Program Update: Virgin Australia’s Fares For You

[Warks]

The flight that switched me from QF to VA was SYD-TSV which I was flying once a month for a couple of years and still do it every second month. I do other capitals as well but this was the main one. QF dropped direct flights apart from one JQ flight and VA had the (usually) well-priced VA1519/1520. The direct flight used to be significantly cheaper than via BNE but this has changed in recent months even though the direct flight is often only 2/3 full. Now it's cheaper to fly via BNE. Under the new structure it appears to be the same either way with the cheapest fare now $189. I used to regularly fly it for $120-150. Looking on Webjet the direct JQ flight is $115 and via BNE $155. QF is $199 (best fare) via BNE.

The only thing keeping me with VA is Lounge access really and that's a moot point in TSV (still no Lounge). Unfortunately my QF flying ended not long after I hit LTS, should have got myself on more J flights when I was on the corporate teat. Otherwise I'd be back with QF. Pity they don't status match (which is what sealed the deal with my swap to VA a few years back).

I don't know what to think about this. It isn't good for me from what I can see but I will reserve my judgment as yet.

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Question for VFF.

If travelling in class L using the VA codeshare on SQ metal PER-SIN (class L is currently the lowest flexi fare class), will this earn Discount Economy SC or Full Economy SC in the new system?

SQ class W (lowest flexi saver) is already cheaper than VA class L. If you have to go up to VA class K to get full SC, that cost gap will only get larger.

Thank you for your question.

Travel on VA codeshare flights will earn in accordance with Virgin Australia Status Credit earn tables. If you book from 7 September 2016 for travel after 30 January 2017 in International Long Haul L Class, you will earn at the Discount Economy rate. Status Credit earn rates when travelling with partner airlines on a partner flight number is not changing.

I hope this help. Please refer to the Status Credit earn tables on our website for further details – lhttps://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/content/Earn/StatusCredits/.

Kind regards,
Velocity Team

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Yes, you are correct and so is Swanning_it...never doubted him...

Phewww, thanks Bolthead ... you had me worried that I may be wrong!

I guess what I was trying to point out, was that my previous quip about VA using the smoke and mirror routine cannot be better typified than the glaring example of the business saver. We all had the "book early" discount (which was never much chop in any respect), previously and now they've rebadged that as "business saver" to show a discount over business, with the mandatory loss of benefit attached and hope that we'll all swallow the line that it's something new. No it's not. The only thing new is that they've stripped some cancellation benefits from what we had. It's basically using smoke and mirrors to tart up an existing boring discount into something which is supposed to be new and beneficial. What a load of tripe. VA are caught out. They have no new excitment (except a few more SCs on some routes.....not mine), but plenty of additional fees, degradation of what we did enjoy and extra cost (in some cases, extraordinary extra cost) to remain on par. The only surprise here for me, is that VA must actually think they can work this scam and get away with it without anyone noticing ... or they're arrogant enough to not give a rats as the mugs will keep reaching deeper into their pockets for what has been a sub-par experience for many months now. Good luck!

 

[Pleb Status]

Thank you for your question.

Travel on VA codeshare flights will earn in accordance with Virgin Australia Status Credit earn tables. If you book from 7 September 2016 for travel after 30 January 2017 in International Long Haul L Class, you will earn at the Discount Economy rate. Status Credit earn rates when travelling with partner airlines on a partner flight number is not changing.

I hope this help. Please refer to the Status Credit earn tables on our website for further details – lhttps://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/content/Earn/StatusCredits/.

Kind regards,
Velocity Team

Thank you for your response.

It is already a pain in the rear booking the VA codeshare over SQ direct. However, if you need to book class K to get full economy SC it is now impractical to book the VA codeshare.

 

[Bolthead]

Phewww, thanks Bolthead ... you had me worried that I may be wrong!

I guess what I was trying to point out, was that my previous quip about VA using the smoke and mirror routine cannot be better typified than the glaring example of the business saver. We all had the "book early" discount (which was never much chop in any respect), previously and now they've rebadged that as "business saver" to show a discount over business, with the mandatory loss of benefit attached and hope that we'll all swallow the line that it's something new. No it's not. The only thing new is that they've stripped some cancellation benefits from what we had. It's basically using smoke and mirrors to tart up an existing boring discount into something which is supposed to be new and beneficial. What a load of tripe. VA are caught out. They have no new excitment (except a few more SCs on some routes.....not mine), but plenty of additional fees, degradation of what we did enjoy and extra cost (in some cases, extraordinary extra cost) to remain on par. The only surprise here for me, is that VA must actually think they can work this scam and get away with it without anyone noticing ... or they're arrogant enough to not give a rats as the mugs will keep reaching deeper into their pockets for what has been a sub-par experience for many months now. Good luck!

Most of these changes won't mean a lot to me and my bottom line, however I can certainly understand how this will effect many people negatively. Most of my big point flying (if that makes sense) is overseas travel. I still rely on Family Pooling and if they ever removed or change that then it's curtains for me. I think at best I could maintain Gold. Anyway let's not worry about me...

 

[Lord_Lenny]

Most of these changes won't mean a lot to me and my bottom line, however I can certainly understand how this will effect many people negatively. Most of my big point flying (if that makes sense) is overseas travel. I still rely on Family Pooling and if they ever removed or change that then it's curtains for me. I think at best I could maintain Gold. Anyway let's not worry about me...

I think I'm in a similar situation here. Just qualified Platinum last month thanks to Family Pooling and an SQ trip to Europe. I had no chance of re qualifying as work do BFOTD and I only fly once maybe twice a month anyway, it's the extra travel we do outside the base work travel that is the real engine room of my status.

Luckily from what I have read the international code share earn tables are remaining the same, and Lady Lenny and I are looking at a European christmas in 2017 so that should lock in 3 years worth of elite status, and I guess we'll see what happens 3 years down the track, maybe by then I could afford to self-fund in J...hey, it could happen!!

In all seriousness though these changes have not been communicated well at all, and as much as it is a 'first-world problem' that we are getting all worked up about, Virgin have (in some cases i.e. seat selection needlessly) angered a vocal minority of their more engaged and higher status pax. Although how much influence AFF has on the airline business I don't know.

 

[Mattg]

I would say QF may look to copy most of the cuts and improvements. So if you buy low margin fares most of the time (myself included), you will most likely be needing to fly (and pay) alot more in general in the future to earn SG/WP.

My bet is that Qantas will continue to allow Virgin to shoot itself in the foot, without feeling the need to change anything on their end.

 

[aaronm]

Thank you for your question.

Travel on VA codeshare flights will earn in accordance with Virgin Australia Status Credit earn tables. If you book from 7 September 2016 for travel after 30 January 2017 in International Long Haul L Class, you will earn at the Discount Economy rate. Status Credit earn rates when travelling with partner airlines on a partner flight number is not changing.

I hope this help. Please refer to the Status Credit earn tables on our website for further details – lhttps://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/content/Earn/StatusCredits/.

Kind regards,
Velocity Team

So an L class flight booked before 7 September 2016 for travel after 30 January 2017 would still earn full status credits and points?

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Thank you for your question.

Travel on VA codeshare flights will earn in accordance with Virgin Australia Status Credit earn tables. If you book from 7 September 2016 for travel after 30 January 2017 in International Long Haul L Class, you will earn at the Discount Economy rate. Status Credit earn rates when travelling with partner airlines on a partner flight number is not changing.

I hope this help. Please refer to the Status Credit earn tables on our website for further details – lhttps://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/content/Earn/StatusCredits/.

Kind regards,
Velocity Team

So a rather puzzling motivation to consider booking with the partner flight number, not the VA codeshare!

 

[Pleb Status]

My bet is that Qantas will continue to allow Virgin to shoot itself in the foot, without feeling the need to change anything on their end.

If you are a 'high margin' customer, the new VA fare rules are far better in the mid range (Elevate level) than what QF offers. No or lower changes fees and WP retain in only 26.67 1500+ mile segments on VA Elevate fares versus higher change fees and 60 1500+ mile segments for WP retain on upper level QF Red Edeals.

Any leakage of 'high margin' customers must be addressed immediately. Losing 'low margin' customers (those who buy sale fares mostly) is not a big concern.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I just received an email from VA clarifying my pre 7-9-16 purchase earn rate.

I didn't have too many doubts, but obviously many have!

 

[PDog]

I just received an email from VA clarifying my pre 7-9-16 purchase earn rate.

I didn't have too many doubts, but obviously many have!

Ha! Was that in addition to the program changes email yesterday?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Ha! Was that in addition to the program changes email yesterday?

Yes it was, but surely you aren't surprised. VA often release a convoluted email, then read the AFF responses and then release a clarification.

 

[PDog]

Yes it was, but surely you aren't surprised. VA often release a convoluted email, then read the AFF responses and then release a clarification.

Sigh. You're right. Am yet to receive any clarification, and the VFF rep's comments above suggested I received the wrong email yesterday anyway! At least I know they haven't matched my profile here to my VFF account ;-)

 

[Isochronous]

That's quite the suicide note from Velocity.

 

[dfcatch]

If you are a 'high margin' customer, the new VA fare rules are far better in the mid range (Elevate level) than what QF offers. No or lower changes fees and WP retain in only 26.67 1500+ mile segments on VA Elevate fares versus higher change fees and 60 1500+ mile segments for WP retain on upper level QF Red Edeals.

Any leakage of 'high margin' customers must be addressed immediately. Losing 'low margin' customers (those who buy sale fares mostly) is not a big concern.

A fundamental misunderstanding of airline economics and the way Frequent Flyer Programs make money.

1/ Ignoring the FFP and just looking at a singular flight - of course you want as many high-fare customers as possible.

But given that the flight is grossly unprofitable if you simply kick off all the low-fare customers.... they are in fact quite necessary (unless you have an unlimited supply of them to replace any you lose). Given load factors are not at 100%, then you need them. And as load factors improve, so does your ability to increase yields - even from low fares.

2/ Every BIS counts - even the low-fare pax - if they didn't - then RM would never release those seats for sale at those low-fares in the first place.

3/ Low-fare pax on the weekend (when paying out-of-wallet) are often corporate pax during the week (on someone-else's-dime).

4/ Regular pax need to be engaged with the program and persuaded to make/retain VA as their primary airline - otherwise they don't engage with high-margin partner offers such as credit cards, crediting hotel stays, car rentals etc etc. These activities provide a significantly higher profit margin to the airline than actual seat sales.

So as important as higher-fare pax are - losing ANY low-fare pax is never good for the airline.

 

[andyhui01]

Am I right in assuming that until the 30/1/17, getaway and elevate fares earn the same SC?

 

[MarkD]

So after careful evaluation of earning rates with my flight patterns I have come to the conclusion that VA are not worth continuing with.
I have just booked a whole bunch of QF flights for myself and my family that would have otherwise gone to VA.
If they think they can halve the SC earn rate on the cheapest fares, then increase the price to earn the same SC as before they are delusional. As an example, I paid $159 for QF BNE-MEL, this flight earns me 15SC in discount Y. Similar VA flight earns 10SC and costs $159. If I want 15 SC its $229.
Virgin are a joke, their catering is absolutely pathetic, their staff morale is at an all time low and their lounges are sterile boring and not even worth wasting time attending.
The only thing they do well is priority boarding, but thats just not enough for me Im afraid.
I will continue to maintain gold with them after my Platinum expires next year by flying with singapore and delta, that means they will be paying for my international lounge access. (Means I will have to buy 4 x cheap cough sectors but hey, 4 x $59 fares is damn cheap for lounge access when travelling internationally on SQ)
Goodbye Virgin, it has been fun, but you got greedy.

 

[henleybeach]

I'm the same . I mainly fly ADL-PER self funded and this is going to sting me . $229 for saver fare now the same price for getaway but less SC and no points bonus for gold , I'll have to pay 299 to get the "normal" SC and bonus points . First time in a long time I have no forward bookings with Virgin ( no revenue ) just a couple reward etihad bookings .
Last night I booked 6 people ADL - MEL at 550 a pop for AFL GF weekend which would have gone to Virgin and two return ADL-PER sectors. Thanks for ripping your loyal customers off virgin, there was plenty of times I could have flown Q because it was cheaper but I stayed loyal and continued to book with you guys. I can handle no lounge access for a couple months until I get QF gold .

 

[MH_fan]

Ditto for me. 2 return cheapo flights with the other half pooling to me means I have enough sectors to remain WP and I can enjoy the WP benefits travelling with their international partners.