Velocity Frequent Flyer Program Update

[drewbles]

Re: changes to Virgin points redemptions. Simpler and fairer?

Only reasons that come to mind:

• The boss/client paid for it
• There was no availability on VA left (unlikely)
• You're burning down a QF balance to try and get rid of it
• You have an onward international connection so you need interline
• VA just recently p***ed you off for some reason

Or I had some free flights in Y that I upgraded using points

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Virgin Australia has undergone significant changes to become a full service airline,

.

Looks like the final stage of this is "enhancing" its FF program......

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

VA have been told to make themselves profitable.

And probably not just from VA management - the 35% private equity owners of VFF have probably also issued the instruction to milk a bit more profit out of the thing.

 

[jpk]

Interesting move - QF recently lowered some of their award rates, I am surprised VA chose to raise theirs.

 

[Edge]

Retrospective change to bring forward expiry of points...?! That's an astounding decision.

They're basically giving you 30 days notice to go and fill up at BP.

 

[Pleb Status]

The VA table changes are just rounding up to the QF table - 500pts.

The biggest loss is moving EY from the VA table to the Others table. A little bit like QF moving EK to the Others table.

Although a PER-LHR-PER rtn on EY in J will be now 18000pts dearer than QF/EK, it will still be more than AUD1000 cheaper in taxes.

On the bright side, the value of my 1M QFF points has just increased.

 

[HeavyElectricity]

we will be available on here until 5.30pm (AEDT) today to answer any questions you may have.

Hi,

Can you please confirm there are no changes for UpgradeMe points redemptions?

 

[Dannyism]

Ohh, F on SQ... Real tempting.

 

[Milefest]

Hi,

Can you please confirm there are no changes for UpgradeMe points redemptions?

Not VFF but this should answer question:

View attachment 66321

 

[GarrettM]

Vaguely targeting some EY J redemptions to Europe next year, so some plus in this for me perhaps.

Perhaps.

 

[cove]

Thanks for your post Velocity Frequent Flyer. Your business class out of Perth has really improved.

 

[davidhes]

Well that solidifies that I need to book my J flights to Rome in May. Disappointed that points will be going up on most of the routes I use.

 

[GarrettM]

Well that solidifies that I need to book my J flights to Rome in May. Disappointed that points will be going up on most of the routes I use.

Am I reading it wrong then? I thought J awards for Europe would be coming DOWN for the most part.

 

[davidhes]

Am I reading it wrong then? I thought J awards for Europe would be coming DOWN for the most part.

Definitely going up for most. 125,000 from Brisbane to Rome before 1 June on EH. According to table 2 this will be 139,000 from 1 June.

 

[im.daniel]

Interesting move - QF recently lowered some of their award rates, I am surprised VA chose to raise theirs.

VA redemption charts are more or less in line with QF now ... barring being a few hundred points cheaper. I think we should be somewhat thankful that they're still not imposing fuel surcharges onto their redemption bookings

PS: at least they gave us a warning a few months ahead of the changes as well!

 

[GarrettM]

Definitely going up for most. 125,000 from Brisbane to Rome before 1 June on EH. According to table 2 this will be 139,000 from 1 June.

I see. I have to admit I am having trouble trying to make sense of the charts in the format they're currently being presented in. I'll see if I can figure it out.

 

[awkwardpaws]

Ohh, F on SQ... Real tempting.

I thought you can only book SQ F using KF..?

 

[cove]

GarrettM you had better sign up a few at work for some easy 20,000 points a time bonuses with Velocity Amex.

 

[GarrettM]

Definitely going up for most. 125,000 from Brisbane to Rome before 1 June on EH. According to table 2 this will be 139,000 from 1 June.

Got it now. I was looking at the supposed reductions in J under the changes, not taking into account that Etihad was already considerably lower and thus would be going up. So not exactly ideal. A bit balls really.

GarrettM you had better sign up a few at work for some easy 20,000 points a time bonuses with Velocity Amex.

I'm afraid I have barked as far up that tree as I can go it seems. I got one taker, and am still working on another. But even MrsGM has gone cool on her decision to sign up.
Life is hard!

 

[Pleb Status]

Thanks for your post Velocity Frequent Flyer. Your business class out of Perth has really improved.

I disagree with this comment, particularly PER-Europe. EY has gone up in J (121k vs 100k) and although SQ has dropped, it would still be better to convert VFF -> KF and book with SQ direct when the 15% online booking reduction is taken into account.