Velocity Silver

[fantasy86dj]

Good morning everyone,

I am going to be achieving Silver Status very shortly in Velocity ! Not bad considering I only joined 24 March 2013. It won't be a problem for me to keep my Silver membership in years to come but I am not going to be travelling enough to achieve Gold. So - is there really much of a difference between Silver and Red? I have been QFF Bronze since 2006, I have came close to Silver a few times but not achieved this.

I guess this has been asked many times over on here however I recently went to Manchester in March 2013 on EY and have never taken a Virgin Australia flight before ! Should I expect much of a difference between Silver and Red on Virgin? I am going to be travelling Melbourne - Sydney in J about 3 times a year (enough to keep my status credits high enough to retain Silver) otherwise travelling in Y. I travel strictly for personal reasons - no business related travel.

Many thanks - I will try to come in and out during the day but I am going to be extremely busy at work today !

 

[jazza1971]

https://www.velocityrewards.com.au/content/Status/SilverStatus/index.htm

 

[totd]

Sadly, there's not a lot that comes with Silver. You do get 2 lounge passes, but they're more designed as a taste so you have a reason to buy lounge membership. If you're mostly traveling J (Business class) don't bother with membership as lounge access is included in the ticket price. The only real benefits for silver are with int'l travel.

 

[kalboy]

I'm pretty sure on domestic travel you get complimentary baggage allowance which makes saver lite fares worthwhile. not 100% on that though.

 

[madrooster]

I'm pretty sure on domestic travel you get complimentary baggage allowance which makes saver lite fares worthwhile. not 100% on that though.

1 x 23kg for silver on VA domestic/international short haul saver lite's. Extra 1 x 23kg piece for VA international long haul, VA codeshare on HA and VA codeshare on DL.

See here: Checked baggage allowance | Virgin Australia

 

[erkpod]

Sadly, there's not a lot that comes with Silver. You do get 2 lounge passes, but they're more designed as a taste so you have a reason to buy lounge membership. If you're mostly traveling J (Business class) don't bother with membership as lounge access is included in the ticket.

I think the lounge passes are meant to be like a introduction to the lounge & encourage you to push on to gold.

I had my first taste of the domestic VA lounges while still red - I was on my mileage run which got me over the line to silver because I went in J. What a nice taste. It has encouraged me to get to gold as quick as possible.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I am going to be travelling Melbourne - Sydney in J about 3 times a year (enough to keep my status credits high enough to retain Silver) otherwise travelling in Y.

So MEL-SYD in J earns you 120SCs and to requal silver needs 200. From that I assume if your Y's are also short hops, you fly about 8 Y sectors per year. You gain 2 lounge entries which means you're short lounge access for about 6 flights. Silver gives discounted lounge membership which only you can decide if it's worth the money (personally, since you are silver, I'd grab the lounge membership to avoid the $300 application fee) so that leaves silver status giving you the luggage allowance and a couple of lounge entries. Apart from the warm and fuzzy feeling of flying J, I struggle to see the value of buying the J tix just to keep silver. The extra cost of just one of those tix could almost pay for your full year lounge membership. I guess you'll have to decide the value of the luggage to you. If you regularly can buy saver lite fares, then maybe it's $300-$400 and maybe it's nil (if you just have carry on) but if you usually fly saver/flexi fares, you'd have to decide if you really need the extra 23kg (over your included 23kg).

You haven't mentioned if you fly with a partner, so that also changes the value. Lounge members can invite one guest in, so if there are two of you, you may wish to look at family pooling but otherwise lounge membership would be the way to go (IMHO).

My summation of your situation means very little (as we're all different) but if I were you, I'd forget about the business fares on such short routes and instead buy the cheapest I can find (and to suit luggage requirement). After using my two complementary lounge passes, I would then buy lounge membership (before silver expires to avoid the joining fee.....depending upon your work situation, lounge memberships can sometimes be salary sacrificed). I'm guessing you'll come out in front overall financially (and gain lounge access each and every flight) but lose the cushy business experience 3 times a year.

Best of flying with whatever decision you make!

PS- I should also say that if my guestimate of 11 sectors I've assumed you fly per year is too high (with your 3 x J MEL-SYD it could mean you fly just 5 sectors a year domestically with the remaining 2 on flexi fares) then I'd have to say that in my estimation, neither flying J to retain silver or buying lounge membership is worthwhile. I'd be finding a nice eatery either in or near the airport and choosing whichever fare from whichever airline suits me best on the day and casting off the status handcuffs. Of course if you really enjoy paying the premium to fly those business sectors, then by all means do so!

 

[Tommy57]

is there really much of a difference between Silver and Red?

You get a lovely bag tag that you get to prance around the airport with !!