Velocity vs Star Alliance - worth changing?

[oliverd]

Am considering switching from VA (I've just retained VA Plat for the third year) to *A.

Looking at previous threads, the general consensus last year was stick to VA, if most flights are domestic, which mine are.

What's changed? the VA / Air NZ arrangement has been terminated - and NZ was one my favourite low-cost J routes to the US. And while this has always been an issue, I've just come back from a SIN/KUL trip on SQ, where recognition of VA status is pretty ordinary. Lounge access is terrible, was never offered a "fast-track" card for immigration at any airport and while the VA Web site states priority boarding on SQ, the priority boarding announcements only acknowledge their PPS members.

I fly 90% domestically, with 1-2 Asia trips in Y and 1-2 US trips in Y+ or J if I can find a cheap fare.

If I move to *A and credit my VA flights to SQ, I'll re-gain the use of Air NZ to earn SCs and have a better experience on SQ. I'll lose family pooling with VA, which is a useful feature. What else will I lose? I guess if I can make the highest *A tier (which will be a stretch without family pooling) I'd still only be at VA Gold level, which means I can still get into any lounge and use premium / kerbside access. But no more Row 3 or "fly ahead" benefits... I can't quite work out exactly what VA offers to pax with SQ status?

Appreciate any advice / feedback... has anyone who mostly flies domestically made the switch to *A? It's a big move psychologically, having switched from QF WP to VA a few years ago, so I'm reluctant to make another move without weighing up the pros & cons carefully... I guess the loss of Air NZ has triggered my loyalty program re-think!

THANKS

cheers,
Oliver

 

[Mr Pumblechook]

You'll need to do the sums but don't go from VA WP to Star Gold for better treatment on SQ: there's very little difference other than, as Star Gold, you have access to partner lounges where SQ doesn't have their own lounge. In SIN, you'll still be sharing the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge with the VA WPs.

Edit: VA's cheapest fare classes (E, G, M, N, Q, S, T, U, V) earn at a 50% rate in KrisFlyer so if most of your flying is VA domestic on BFOD, you might see a big drop in the number of points that you earn. See here: http://www.singaporeair.com/saar5/pdf/ppsclub_krisflyer/charts/KFOALLevels.pdf

 

[theevilmuppet]

VA-ticketed flights do not earn Elite Miles for the KrisFlyer program, hence won't contribute to any sort of status earn for that program.

Hence, your domestic flights will earn you nothing other than a small number of KrisFlyer miles.

Virgin Australia alliance | Singapore Airlines Australia

 

[oliverd]

VA-ticketed flights do not earn Elite Miles for the KrisFlyer program, hence won't contribute to any sort of status earn for that program.

Hence, your domestic flights will earn you nothing other than a small number of KrisFlyer miles.

Thanks - I hadn't understood the distinction between "miles" and "elite miles". I did see a reference to "When you fly with Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Virgin Atlantic^, Virgin Australia*, Vistara[SUP]#[/SUP], any Star Alliance airline or selected Star Alliance Connecting Partner airlines, you’ll also earn Elite miles, which are used to track you towards Elite Silver and Elite Gold status."

I've now seen the fine print which says that a VA flight has to be an SQ codeshare - and the SQ Web site won't let you book VA domestic-only flights.

Back to the drawing board :-(

Thanks @theevilmuppet and @Mr Pumblechook.

 

[dajop]

Back to the drawing board :-(

In any event Krisflyer Gold on SQ, offers nothing more than VA Platinum will offer, which is the same as any star alliance gold. So I won't count on any sort of star gold providing a better experience on SQ. You need to spend $23K AUD (on current exchange rate) in business or first with SQ/MI to move up to better level of treatment.

Maybe best approach for venturing beyond the shaky alliance of VA partners, get a priority pass or other paid lounge program for lounge access when you are not travelling with those who will give access with VA WP. Not sure if credit cards in Australia provide this or not, but maybe worth looking into.

 

[n7of9]

Maybe best approach for venturing beyond the shaky alliance of VA partners, get a priority pass or other paid lounge program for lounge access when you are not travelling with those who will give access with VA WP. Not sure if credit cards in Australia provide this or not, but maybe worth looking into.

Westpac Black (and maybe all World MasterCards)

 

[Jack_OC]

Westpac Black (and maybe all World MasterCards)

Also Citi Prestige (with unlimited free visits for cardholder +1, but the card has a $700 annual fee) and Citi Signature (2 free visits, remainder at US$27 per visit). To be honest though, if you're not happy with the KrisGold lounge in Changi, a lot of the Priority Pass lounges are going to fall well below your expectations.

BTW, Oliverd, I must admit I don't really get what you're trying to achieve. I can fully understand why you find VA Platinum status underwhelming - the same conclusion led me to give QF another try last year. However, you say you go on a total of 2-4 OS trips per year, some of which are in J. Lounge access on the way out of SYD flying with SQ or NZ is going to be the same no matter whether you have Velocity or *A Gold status. Same deal in Changi, or back from NZ to SYD, and (I think) in any airport where SQ has its own lounge, plus prior to any flight in J. Within the US Velocity Platinum status will also get you lounge access with DL.

So it seems like there would only be a very small number of OS flights per year when you might not get lounge access as things stand. Conversely, you said 90% of your travel is domestic, so IMHO there is no question that your best option is to have status with your preferred domestic airline. The only question I would be asking is whether that should be VA or QF, but no doubt you have thought about that.

Also just for background - I had KF Gold for two years - it was barely worth having. No special treatment from SQ and the same (SQ operated) lounge access as VA Platinums get. The only time I got any special treatment as a result of having KF Gold was when flying with LH or UA, but similarly I have had good benefits through Velocity Platinum status when flying with some partners (DL, NZ, EY).

 

[oliverd]

BTW, Oliverd, I must admit I don't really get what you're trying to achieve.

@Jack3193, I'm trying to solve some serious first world problems ;-)

On a serious note, I can get lounge access via Priority Pass via an Amex Platinum card.

The reason for reaching out to the collective AFF brains trust before continuing to commit my SCs to VA for another year - or what I am trying to achieve:

1. Better lounge on my infrequent OS flights. eg. on my recent SYD/SIN trip having *A status would have enabled me to use the Air NZ lounge in SYD, where I would have been able to have a coffee before my flight. A lounge without a barista is very 1990s... [Yes, I could have just gone to the Amex lounge in Sydney, if I'd known how poor the SQ lounge is!]

2. More importantly, being able to earn SCs on Air NZ, which I've used a few times to get to the US in J at about the same cost as Y+ on QF. I will miss NZ.

But, it's clear that staying with VA is the way to go. I've got no chance of getting to top-tier SQ with my level of flying, so I'm not going to get much advantage in terms of lounges (albeit I would be able to access a bunch of *A lounges) and I'd get nothing from my domestic VA flights.

 

[Matt_01]

I was looking to do something similar but for different motives. I am QF WP1 and know I will retain to Jul 19, also VA WP. As a P1 and LTG (within next 6 weeks) there is not that much incentive to fly QF due to cost and points earn rate. VA points earn rate is higher based on the x10 per dollar spend rate.

I was looking to send VA SCs and points SQ for *A status and to use for F or J redemption flights. If I understand correctly the VA to SQ points earn rates will be based miles flown not dollars spent. Some quick calculations suggest it is better to fly on my VA FF number and just send points to SQ as required.

Jack3193 your above post seems to have answered my outstanding questions unless I am missing the bleeding obvious.