Interesting posts about AFFers jettisoning Velocity, in favour of alternate carrier programs, should they fully join an alliance:!:
It is interesting, but it will depend on how Velocity changes (if it joins *A) to accommodate earning and burning on *A partners.
Also, the Virgin Group airlines will be required to conform (give or take other "exceptions"
(NZ:!
) to *A cross-alliance benefits, including, for example, priority baggage (will they institute this on domestic operations?), priority check-in, additional baggage for *Gs etc.. The key to the uptake or defect away from Velocity is whether Velocity will offer good benefits (beyond the cursory *G benefits) combined with good earn and burn (or one or the other, and good requalification threshholds). Perhaps Velocity will have another tier on top of Gold.
Take A3 as a case. A3 has a very low *G qualification threshhold at 20k miles. However, the benefits of A3*G are standard except for priority security at Athens, but that's it. Earn and burn on Star Alliance isn't spectacular with A3, although it's difficult to ascertain when miles expire with A3 (website information is pretty substandard). So if one really wants only the *G benefits than A3 is a good place but for more of a balance for earn and burn then perhaps not.
Other things that come into play are upgrade policies and instruments (this will be very interesting, i.e. Virgin Australia system vs. QF) - particularly cross-alliance - fuel surcharges on awards, award availability / blocking (Velocity, as with almost every other carrier in the alliance, may not be able to access SQ R, NH F and LH F awards; their access to other F and J awards may also be limited) and award rules (i.e. routing, costing, how to book, etc.)
