Velocity changes: Changes to status credits

[pshepvic]

Am I right in saying that as a Gold member I get a 50% bonus on points but nothing for Status Credits?

So Perth - Sydney or Melbourne in PE used to earn 6500 each way and now only earns 40 SC's?

Yes, but you are forgetting that previously you had to earn the same number of SCs in a year to both Attain or Maintain membership. Now it is 20% less for maintaining, which effectively offsets some of this difference.

You can't quite do a direct comparison between the old and new system. Whilst VA have dropped off the last two zeros to calculate your SCs at this point in time, going forward to continue with that example is comparing apples to oranges.

In most cases, the mileage system will reduce the overall cost of attaining and maintaining status, and hence the need to introduce a Platinum level.

Here is an example, just based on discount Y zone 1 segments. Let's say in Discount Y MEL-SYD one-way you should be able to get for an average of $150 (and that's estimating on the conservative side).

Under the old system, to achieve Silver you'd have to spend $4k, Gold $9k (or $8333 if you were Silver at the start of the membership year). That's around 27 flights at $150 each - and remembering the less you pay, the more flights you have to take.

Now you would only have to do 25 one way zone 1 segments, and at $150 that would be $3750 for Silver or $7500 for Gold, so significantly less. If you got them all at $79 sale prices, Silver could be under $2k, and Gold under $4k.

As far as maintaining goes, under the old system Silver was a spend of $3333 or Gold $7142.

Under the new system, it would be 20 one way zone 1 segments for Silver, or 40 for Gold. At $150 each that would be $3000 & $6000 respectively. If they were all on $79 sale fares, you could hit Silver for under $1600 and Gold for under $3200 - that's Gold for less cost than Silver under the old system!

 

[pshepvic]

Am I right in saying that as a Gold member I get a 50% bonus on points but nothing for Status Credits?

So Perth - Sydney or Melbourne in PE used to earn 6500 each way and now only earns 40 SC's?

And the other thing I forgot to mention, PER-MEL in PE is zone 3 and earns 60 Status credits, not 40.

Refer to: How It Works | Velocity Rewards

 

[The Rok]

And the other thing I forgot to mention, PER-MEL in PE is zone 3 and earns 60 Status credits, not 40.

Refer to: How It Works | Velocity Rewards

I was not disputing that the new system actually makes it easier to obtain or attain Silver or Gold, my observation was simply that there is no bonus status credits for Gold members; we earn the same as Joe blogs who walks in off the street. I find that a little odd.

Yes, I understand that the thresholds for requalification have lowered, however when Platinum is launched I would like to go for it, but earning the same as Red or Silver flyers makes that harder.

Currently I am on 861 Status Credits, I assume Platinum will be around the 1,000 mark ...

 

[neon_crossing]

Two Questions for anyone that might know:

1) Delta - Where do they sit now with SC? it seems as though you can still earn Velocity Points but the new system makes no mention of earning SC.

2) Reward/Award Flights - Is it possible to earn SC on flights booked with velocity points either full points or points+pay on any airline?

 

[drfs]

2) Reward/Award Flights - Is it possible to earn SC on flights booked with velocity points either full points or points+pay on any airline?

Something I'm very keen to know as well. The website doesn't say no...

 

[oz_mark]

I was not disputing that the new system actually makes it easier to obtain or attain Silver or Gold, my observation was simply that there is no bonus status credits for Gold members; we earn the same as Joe blogs who walks in off the street. I find that a little odd.

Yes, I understand that the thresholds for requalification have lowered, however when Platinum is launched I would like to go for it, but earning the same as Red or Silver flyers makes that harder.

I suspect it looks odd simply because it is a different approach to how they have been doing it. Remember that the program of their chief competitor also provides no bonus on SC earn for being on higher levels.

 

[connieguy]

I suggest Status Credits should have the same life as do Points and Status Tier selection timing should be at the members choice. This way years when you gain more SCs than needed to obtain your desired Tier level you can, if effect, bank them for lean years, like we can do with points.

I mean we make the decision of when and how many points we draw down and use for award flights, so why not do the same for Status Tier choices? As example if you are happy with Gold, why burn SCs on Platinum when those Platinum SCs may also be used to buy you another year of Gold?

So DJ maybe it is time to boldly go where no other airline has gone before. Make status tier selection a members choice and give SCs the same life as Points. They are, after all, our SCs. Should not we have the right to decide how and when we spend them?

 

[sydstar]

Two Questions for anyone that might know:

1) Delta - Where do they sit now with SC? it seems as though you can still earn Velocity Points but the new system makes no mention of earning SC.

I was curious to this as well. Surely the NZ and SQ tie-ups would include SC accrual as well, otherwise, its not really a frequent flyer partnership is it?? (yes points are good, but SCs are what really matter )

Also, does anyone know why VS has a different earn scale compared to the other partners?

I can still see a 'northern asia' partner coming on board, probably a chinese airline. VA really are going all out; particularly the SQ tie up is a worry for QF...

 

[pshepvic]

I was not disputing that the new system actually makes it easier to obtain or attain Silver or Gold, my observation was simply that there is no bonus status credits for Gold members; we earn the same as Joe blogs who walks in off the street. I find that a little odd.

I don't find it odd at all, for three reasons:

1. If Joe Bloggs walks off the street, he has to earn 500 Status Credits in 12 months to hit Gold. As an existing Gold Velocity member, I only have to earn 400 in 12 months to keep my membership.

2. On the point of not getting a bonus anymore, all the bonus did was reduce the amount you had to spend in your second and subsequent years to retain Gold. In actual fact, that bonus means you spend 20.63% less than what you had to in the first year - if you spent $9k to go from Red to Gold in the first year, then $7142 after that. The new system means you need 20% less SCs to maintain than attain Gold status, so it's pretty close.

3. Qantas already use a pretty similar model where everyone earns the same SCs based on Miles and Cabin Class, no matter what their status. And like the new VA model, they also offer lower maintain rates than qualify rates (although QF rates are still higher than VA to either maintain or gain status).

 

[pshepvic]

I suggest Status Credits should have the same life as do Points and Status Tier selection timing should be at the members choice. This way years when you gain more SCs than needed to obtain your desired Tier level you can, if effect, bank them for lean years, like we can do with points.

I mean we make the decision of when and how many points we draw down and use for award flights, so why not do the same for Status Tier choices? As example if you are happy with Gold, why burn SCs on Platinum when those Platinum SCs may also be used to buy you another year of Gold?

So DJ maybe it is time to boldly go where no other airline has gone before. Make status tier selection a members choice and give SCs the same life as Points. They are, after all, our SCs. Should not we have the right to decide how and when we spend them?

That's a great idea. Can you post it over in the QF thread as a suggestion for them as well?!

Then you could bank up SC's - you could even choose not to take Silver one year, but credit it towards Gold the next year (if you weren't a super-frequent flyer, but knew that you had some o/s trips coming up where the lounge access would be useful).

 

[connieguy]

That's a great idea. Can you post it over in the QF thread as a suggestion for them as well?!

Then you could bank up SC's - you could even choose not to take Silver one year, but credit it towards Gold the next year (if you weren't a super-frequent flyer, but knew that you had some o/s trips coming up where the lounge access would be useful).

Did that. Lets see what Red Roo says. BTW MH already does this.

 

[melbourne rebel]

What SC's are earned on EY (and SQ) in First? Tables on Virgin site only show upto Business.

 

[pshepvic]

Did that. Lets see what Red Roo says. BTW MH already does this.

Let's extrapolate that out a little ... QF have invited MH to join OW, therefore QF are endorsing MH's mode of operation and their FF program, therefore if QF endorse that they must see value in the program, therefore if they see value in the program they should introduce those sorts of benefits to their own program ... therefore QF when can we see this introduced? (And with VA hot on the heels of QF, when will we see it in Velocity as well??)

 

[Misha]

...updates forthcoming via email...

 

[StevePER]

...updates forthcoming via email...

And the email says "These changes are effective today". No mention of tickets booked prior earning at the old rate.

 

[straitman]

I was not disputing that the new system actually makes it easier to obtain or attain Silver or Gold, my observation was simply that there is no bonus status credits for Gold members; we earn the same as Joe blogs who walks in off the street. I find that a little odd.

Yes, I understand that the thresholds for requalification have lowered, however when Platinum is launched I would like to go for it, but earning the same as Red or Silver flyers makes that harder.

Currently I am on 861 Status Credits, I assume Platinum will be around the 1,000 mark ...

Pardon my ignorance but which program offers bonus SCs to their higher tiers?

 

[peakhour]

In any change there were always going to be some wins and some losses.

As my main flying is done BNE-SYD & BNE-MEL on some fixed and some flexi fares, I look to be one of the main beneficiaries of the new arrangements, especially on cheaper tickets.

On the other hand, as I tend to book flights quite late (<2 days out), it seems there are instances where I will be worse off. This relates mainly to purchasing tickets at higher fares that would have netted more than 1000 status points under the old system.

For example, paying $189.00 fixed fare to SYD netting 10SC's, where before I would have got 1323 points.

However, quite often I will still be able to book the $109.00 fare which would obviously even up the ledger (10SC's vs 763 status points).

Not to mention (for a short time at least!) a potential 240 SC's vs 13600 status points return for my most common o/s destination.

 

[DJ 1D]

And the email says "These changes are effective today". No mention of tickets booked prior earning at the old rate.

I flew on both Thursday and Sunday. Thursday's SCs were calculated via the old method; Sunday's the new one.

 

[serfty]

Pardon my ignorance but which program offers bonus SCs to their higher tiers?

AA do in a way with qualification via EQM's.

 

[DJ 1D]

Btw, this probably doesn't mean anything but...I'm travelling to the US next week so I was looking at Delta's lounge rules. Here's what they say:

Virgin Australia Club access

Virgin Australia Club members traveling on a flight operated by Delta or Virgin Australia Airlines.

:shock: