I've just reached Velocity Platinum

[RooFlyer]

When I first got platinum I used fly forward twice. But now can’t be bothered… to save an hour you have to call up, or get told catering isn’t assured, and have to sit in a seat you might not want. Not really worth it.

Of course it might be more than an hour you save - in fact I think an hour is the minimum time before T0 you can request over the phone, so the forward flight I guess would be 90 mins or more away. At the airport it's request prior to 30 minutes. As to the seat - well, I guess you can decline at that point if you like. I'd much rather get home hours earlier than be guaranteed my meal in J.

I'm genuinely surprised at the downers here on VA Plat. Coming from QF Plat, I think VA has superior perks overall for domestic flying (QF much better internationally). I rate free Economy X and Fly Ahead very highly and have used 2 upgrades so far in 6 months.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Of course it might be more than an hour you save - in fact I think an hour is the minimum time before T0 you can request over the phone, so the forward flight I guess would be 90 mins or more away. At the airport it's request prior to 30 minutes. As to the seat - well, I guess you can decline at that point if you like. I'd much rather get home hours earlier than be guaranteed my meal in J.

I'm genuinely surprised at the downers here on VA Plat. Coming from QF Plat, I think VA has superior perks overall for domestic flying (QF much better internationally). I rate free Economy X and Fly Ahead very highly and have used 2 upgrades so far in 6 months.

Fair points. I guess my non-committal to fly-forward is based on my personal flying patterns… which is leisure rather than business. So the 15 mins on the phone to get the fly forward, couple people with no guarantee of a meal, and a seat in row 2 doesn’t hold much appeal.

I guess in terms of platinum support it would be better to have a dedicated team to help us with things like securing upgrades when we want to use the free vouchers. For example I can find bali on flex, but then getting the upgrade seems pretty hard. Something similar to a QF platinum ‘release’ would be useful.

 

[deepblerg]

I just recently got back to WP after a few years of SG. The two features I've missed the most:

• Row 3
• Fly Ahead on choice fares

 

[jaybo]

'grats!
the best part about platinum is you can take a year "off" and automatically keep gold status the following year
the real tangible benefits start at gold (imho) with lounge access, priority checkin & extra luggage, taking 2 extra peeps into the domestic lounges makes for a fun start to a trip with your mates though i guess.

i hit platinum back in april but to be honest i'll struggle to keep status after this, changed jobs at the start of covid so i just don't fly for work anymore, only reason i managed platinum is because velocity seemed to count the last 3 years of SCs but now it's back to yearly renewals it'll be gold at best

 

[RooFlyer]

My Hertz President's Circle upgrade via VA Velocity Plat just came through, about 10 days after I called and prompted Velocity that the aoplication hadn't gone though.

I was previously a Hertz #1 Club Gold member (some legacy thing - I hardly ever use them). Hertz tells me:

As a President’s Circle member, you will receive all the benefits of Hertz Gold Plus Rewards including express service. In addition, at participating Hertz locations globally you’ll receive guaranteed vehicle availability, preferred parking and a complimentary one-car class upgrade. You will also have access to special member only offers.

So, for just a regular rental here in Oz, there will be no difference from what I had before?

 

[PLANT]

Mate took first Plat Status trip today Melb-Adl...other than priority security clearance...nothing from ground or cabin crew...he was really disappointed on no recognition of status. He forgot and I had to prompt him to seek Economy X class seats at checkin\gate. No Sir, Supreme emperor, bow, let me stow your bag, take your jacket...zinch

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Mate took first Plat Status trip today Melb-Adl...other than priority security clearance...nothing from ground or cabin crew...he was really disappointed on no recognition of status. He forgot and I had to prompt him to seek Economy X class seats at checkin\gate. No Sir, Supreme emperor, bow, let me stow your bag, take your jacket...zinch

Lol. No doubt some focus group has suggested platinums want discretion and privacy, and don’t want fuss or attention!

VA certainly delivers on those fronts

 

[clifford]

Well, IME it seems Virgin Plat is worth heaps more than Qantas Plat.

For example, today I cancelled online a QF award on BA and guess what, apart form a confirmation, nothing, nil, nada... I did try and ring the "premium" call centre, but with the same result. No answer after 20 mins.

However, I rang the Virgin call centre to cancel a booking on SQ, and the helpful agent, who answered straight away, processed my request as I waited, and my points were returned and the taxes/charges will be back in my bank account within days.

I really don't know why (1) QF can't answer the phone for Plats in a reasonable time, and (2), why it takes them forever to refund points and taxes/charges.

I can't see the incoming CEO changing this any time soon. Too much fur would have to fly..

 

[RooFlyer]

I recently flew IST-AUH-MEL on Etihad, booked J through Aeroplan miles. I had a 10 hour transit in AUH , been to Abu Dhabi before and didn't want to go out of the airport. Thanks to AFF, I knew that my Velocity Plat card would get me into the Etihad First Class Lounge, notwithstanding my flight had nothing to do with Virgin .

The guy at the lounge entry helpfully put my Velocity number into my booking "so you will get the miles now"

 

[jase05]

I recently flew IST-AUH-MEL on Etihad, booked J through Aeroplan miles. I had a 10 hour transit in AUH , been to Abu Dhabi before and didn't want to go out of the airport. Thanks to AFF, I knew that my Velocity Plat card would get me into the Etihad First Class Lounge, notwithstanding my flight had nothing to do with Virgin .

The guy at the lounge entry helpfully put my Velocity number into my booking "so you will get the miles now"

That’s a classic.
The staff at AUH and EY have always been amazing to us and it makes flying with them a real joy

 

[PERLHR]

It is quite interesting that on some QF 737 biz services I have had the CSD come up and.give a quick handshake and say they will try and make my flight more comfortable if they can on recognition of one world emerald. Never had it on QF A330 services or down the back on 330 or 737.

As VA platinum only once when in biz was I recognised as Platinum. Although I think they have a couple of times when seated in 2F come.to.me.first or second for meal choice.

 

[wattch]

Yes definitely the same e mail address for both.

I waited 6 weeks and decided to call Velocity. They "escalated" it and my hotel status was sorted in less than 24 hours lol

 

[bussyboy]

Read the article today and thought underwhelming, until reading the hotel status! Great perks with ihg and Hilton

 

[Falcon124]

Don't forget you also get Presidents Club with Hertz, plus you can go to the lounge on arrival. I find the latter to be quite helpful for using the bathroom, getting a drink and then going to get my luggage. In Melbourne, I'm usually arriving just as my luggage appears on the carousel

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @Falcon124

 

[scottsworld]

Just read the article on platinum (great read, thanks). As for the 'free Economy X' seats, I've only flown in X 3 times, and every time I regretted it. I have found Economy X is always full, whereas the back of the plane has plenty of spare seats. e.g. flew BNE-DPS in economy X (paid for that), with a big burly guy next to me. Looked down the aisle after take off and there were lots of odd empty seats in normal economy. Give me 10min of slower disembark time, versus 6 hours squished in economy X.
thoughts?

 

[luckypierre]

Just read the article on platinum (great read, thanks). As for the 'free Economy X' seats, I've only flown in X 3 times, and every time I regretted it. I have found Economy X is always full, whereas the back of the plane has plenty of spare seats. e.g. flew BNE-DPS in economy X (paid for that), with a big burly guy next to me. Looked down the aisle after take off and there were lots of odd empty seats in normal economy. Give me 10min of slower disembark time, versus 6 hours squished in economy X.
thoughts?

Certainly enjoy the extra leg room in row 3 or exit rows

 

[marcojim]

Just read the article on platinum (great read, thanks). As for the 'free Economy X' seats, I've only flown in X 3 times, and every time I regretted it. I have found Economy X is always full, whereas the back of the plane has plenty of spare seats. e.g. flew BNE-DPS in economy X (paid for that), with a big burly guy next to me. Looked down the aisle after take off and there were lots of odd empty seats in normal economy. Give me 10min of slower disembark time, versus 6 hours squished in economy X.
thoughts?

Yes in my experience, the benefit of Economy X seating is really dependent on the route you fly.

I mostly fly MEL - CBR and return and often it’s only Platinums who are seated in Economy X because it doesn’t make financial sense to many people to pay for extra legroom for a < 1 hour flight. It’s not unusual for me to have an empty middle seat or even empty middle and aisle seats next to me when I’m lucky!

I imagine that the situation would be a bit different for longer transcontinental or international sectors.

 

[Human]

Just read the article on platinum (great read, thanks). As for the 'free Economy X' seats, I've only flown in X 3 times, and every time I regretted it. I have found Economy X is always full, whereas the back of the plane has plenty of spare seats. e.g. flew BNE-DPS in economy X (paid for that), with a big burly guy next to me. Looked down the aisle after take off and there were lots of odd empty seats in normal economy. Give me 10min of slower disembark time, versus 6 hours squished in economy X.
thoughts?

You should consider the exit row seats. You get almost as much leg room as row 3, and they're in considerably less demand than rows 3-5.

The other advantage of the exit rows is that there's never a battle for overhead luggage space, because most/all other Platinums have gone for rows 3-5 and you'll invariably be the first passenger there. And you're first off the plane in an emergency!

The major disadvantage is that you'll be the last to disembark, but if you have checked luggage that just means you're spending less time being frustrated at the luggage carousel waiting for your bags to turn up.

 

[Bagpuss]

You should consider the exit row seats. You get almost as much leg room as row 3, and they're in considerably less demand than rows 3-5.

I second this. I always used to sit in row 3. Now I sit row 14, second row of emergency exits.

The first row I'm told doesn't recline. The benefits really came around being closer to the toilets and not feeling locked in with the trolley service.