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

[kpc]

Is there any change in the Velocity to KrisFlyer points TF rate?

 

[padders]

Multileg regional J discount flights with family pooling travellers (who let’s face were big braggers on here) have just been given their marching orders to the Jetstar waiting area it appears

Melb-based family of three with parents in Cairns and Bundaberg waving sadly from terminal 4 over here.

 

[oz_mark]

Is there any change in the Velocity to KrisFlyer points TF rate?

Not in this announcement

 

[ols]

Is there any change in the Velocity to KrisFlyer points TF rate?

Apparently not being affected

 

[levelnine]

Question for all these people disappointed with the changes: what are you going to do?

Move back to Qantas where cash fares are higher, points redemptions are higher, status requirements are equal if not higher?

Start flying Jetstar? Stop flying altogether? They're typically already the BFOD outside of Jetstar so that won't change a whole lot.

 

[ols]

Question for all these people disappointed with the changes: what are you going to do?

Move back to Qantas where cash fares are higher, points redemptions are higher, status requirements are equal if not higher?

Start flying Jetstar? Stop flying altogether? They're typically already the BFOD outside of Jetstar so that won't change a whole lot.

Let's all chip in some dollars and get Rex back

 

[Vic]

My reaction to the email... Copying Qantas lifetime gold, platinum plus, but easier to get...

About the only thing is VA will actually provide the benefits.
I'd have to be close to 8000 VA status since 2013, stopped tracking for covid. Soon to be double Lifetime Gold, i guess.

oh yeah, currently in a place where I'm flying internationally... Thanks VA. QATAR/BA looking attractive. Maybe work on some of the Euro ports actually knowing you're a partner with Qatar...?

Actual loyalty for a loyalty program

Yeah, you wouldn't want a frequent flyer recommending your airline to their family... At a place where my family are all adults.

 

[SYD]

It’s when they converted to Sabre from Navitaire.

Not really a good reason given VFF operates seperate to planes flying?

 

[antycbr]

Not really a good reason given VFF operates seperate to planes flying?

Agreed but that was their justification.

 

[elanshin]

My main concern with these changes to VFF status is QR.

Once QR deal is inked will VA flights earn Qpoints on QR? If so why would anyone consider crediting to VFF over QR with these terms.

If they maintain the current status quo then there's an argument on lounge access. But if not then why use VFF over QR

 

[SYD]

Question for all these people disappointed with the changes: what are you going to do?

Nothing!

Move back to Qantas where cash fares are higher, points redemptions are higher, status requirements are equal if not higher?

Never left. Ten years of dual WP was fun but happy in QF/OWE. Retaining QF status isn’t that difficult (even if I do pay so myself..now). QR still has its purpose!

Start flying Jetstar? Stop flying altogether? They're typically already the BFOD outside of Jetstar so that won't change a whole lot.

I did JQ DPS-PER last year and it wasn’t horrible. If they had a “pointy end” with better seats on the narrow bodies, I suspect probably more here would fly them.

 

[simmomelb]

Found a silver lining in the new award chart: the maximum permitted mileage (MPM) of trips has gone from 15,000 miles to 20,000 miles. This will make some itineraries previously unbookable with Virgin points bookable like Sydney to São Paulo on Etihad or Qatar.

This is the exact route I want to book next year. Great find

 

[justinbrett]

My main concern with these changes to VFF status is QR.

Once QR deal is inked will VA flights earn Qpoints on QR? If so why would anyone consider crediting to VFF over QR with these terms.

If they maintain the current status quo then there's an argument on lounge access. But if not then why use VFF over QR

That might be the answer. No Qpoints on VA for this reason.

Kind of weird, as QFi still gets Qpoints.

 

[ozstamps]

Question for all these people disappointed with the changes: what are you going to do?

Move back to Qantas where cash fares are higher, points redemptions are higher, status requirements are equal if not higher?

Start flying Jetstar? Stop flying altogether?

Many will now simply buy the fare that suits best, not the fare that Virgin prefer you buy.

We fly to Europe/USA a few times a year paid Biz Class.

In the past booking Etihad made a lot of sense seeing many SC accrued in Virgin. They were NOT ever the cheapest, Often $2000 a ticket MORE, but it worked for us, and for Virgin. We all know there will always be sales on quality carriers much cheaper, going forward. In paid Biz lounge access etc is always part of the ticket, whatever the carrier.

Lounge access domestic Australia we get with the Platinum Amex card, so that is no big deal. Never needed to use it, but certainly can.

Can buy LITE fares too domestically then - the nett $$$ loser there is VIRGIN.

 

[am0985]

Found a silver lining in the new award chart: the maximum permitted mileage (MPM) of trips has gone from 15,000 miles to 20,000 miles. This will make some itineraries previously unbookable with Virgin points bookable like Sydney to São Paulo on Etihad or Qatar.

For people with Amex this can be done with 100k Qatar points (like I'll be flying in Feb). Genuinely one of the best value redemptions - 31hrs in a Q suite for 100k points!

 

[33kft]

Question for all these people disappointed with the changes: what are you going to do?

Move back to Qantas where cash fares are higher, points redemptions are higher, status requirements are equal if not higher?

Start flying Jetstar? Stop flying altogether? They're typically already the BFOD outside of Jetstar so that won't change a whole lot.

I remember all the doomsaying that came with Qantas introducing CR+ and how it was effectively introducing a revenue based loyalty model and was going to render points worthless and remove all of the value for FFs and etc etc etc. All that stuff that hasn't eventuated, but if anyone points that out they get told "just wait another year, look where it's heading, Qantas are going to follow the US carrier model".

And now you actually have that worst case scenario with VFF and the viewpoint is that it's not all that bad? I mean there's probably 30 pages of doom and gloom about how 1.5cpp rewards on international fares after the CRs are exhausted was going to tank the frequent flyer economy but the synopsis here is:

 

[am0985]

As a casual Velocity points user, the best use of the points for me (in terms of value and ease of redemption) was being able to fly with Singapore J for 70kish points one way to all sorts of places in SE Asia (and sometimes getting paid J to Europe from there). Very happy to see they have barely touched this. Hopefully should be locked in for a few years yet.

 

[jase05]

At the end of the day something had to be done. I’ve been complaining to them for years that the lounges are too busy and the Priority queues are often lomget than the regular queues and I dare say many others have also made their feelings well known to management. Status is simply far too easy to earn with VA. By the same token though I think they have implemented too many changes at once and gone a bit too far on some things and wouldn’t be surprised if they walked a few of them back a step or two

 

[levelnine]

And now you actually have that worst case scenario with VFF and the viewpoint is that it's not all that bad?

Where did I say it's not all that bad? I'll wait.

And the notion that this is the worst case scenario is embarrassingly wrong. It's only the worst case scenario if you ignore 1,000 other scenarios lol.

 

[RooFlyer]

And now you actually have that worst case scenario with VFF and the viewpoint is that it's not all that bad? I mean there's probably 30 pages of doom and gloom about how 1.5cpp rewards on international fares after the CRs are exhausted was going to tank the frequent flyer economy but the synopsis here is:

"its not all that bad" - in my case, qualified as utilising VA and VFF as domestic programs.

And the wash through of QF CR+ hasn't finished yet.