Selecting the right FF program for upcoming flights ..

[AndrewCC]

Hi there - I've just taken advantage of the Velocity switch-a-roo offer (very cheeky name!) and have booked enough with Virgin to ensure gold status through to end 2023. I'm also a member of Kris flyer with limited points. We are travelling premium econ to Vancouver on Air Canada in January, and J to Europe on Singapore Airlines next July. Wondering of I should use my Velocity FF or KrisFlyer FF on each of those flights? It would always have been KrisFlyer but being new to Velocity I'm wondering if there are advantages. Thank you!

 

[tmdl]

Hi there - I've just taken advantage of the Velocity switch-a-roo offer (very cheeky name!) and have booked enough with Virgin to ensure gold status through to end 2023. I'm also a member of Kris flyer with limited points. We are travelling premium econ to Vancouver on Air Canada in January, and J to Europe on Singapore Airlines next July. Wondering of I should use my Velocity FF or KrisFlyer FF on each of those flights? It would always have been KrisFlyer but being new to Velocity I'm wondering if there are advantages. Thank you!

I've had a similar dilemma but I have found that Krisflyer Business availability to be to be almost identical to that of Velocity for all the sectors I booked for my 2023 european summer trip.

If you are looking for First class redemptions or Star Alliance partners I would say Krisflyer but remember the point expiry policy of 3 years

I personally have chose Velocity for 2 reasons,

1. Earning points is very very easy in Australia especially with Flybuys and the regulars like CC's, personal loans and various insurance policy promos
2. Status credits and elevating my status to reach Platinum as those benefits flow on to other partner airlines

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Going to Canada, use the VFF to keep your SG till past 2023.
Good thing about VFF is that the earning cycle is cyclic, ie, not a fixed 12 month period of earning status.
Going to Europe, put in your KF # so that you earn points in that one, the points can then be used to redeem for VFF if you decide you want to, or for KF Vrooms, or for J flights around Asia.
Just make sure that you do make use of these points before they expire, as they have a fixed 4 year life span.
If flying Y, then maybe collecting VFF miles/points is ok, but if flying SQ J, better to put in your KF #, as you collect miles and also elite miles, which help you attain or retain tier, they (SQ) might be more helpful if you have tier miles with them.
These are what I would do, of course, I am not saying you have to do the same, you could put in your VFF # into all the bookings, but as VFF is not in a large alliance, its a hard thing.
If you want to, you could also put in your KF # into all the bookings, both the Canadian trip, and the Europe trip, but no tier miles for premY on SQ's partners, only on their own flights, (SQ's own service and metal).
In the end, you could too, put in your VFF # into both bookings.
Don't book any flights with FB (Flybuys) Aust, as you can't pick your fav seats, either in the FB booking system, or in the operating airline's system.
OffT, I made one booking on the FB website for a partner flight, (Air)NZ, paid via FB, and now I can't pick my fav window seat, and wait times to the (Air)NZ phones are a wait time 2 hours.
OnT.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would almost be looking at crediting to somewhere likeAir canada’s Aeroplan. Reward redemptions are cheap, allow stopovers, no fuel surcharges, and have non-alliance partners like etihad, gulf air, and virgin australia that mean you can pretty easily get seats long haul to europe. points don’t expire like SQ.

Plus they sell miles with 85-100% bonuses making it cheap to top up points (about 2c aussie per point during a promo).

 

[AndrewCC]

Thank you all for the very valuable suggestions - really helpful. Decision will do doubt depend on specific circumstances, but I now know the parameters.