Program Update: Virgin Australia’s Fares For You

[serfty]

Remember that JQ was a re-birthed "Impulse Airlines" flying 717's, so set up was relatively efficient.

Note that back then, there was no status based access for SG/QPto Qantas clubs when flying JQ (WP had anytime access).

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Update

Having buried my head in data, code, and coffee over the weekend, I'd like to share with AFF a Virgin/Qantas points & status credit calculator I created.
It may help others understand how status credit changes affect you in an easy to understand visual format.

The only status credit downside is the reduction on earning for some fare types which effectively mean up to a 30% drop.
I'll share some insight with you on the volumes of data I've played with over the last few days.

- Status credit earning is irrelevant. Velocity & Qantas have different (re) qualification levels and as such 10 VA SC is not the same as 10 QF SC. The calculator (link below) will normalise the status credit currency in each loyalty program for you so you can understand what the Status Earning Power is worth.

- Velocity status credits are worth up to 100% more than Qantas status credits on some routes in some fare classes. So even if Qantas ran a permanent double status credit promotion, Velocity would still be the better choice.

- Flights over 1,500 miles in discount economy which will see a reduction in status credit earning can still earn higher Status Earning Power than Qantas on the same route (eg: SYD-PER).

- Virgin Australia fares are statistically 11.6% cheaper than Qantas on point to point destinations across all fare classes.

- Obtaining VA Gold status is statistically $2,011 cheaper than QF Gold status. Although this number would change in the real world, it highlights how those extra $20 and $30 per flight add up over time.

- Frequent flyer programs historically announce positive news on Monday and Tuesdays. Bad news on Thursday and Fridays. Velocity announced this to AFF on a Tuesday, so it must be a positive improvement, right?

This calculator still has data being populated, so play nice.

Qantas and Virgin Australia Points/Status Credit Calculator

 

[PDog]

Thanks TTR! some interesting food for thought.

For my circumstances, it's a little of a non event- a slow down in work travel and a reward flights to Europe was going to see maintaining platinum a challenge, and I'd pretty muchly decided to soft land to gold while pooling for my husband to maintain gold. These changes have cemented that plan for this year. As we fly more at the pointy end (well the middle at least!), status does seem to hold less value, but I'm yet to embrace the non-Virgin partners, partly cause it's easy and partly because all the places I need / want to fly to right now are covered.

For this year at least, the changes are annoying, but won't see me move, and your calculator supports my thinking. Nice to see my random thoughts quantified!!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

your calculator supports my thinking. Nice to see my random thoughts quantified!!

My thanks also to trippin_the_rift as the calculator may prove to be a very handy tool, however we do have to remember that it's a one sided comparison ... ie. it's only comparing the SC earn and the ease (or not) of obtaining status.

The other side of the coin is of course what the various levels of status give you. QF obviously still have the biggie in play that VA don't seem willing to compete on (life time status) and lurking in the background is the option of ignoring status and perhaps put that extra money used in buying more expensive tix or status runs into buying points to give the creature comforts on the flights where they make a difference (long haul) rather than squandering it away on expensive short haul perks.

These changes (as I've said previously) annoy me on one hand, but please me on the other, as I've been shaken out of that routine of buying VA 'cause that's what I usually do. I've basically requaled VA plat and am now well on the way to QF gold (just by altering my usual spend ... away from VA) and I was toying with spending more to gain both plats, but I'm thinking now of not bothering (neither of them are worthy of that mentality). Gold with both will give the (boring) domestic comforts and directing the excess at targeted bonus point buys will enhance that (in the correct meaning) and open up the skies (so to speak) with regard to carriers, products, destinations, times etc etc.

 

[Denali]

Qantas and Virgin Australia Points/Status Credit Calculator

My thoughts when I saw your link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1DzZ7oShl4

 

[Milefest]

Thanks for the new perspective on the pricing TTR.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

OK, so as this thread is titled Program Update, I suppose a few data points may be relevant. I'm currently making a late BNE-CNS booking (within a week of flying) for a fairly specific flight time (due to committments in both BNE and CNS) and these are my options:
1) VA on an Alliance F100 for $445; or
2) QF on a 738 for $319; or
3) JQ on an A320 for $299.

I'll be choosing JQ. The price is the cheapest (in fact considerably cheaper if a cheaper fare is selected, an option not available at all on QF and VA) and the time suits me best. Fancy VA thinking that someone will be so desperate to pay such a premium just for the joy of flying with them?

 

[Pleb Status]

OK, so as this thread is titled Program Update, I suppose a few data points may be relevant. I'm currently making a late BNE-CNS booking (within a week of flying) for a fairly specific flight time (due to committments in both BNE and CNS) and these are my options:
1) VA on an Alliance F100 for $445; or
2) QF on a 738 for $319; or
3) JQ on an A320 for $299.

I'll be choosing JQ. The price is the cheapest (in fact considerably cheaper if a cheaper fare is selected, an option not available at all on QF and VA) and the time suits me best. Fancy VA thinking that someone will be so desperate to pay such a premium just for the joy of flying with them?

As 'loyalty is dead', why not save $99 and go for the JQ plus bundle?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

As 'loyalty is dead', why not save $99 and go for the JQ plus bundle?

Also, the VA freedom fare is only $299 on VA795 departing at 18:10 as another option.

18:10 is too late as I have to be in CNS before COB (not to mention the Hilton Lounge) and I have a funeral to attend in BNE at 10:00.

Status may well be dead, but I like 1C. It's one of JQ's little secrets. I can pay more with QF and get Aquire points, but as a PS, I'm relegated to the back blocks!

 

[anat0l]

Fancy VA thinking that someone will be so desperate to pay such a premium just for the joy of flying with them?

Another possible way to look at it may be - elementary market dynamics may suggest that enough people have already selected VA due to price or, "just for the joy of flying with them", that these are the cheapest seats that are remaining. The fact that it says "2 seats remaining" is likely telling.

Looks like on QF that there are no Red e-Deals (or whatever they call the cheapest fare buckets now) left either. I'm more surprised that the QF option is cheaper (assumed the same fare bucket as VA), though there's no banner on QF's selection saying that seats are disappearing.

Had we fast forwarded a few months, the VA SCs would be trumping QF (especially when calculated in relative value terms).

 

[Marty_]

Fancy VA thinking that someone will be so desperate to pay such a premium just for the joy of flying with them?

What are you on about? Clearly the VA flight is simply booked up more than the others. This is pretty basic fare dynamics and hardly unusual...

 

[Deleted member 29185]

What are you on about? Clearly the VA flight is simply booked up more than the others. This is pretty basic fare dynamics and hardly unusual...

Marty, I don't care what the dynamics are ... I repeat, fancy VA thinking that someone will be so desperate to pay such a premium just for the joy of flying with them? I can't see much ambiguity in that statement worthy of question. I may just do a dummy booking the day before and see if they're still available, or if someone is gullible enough to pay that much. I regularly see inventory open up before a flight and it often ends up flying with plenty of empty seats where previously they were espoucing only 2 left, so do you really know what the dynamics are?

Sport you don't have to agree with me, but please do not attack me for simply posting up a data point. I didn't make it up, search yourself if you like, you'll notice at least one seat less availability on JQ 'cause that's the one I bought!

 

[Marty_]

Settle down mate, I am not attacking you.

I am trying to point out that an apples to apples comparison would have to pick the cost of the other fares when the booking levels on the respective flights are the same. If the VA flight is 95% booked, and the QF flight is 35% booked, it's not an equal comparison. In fact, you would expect the 95% loaded flight to be much more expensive REGARDLESS of the airline, especially if all the saver seats are purchased.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I am trying to point out that an apples to apples comparison would have to pick the cost of the other fares when the booking levels on the respective flights are the same.

Rubbish. You may wish to try and make strawberry jam out of turds, but the only comparison I'm interested in is from a customer perspective. I needed to book a flight and the results were pretty obvious. I don't need to sit in my chair wondering about the semantics of fare buckets, I sit in my chair and weigh up the options ... VA fares were like most of VA offerings these days, unrealistic.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Considering va are only flying a 100 seater and Qantas and Jetstar a 180 odd seater then i guess its likely va will end up more expensive sooner as its easier to fill the little fokker. Anyway $445 is outrageous for that flight

 

[flydoc]

A little OT, but I'm surprised JQ operate 2 flights BNE-CNS only 30 min apart

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

This thread is saying that VA SC earn will increase, and yet, on another thread or news on here, and on AusBT, it mentions that VA SC on the lower fares are hereby halved.
Imagine earning just 5 VA SC on shorter flights.
I was half and half flying VA and QF, but it looks like now, VA will drop from my half and half to 25% of my travels.
No more VA SC runs for me.

 

[TheInsider]

What are you on about? Clearly the VA flight is simply booked up more than the others. This is pretty basic fare dynamics and hardly unusual...

Just got advised that the QF flight actually has less than 20 seats available.

 

[Muppet501st]

I haven't seen the Fokker operate that route before ?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I haven't seen the Fokker operate that route before ?

First time I've seen it as well.