF Qantas Club Silver Frequent Flyer status with
Velocity. I was considering flying DJ when then new A332's start service (flying a lot with work over the next 6-12 months - mostly Y).

The response said:

Unfortunately, Qantas Frequent Flyer Silver Membership Cards are not eligable to tier match with Velocity Silver teir level.

This got me wondering why Velocity feel their silver teir level isn't in line with / is better than QF's? I can't work out what benefits Velocity has for Silver that are significantly better than QF?

Naturally, my flights will remain with QF.

 

[ozmille]

Strange because with the tier matching they did in the beginning of the year QF Silver was matched with Velocity Silver and QF Gold and Platinum with Velocity Gold

 

[antycbr]

This got me wondering why Velocity feel their silver teir level isn't in line with / is better than QF's? I can't work out what benefits Velocity has for Silver that are significantly better than QF?

- Priority checkin with a person (removed from Silver)
- 23kgs free luggage (obviously QF include this in the fare so it's somewhat moot)
- Earning bonuses across more flights than QF, although the QF Minimum Points Earn distorts this considerably and if you're doing ex-PER trips the earn on QF will be good regardless of fare with the 25% QF silver multiplier

As someone that switched programs in November they are quite different in earn/burn so it tends to do your head in. However, there's one intangible benefit: Being a bigger fish in a smaller pond. QF Silver doesn't equal much when there's tens of thousands of Golds and Plats above you, especially ex-CBR where half the Public Service seems to be at least QF Gold.

 

[samh004]

I think it was a nice way of saying if you want the status, you'll have to earn it like you did on QF. They probably think they're sitting pretty right now.

 

[wingspan]

I think it was a nice way of saying if you want the status, you'll have to earn it like you did on QF. They probably think they're sitting pretty right now.

Agreed. I don't think they're saying anything about QFF Silver being not on par with Velocity Silver. I think it's just that Virgin had a status matching period in the last quarter or 2010, and it was made clear at the time that they wouldn't status match outside of those times.

 

[ChrisCunard]

Fair enough, of course, and I never really expected any other outcome, though would have tried DJ again (last flight with them was in 2000) had the response been positive. Having the Qantas Club + Silver makes QF hard to beat for me.

A more honest reply would be "We currently don't status match with Qantas".

 

[wingspan]

Would have tried DJ again (last flight with them was in 2000) had the response been positive.

Fair call. I guess that I would consider them if they status matched too. Although I think that QF matches my travel patterns better anyway. And I find the prices to be more or less the same these days.

 

[pshepvic]

Fair enough, of course, and I never really expected any other outcome, though would have tried DJ again (last flight with them was in 2000) had the response been positive. Having the Qantas Club + Silver makes QF hard to beat for me.

A more honest reply would be "We currently don't status match with Qantas".

Well the thing is they will still consider Gold status matches, if your company has a corporate deal with Virgin. Maybe since QF dropped their qualification/retain requirements for Silver they don't see as much value in a a silver customer's spend, rather than not seeing the levels as equal?

 

[Danny Ocean]

The only Virgin advantage seems to be priority checkin on Virgin domestic, but then again I don't have to use it all that often.....

 

[newmarket]

Avoiding the check in / bag drop queues is more than enough reason for me.