Major changes to Velocity Frequent Flyer announced 17/10/24

[elanshin]

Why though? It's the revenue that matters to the airline. Why not be recognised for paying for 4 people's fares instead of 1?

Because that's VAs gimmick over QF. Family pooling is one of the most generous offers out in the market bar none and it's there permanently. I'm sure they considered getting rid of it but probably decided its too much a part of their identity.

You can tell this by the FG requirements.

I'd take permanent family pooling over any status bonus offer promotion. VA does both and gives you SC from shopping.

 

[moa999]

I didn't think it was that simple. This is family pooling which gets punished with the new changes.

Family pooling still pools for annual renewal requirements.

Its just slightly different for the Forever status.

 

[vitagen]

I only retain VA Plat via family pooling, or else it's too hard, we fly a lot on SQs so there is no chance of me retaining WP after the changes get introduced, it is just too cost prohibitive to buy the VA marketed flight, its always a good $300+ per person more expensive.

I will probably just pivot and retain both QF Gold and VA Gold...... will be interesting to see how everything pans out.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Make sure the water bottle is corrosion proof - have you tasted the Hardy's wine in the VA lounges lately?

Its a cheap paint stripper,

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Why though? It's the revenue that matters to the airline. Why not be recognised for paying for 4 people's fares instead of 1?

True. But…

FFers have to deal with the airline week in, week out. That’s where the benefits *should* come into play, for when things go wrong.

A family of four flies once and has a good flight, off peak and everything runs smoothly. They get all the benefits of gold, and the same level of service as an individual who’s had to do four flights at peak times… 50% of which were delayed or cancelled, 50% of which didn’t have working wifi or inflight entertainment…

Don’t disagree that spend is spend… but there needs to be some differentiation available for FFers who are doing the multi0e flights for when things go wrong.

The P1 should satisfy that… but it really should have been around much sooner.

 

[RooFlyer]

Why though? It's the revenue that matters to the airline. Why not be recognised for paying for 4 people's fares instead of 1?

from my point of view, it’s a philosophical argument. If they’re going to grant Forever status then they want to be rewarding the person who really flies a lot. A mechanism to make sure they don’t promote too many people I guess.

 

[SheikYerbouti]

we fly a lot on SQs so there is no chance of me retaining WP after the changes get introduced, it is just too cost prohibitive to buy the VA marketed flight

How do i see these magical SQ flights on the VA site? I keep getting served QR flights which my wife refuses to fly, I'd love to buy SQ codeshares with a VA flight number but can't work out how to do it. Or is it like Hawaiian, have to do it over the phone, can't do it online?

 

[simmomelb]

How do i see these magical SQ flights on the VA site? I keep getting served QR flights which my wife refuses to fly, I'd love to buy SQ codeshares with a VA flight number but can't work out how to do it. Or is it like Hawaiian, have to do it over the phone, can't do it online?

I'm seeing plenty, but it depends on the route you are looking at (eg MEL - LHR has plenty).
Probably for another thread so I won't add to that here

 

[padders]

True. But…

FFers have to deal with the airline week in, week out. That’s where the benefits *should* come into play, for when things go wrong.

A family of four flies once and has a good flight, off peak and everything runs smoothly. They get all the benefits of gold, and the same level of service as an individual who’s had to do four flights at peak times… 50% of which were delayed or cancelled, 50% of which didn’t have working wifi or inflight entertainment…

Don’t disagree that spend is spend… but there needs to be some differentiation available for FFers who are doing the multi0e flights for when things go wrong.

The P1 should satisfy that… but it really should have been around much sooner.

While I don't disagree, I would like to add that the level of plat/gold service available to me, who pays for and flies with a 5 year old, is actually one of the reasons I really appreciate status in the event of a disruption.

 

[Catweazle]

....But I've never found VA compelling for my leisure travel, although would like to go to Cocos and Christmas Island one day.

I'm pretty sure almost all of the SCs and points I earned with Velocity in the last 10 years were from Delta domestic (before they withdrew) or flybuys. I see nothing completing in these changes to make me want to fly VA domestically for personal travel.

Rewards from the Cocos & Keeling Islands – or Christmas Island for that matter – always seemed tricky to find, in my experience. Have you found otherwise?

 

[JohnK]

Family pooling still pools for annual renewal requirements.

Its just slightly different for the Forever status.

Sure but those family pooling are still going to get punished.

Retaining Platinum was 800 SCs divided by 3 people. Now the Platinum has to earn at least 400 SCs which means some unnecessary flights or 3 x 400 SCs for the family which will cost $14400. That's a ridiculous amount to earn Platinum.

Similar retaining Gold was 400 SCs divided by 3 people. Now the Gold has to earn at least 200 SCs which means some unnecessary flights or 3 x 200 SCs for the family which will cost $7200. For Gold status?

We used to earn 145 SCs for 3 of us for BNE-SIN-BKK which now reduces to 75 SCs.

Assuming Virgin was the low hanging fruit to earning status it's now almost impossible for families such as mine to earn stays. If we did 2 x BNE-BKK returns each year that's 300 SCs but I'd need another 200 SCs to reach Gold at a cost of $2400. I take daughter to SYD 6 x year which increases the cost $4800. That's a lot of money just for Gold.

I'd be better off purchasing lounge membership for domestic trips. Not sure if I can take both wife and daughter into lounge? And just do best fare for Thailand trips such as JQ.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Sure but those family pooling are still going to get punished.

Retaining Platinum was 800 SCs divided by 3 people. Now the Platinum has to earn at least 400 SCs which means some unnecessary flights or 3 x 400 SCs for the family which will cost $14400. That's a ridiculous amount to earn Platinum.

Similar retaining Gold was 400 SCs divided by 3 people. Now the Gold has to earn at least 200 SCs which means some unnecessary flights or 3 x 200 SCs for the family which will cost $7200. For Gold status?

We used to earn 145 SCs for 3 of us for BNE-SIN-BKK which now reduces to 75 SCs.

Assuming Virgin was the low hanging fruit to earning status it's now almost impossible for families such as mine to earn stays. If we did 2 x BNE-BKK returns each year that's 300 SCs but I'd need another 200 SCs to reach Gold at a cost of $2400. I take daughter to SYD 6 x year which increases the cost $4800. That's a lot of money just for Gold.

I'd be better off purchasing lounge membership for domestic trips. Not sure if I can take both wife and daughter into lounge? And just do best fare for Thailand trips such as JQ.

Just get a Plat charge card and save yourself the stress.

 

[elanshin]

True. But…

FFers have to deal with the airline week in, week out. That’s where the benefits *should* come into play, for when things go wrong.

A family of four flies once and has a good flight, off peak and everything runs smoothly. They get all the benefits of gold, and the same level of service as an individual who’s had to do four flights at peak times… 50% of which were delayed or cancelled, 50% of which didn’t have working wifi or inflight entertainment…

Don’t disagree that spend is spend… but there needs to be some differentiation available for FFers who are doing the multi0e flights for when things go wrong.

The P1 should satisfy that… but it really should have been around much sooner.

Honestly, the simplest answer is to have family pool not at 100%. Its still a big benefit but also no longer a trivial way to get a single member high status.

 

[JohnK]

Just get a Plat charge card and save yourself the stress.

Platinum charge card would only give lounge access on domestic flights, not flying SQ?

Wife will be Platinum in Jan 2025 until Jan 2026 then Gold until Jan 2027. I'll be Gold until Oct 2025 and have a few months to try and get Gold until Oct 2026.

We'll see what happens after that but if JQ BNE-BKK is successful then no need to worry at all.

Also the best feeling of all is seeing Qantas double SCs or double point offer and not booking a single flight.

 

[Jusrus]

They have sorted out the relevant status credits that apply.
A quick jump onto the chat will get you all of your eligible credits.

Is it possible for someone to share the link to the chat? Like others, I can't access (Platinum, but currently overseas). Keen to know how close I am to LTG.

 

[Jusrus]

Personal situation feels like a little more work.

I personally fly AU -> EU return 4 times a year in economy, which I've been doing on Etihad/Qatar as suits. Family pooling adds another 2 on top. Then just the required 8 sectors in AU along the east coast, and I'm good to go, before generally a couple of EU->USA flights on Air Canada/United. I'd estimate my spend on Virgin/partners at AUD$15k, family adding another $5k.

Surely this should be enough to get decent status. I do love the Etihad First Lounge, though new routing times on my regular flight means less time there (transit time around 90 minutes, used to be 3 hours).

I think likely I'll drop to Gold unless I work at it. Which is still OK - no queues, little bit of extra baggage, lounges. I'll miss First Class lounge at Abu Dabi and Economy X.

I really wish the 'Virgin Marketed' flights weren't rubbish though. I can only see QR flights, and the base level is $500 more in economy - the 'flexible' economy is almost double, for no benefit. Suspect I may fork for business on my one 'Virgin Marketed' trip, then cheapest possible economy for the other three Euro trips.

 

[Frankblack]

Is it possible for someone to share the link to the chat? Like others, I can't access (Platinum, but currently overseas). Keen to know how close I am to LTG.

Hey Jusrus,

I think the chat link only appears during business hours?
I was able to find the chat bubble on my next attempt, but during AEDST business hours.
Good luck.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Honestly, the simplest answer is to have family pool not at 100%. Its still a big benefit but also no longer a trivial way to get a single member high status.

Agree. I was thinking about how it might work and that seems a sensible option. Either the individual can go for their own status, or say pool for 25% of the value.

Aside from being able to ‘fly forward’ by calling at any time of the day, I can’t think of any platinum benefits that were worthwhile for plat pax travelling in business class. Priority boarding was literally 1/3 to 1/2 of the plane. There was no expedited or preferential lounge access. No special service or recognition on board. No assistance or escalation via the call centre for problems, and because of the tiny business cabin, no special assistance during irrops, except to offer a downgrade (even getting a refund proved problematic!)

Going forward i suspect gold will be the sweet spot. There really isn’t any benefit to platinum.

Plat 1 might be another story… but only if the airline and staff make the commitment to it.

 

[simmomelb]

Aside from being able to ‘fly forward’ by calling at any time of the day, I can’t think of any platinum benefits that were worthwhile for plat pax travelling in business class. Priority boarding was literally 1/3 to 1/2 of the plane.

I've never seen those types of numbers for priority.
I see them enforce priority-only passengers in the priority queue a lot now, which is nice to see, also, keep in mind that after status holders begin dropping like flies 2025/2026 (under the new earn rates), that'll be a much lower number boarding via priority

 

[knagelli]

Platinum charge card would only give lounge access on domestic flights, not flying SQ?

Guess you can get the priority pass benefits to the primary card holders and the additional card holders who can use the lounge benefits.