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

[MooTime]

I'm a user of Family Pooling, and it still works to a large degree. To retain my WP I'll just need to earn 400 of the 800 myself. That's very fair, no issue.

Although the dynamic pricing will reduce the SC earn rate by good margin.
A $400 J cabin fare MEL-SYD would earn 55sc, now dynamic earn just 33.

Have to do few more detailed checks, but safe to say attaining status with 1 SC per $12 going to require little more moolah than previous.
Such is life.

The Forever GOLD is the big ticket item for many AFF's.
I'm a good way there so will continue the journey.

I see it as 9000 SC as opposed Qantas 14,000 for LTG.
Using family pooling, partners & Flybuys will account for the remaining 3,000 for 12k total.

So more difficult / cost increase to garner SC's in future, but the Life Time Forever Gold benefit hangs in the balance to be attained.

Maybe a few less in lounges in future?? Can't be a terrible thing.

 

[Gold Member]

On balance, I would say that all these changes are a moderate devaluation of the VFF program.

Revenue based earning will work for some but will hurt the majority. I can understand why this scheme was implemented though.

Personally, the min 50% VA hurts the most as I mostly credit long haul business partner tickets to achieve Platinum. I appreciate the reasoning, but it will be challenging going forward considering VAs International long haul network is non-existent.

Finally, the new earn calculations are pretty simple. So at least we won’t have to be 1% Club Winners to work out the infamous “Simpler and Fairer” tables.

 

[knagelli]

Maybe a few less in lounges in future?? Can't be a terrible thing.

As long as the lounge access benefit is available with partner credit cards , the likes of Platinum Charge Card , there won't be any less in lounge.

 

[MooTime]

As long as the lounge access benefit is available with partner credit cards , the likes of Platinum Charge Card , there won't be any less in lounge.

well being more costly to attain lounge worthy status, that is my reasoning for possibly less in lounges.

same access with partner credit cards stays status quo.

 

[tmdl]

The only way Id be now inclined to keep my Platinum status is if Rewards flights were released earlier but im now strongly considering moving to QF

Already got Amex Platinum so sorted for lounge

 

[knagelli]

As far as we have been on AFF , most of us are using the status to get into lounge but if the status is not maintained anymore , it will be the same bunch of us who will use the credit card benefits to get into the lounge ; sorry not going to spare the frequent flyers looking for some respite with less crowd

 

[ferntree]

Seems to me this will make earning status credits seriously harder.

Example:

I fly J HBA to BNE via MEL for $1500 return.
At present this earns me 220 SCs

Under the new system, I will earn $1500/12 = 125 SCs

I also lose the ability to gift Platinum to my partner.

Not happy.

 

[henrus]

I'm wondering how corporate/government customers will react to the change.

Well there is an article in the AFR today that 90% of gov travel is on Qantas despite BFOD policies in place.

 

[flyingfan]

I feel like they’ve been reading AFF at least in part - they specifically said Fly Later is a published benefit. We sometimes focus on published vs. unpublished or inconsistent benefits.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Mmm, isn’t it wonderful?

 

[ferntree]

I'm not clear how this 50% SC flown with VA flights is going to work.

Example:

I need 800 SCs to maintain platinum.

Suppose I earn 400 from VA flights and 600 from partner airlines.

Does that mean that even though I have earnt half the quota with VA I don't qualify because 400 is less than half my total earn?

 

[SeaWolf]

Well there is an article in the AFR today that 90% of gov travel is on Qantas despite BFOD policies in place.

Yes,I saw that article too, though it's specific to parliamentarians and their staff, not to the whole of government.

MPs, staff favouring Qantas despite ‘best possible price’ rule

More than 90 per cent of air travel booked by parliamentarians and their offices were on the carrier and its low-cost subsidiary, the highest level in a decade.

www.afr.com

More than 90 per cent of domestic flights booked by federal parliamentarians and their staff are with Qantas and its budget subsidiary Jetstar, delivering the airline $25 million in airfares over the last year.

The ratio for normal public servants would be very different and nowhere near 90%, though I suspect it would still favour QF.

I have a hunch though that these changes may make the problem worse. Easy earning of status was one attraction of choosing VA and that's going to be less of a factor now. Though I think it looks like it'll still be easier than QF, it won't be as easy as it used to be and if you're going to fall short then there's no incentive to direct business in one direction or another.

 

[BrianQQ]

I'm not clear how this 50% SC flown with VA flights is going to work.

Example:

I need 800 SCs to maintain platinum.

Suppose I earn 400 from VA flights and 600 from partner airlines.

Does that mean that even though I have earnt half the quota with VA I don't qualify because 400 is less than half my total earn?

To get to Platinum, you'll need to earn 1000 SCs with 500 SC on VA. So you would not qualify because 400 < 500.

 

[Trekky1]

This will be no good for me. I'm almost to Silver (should hit that in December) and in the future, getting LESS SCs to get above Silver.....

 

[p--and--t]

Well there is an article in the AFR today that 90% of gov travel is on Qantas despite BFOD policies in place.

The article doesn't say that.

There are a few more people on gov travel that are not politicians and direct staff and the overall ratio is very different.

Would be interesting to know what discount the gov has negotiated with each airline and if that is a factor besides any other bias.

 

[justinbrett]

The article doesn't say that.

There are a few more people on gov travel that are not politicians and direct staff and the overall ratio is very different.

Would be interesting to know what discount the gov has negotiated with each airline and if that is a factor besides any other bias.

It used to be 30% with QF. Not sure if it still is.

From my experience there were more people who wanted to fly VA, as if work travel was the only travel they did they had a chance of getting lounge access.

The people who flew on their own dime (ie overseas) were more likely to fly QF.

 

[AIRwin]

This seems to be good news for QF… shares now trading higher than pre-QR acquisition announcement (where it dropped 5%)

Market expecting some pax to jump ship over this?

View attachment 412252

It may also be the international network announcement?

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

In my view, an important consideration is that VA has always offered a compelling value proposition: it has been easier to earn status than Qantas, but fewer benefits come with it, especially internationally without being part of an alliance. It was then just a choice to decide if that trade-off worked for you.

These changes will require people to revisit that balance. Everyone will have a different situation, but for me, my immediate reaction is they’ve overshot it a bit: the effort to maintain suddenly looks a lot more similar to other carriers in proper alliances and the more consistent, comprehensive benefits that come with their status.

I mostly fly VA domestically but have appreciated the international partner benefits however patchwork they sometimes are. Too early for me to say conclusively how this will affect future flying, but with a convenient October membership year date and an AMEX Plat that would keep getting me into the lounge regardless (if that isn’t enhanced away), I’ll just let time tell.

 

[jase05]

To get to Platinum, you'll need to earn 1000 SCs with 500 SC on VA. So you would not qualify because 400 < 500.

But it’s only 800 to maintain Platinum so 400 on VA is fine.

 

[muppet]

Yep. Discount business fliers will suffer while those flying expensive economy fares will benefit mostly I think