VA to Extend status for Some until 30th September 2022

[Must...Fly!]

Yep I got the same. Extremely welcome news, it will certainly force me to reconsider my resignation to losing Platinum status. Appreciative of this further gesture.

And co-incidentally aligns my QF membership year and my VA membership year in fact, which will make it easier to keep up with what SC I have left to earn. Given what I've seen so far of fare prices, it might be a bit of a struggle for Qantas to win the race...

 

[Saab34]

I’d probably expect next year some form of more targeted approach to maintain those Gold and Plats that will slip away again in 2022 unless they extend them further.

 

[glasszon]

Strange, my review date is Jan-22, so I thought I wasn't eligible for the extension, but I logged in today and noticed they moved my review date to Apr-22 today.

 

[QF WP]

Same here @Major - wasn't sure it was a trigger from my two flights this week or part of the standard roll out. Either way, I'll enjoy the Plat extension.

 

[MooTime]

Same email here with Gold.

So does this mean we have 18months until September 2022 to hit 400 SC for Gold & 800 SC for Plat to retain status?

If so certainly makes it very achievable to retain & even tier up if at Gold or below.

Even without International availability atm, but which will surely come into play by Sept 2022 in whatever scope VA present.

 

[QF WP]

Just got the email of Platinum extension in two parts as well. Excellent. Now that I've booked 1 sector and flown 2, I just need to fly a third to sweep VA of their "status rewards" offering. Barring a complete COVID shutdown, should make it after Easter with upcoming trips planned...

 

[QF WP]

Same email here with Gold.

So does this mean we have 18months until September 2022 to hit 400 SC for Gold & 800 SC for Plat to retain status?

If so certainly makes it very achievable to retain & even tier up if at Gold or below.

Even without International availability atm, but which will surely come into play by Sept 2022 in whatever scope VA present.

Hmmm, I would have thought you would still have to qualify those numbers in the 12 months immediately preceding your new status date (as is normally the case).

From their T&C's in the email:
"Eligible members for the Status extension are still able to maintain or upgrade their Status to the next Status level in accordance with the Velocity membership Terms and Conditions. Find out more about how to maintain or upgrade your Status level. This offer is not transferable. Any Status Credits and Eligible Sectors earned in a member’s account are subject to expiry after 12 months from earn."

 

[QF WP]

Strange, my review date is Jan-22, so I thought I wasn't eligible for the extension, but I logged in today and noticed they moved my review date to Apr-22 today.

Depends on your exact situation in March 2020 from my reading of the T&C's in email:

"Status extension
Gold and Platinum Velocity Members will be eligible for the Status extension when you book an Eligible Flight between 12:01AM AEST 7 December 2020 and 11:59PM AEST 28 March 2021 (Booking Period) for travel up until 22 February 2022 (Travel Period), and you meet the below conditions. At the end of the Booking Period, we’ll assess your eligibility, and if you’re eligible, you’ll receive a new Review Date of 31 March 2022.
.
.
If your Review Date occurs after 28 March 2021, we’ll assess your eligibility between 28 March 2021 and 31 March 2021 and extend your Review Date until 31 March 2022.
.
.
You won’t be eligible for the Status extension if you:
• are a Pilot Gold or VIP Velocity member;
• have a Review Date in 2022
• have a Review Date in 2021, were eligible for the first Status extension announced in March 2020 and have not yet had your extra year of Status applied to your Velocity membership
• upgraded your Status between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021
• were awarded an individual discretionary Status extension by Velocity"

 

[QF WP]

When in doubt, the standard T&C's might help both of you:

Terms and Conditions

This explains the definition, applicable terms, related changes and terms related to membership, velocity pin, velocity estrore, family pooling, redeeming points, status credit, member benefit,tax, fees, charges and other related things

experience.velocityfrequentflyer.com

 

[MooTime]

Hmmm, I would have thought you would still have to qualify those numbers in the 12 months immediately preceding your new status date (as is normally the case).

From their T&C's in the email:
"Eligible members for the Status extension are still able to maintain or upgrade their Status to the next Status level in accordance with the Velocity membership Terms and Conditions. Find out more about how to maintain or upgrade your Status level. This offer is not transferable. Any Status Credits and Eligible Sectors earned in a member’s account are subject to expiry after 12 months from earn."

Thanks, yes I should've read the T&C's.

So with 18month extension from now, there's not much point in taking a VA flight next 6 months in terms of retaining / upgrading tier, as it doesn't count. Of course unless you manage to get the upgradable amount of SC's in a12month window (unlikely in this climate).

unless of course if you have to fly.

I understand the SC last 12months, see little silly in this 18month scenario with next to no incentive to fly before Sept 2021.

 

[QF WP]

That's one way to look at it. If you have to fly, then EconX would be better than QF seating (even if similar status)...

 

[henrus]

I've got an extension through to 1 April with card expiry on 1 May.

I'd actually say it's a bit annoying because I think I was halfway through to retaining on my own but this seems to have been reset giving a new 12 months to get the status credits again.

 

[Bundy Bear]

It would have been a good marketing move to make everyone go with a review year to year, to match the US airlines, maybe means you have status for longer but would mean everyone would understand how long your status lasts not so date that keeps changing.

I think economy X is great for those long flights to Perth, when Premier McGowan stops being so trigger happy on the border shut downs.

 

[bernardblack]

I also received the 18-month email a couple of hours ago.

 

[Zinger]

Just received advice from Velocity that my platinum status is extended until the end of September 2022.

I completed the gold flyer challenge with QF last week and to be perfectly honest I was quite disappointed with their business class product considering it cost me $850 more than similar VA flights CNS-BNE-SYD return.

My QF status expires at the end of January 2023.

At this stage I am leaning to keeping my business with VA and Velocity.

I prefer their business class product, consistency and also prefer their partner airlines SQ and DL which earn full points and status credits instead of diluted ones as it is when earning with QF's partners.

My platinum QR status on an airline I have never flown will come to an end at the end of the year and most likely not extended or given a soft landing.

 

[serfty]

I understand the SC last 12months, see little silly in this 18month sc

Yes, but if you need to travel then there are options, especially with the current free changes scenario.

Today I replaced a late May $580 flexi return that would have earned 100SC for a $130 return getaway fare that earns 20SC.

 

[TomVexille]

With the extra 6 months to September 2022 and then a parental pause, I might get 4½ years of WP having only qualified once

 

[kamchatsky]

That is an excellent outcome for those loyal fliers.

Since my original Gold review date was August 2021, and I wasn't really planning to travel for the rest of this year, so I did not buy a speculative ticket just to get my Gold extended to March 2022. If I know that it will be extended to September 2022 I would have definitely booked a cheap ticket!

 

[GSP]

I'm another with an extension to Sep 2022. Having attained platinum in May 2018 then dropping my flying with Virgin significantly, May 2019 I had a soft landing to Gold. That should have gone to Silver in May 2020, but the Status extension last year brought it to Mar 2021, and not it goes to Sep 2022. Not bad.

I also had a flight booked for March (via ANZ Travel Adventures), however I moved it to the end of this month, but just like other people's email it made reference that I'd made a booking.

 

[Dee#]

I have a previous email from Virgin in 2020 telling my my Platinum Status is valid til June 26 2022 (my review date).

Now I get this email saying its only valid til March 31 2022, and we will extend it to September 2022. Astonished!!!! So will be emailing them with all the facts and email copies.

Yes I did a Perth-Darwin return in the qualifying period on FF points, because an extension til March 31 2022 wasn't any use to me. Seems you didn't even need to pay money.

My partner also did the same (and paid for a ticket) got the email, except his was also previously renewed til end Jan 2022, then March and then September.

I have done the Qantas gold challenge too, just to hedge my bets. (But the platinum economyX upgrade is hard to beat, food doesn't matter. ) Who knows what will happen.

I want to go overseas to UK ASAP , so can get my SC's up but not without the 90% Pfizer protection.
As Gov has announced they are going to let foreign students in in 2022 they had better get on with the vacs.