Virgin Australia Discover Gold (Status Match)

[dairyfloss]

I don't know what your own domestic travel patterns are, I fly regularly HBA -BNE - HBA and by transiting thru SYD or MEL get 4 sectors per trip. Two return trips a year in J gets me 8 sectors and 540 SCs which makes picking up the extra 260 SCs over the year a breeze.

A little bit of domestic leisure, but I/we tend to fly more international than domestic, usually. We have certainly been doing more with what Aus has to offer, with prices high and the $A low when looking at o/s. I'd also want to maintain QF Platinum for the time being, so need to weigh up some things as we get into the new year. I'm probably not adverse to a double-connect-return status run, if it comes to that!

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[stratosp]

I have now completed the required SCs (and then some) for the Switcharoo promotion and match to VA Platinum. Flew with the family from SYD<>MCY return in J on some sale fares, and with family pooling I collected 330 SCs and 10,523 velocity points for doing so.

Two days after the outbound flights were completed, which took me past the 80SCs required for Gold, I got a 'Your Discover Gold Status Update' e-mail, which specifically referred to my Platinum goal, and the numbers remaining, at that point.

View attachment 307723

I will update when the confirmation comes through for Platinum, and later, when it's applied.

Cheers,
Matt.

Nice! Thanks for sharing that such email is being sent out.

I didn't get this email (probably because I'm not switching from QF?). So it looks like I have to call after review date to adjust to Platinum.

 

[marks]

I have now completed the required SCs (and then some) for the Switcharoo promotion and match to VA Platinum. Flew with the family from SYD<>MCY return in J on some sale fares, and with family pooling I collected 330 SCs and 10,523 velocity points for doing so.

I will update when the confirmation comes through for Platinum, and later, when it's applied.

Cheers,
Matt.

Hi @dairyfloss , Has it come through yet?
I went over platinum a week ago and have some travel this week. No platinum status through yet!
Cheers.

 

[dairyfloss]

Hi @dairyfloss , Has it come through yet?
I went over platinum a week ago and have some travel this week. No platinum status through yet!
Cheers.

No - nothing as yet. No Platinum e-mail or change to actual status. In the app it says that the current Discover Gold status has a review date of 14 Dec 2022, so I'm not expecting it before that time. The T&Cs at the point of applying indicated the following:

· If you are a Platinum member (or above) with an eligible Frequent Flyer program and during your 3-month Switch-a-roo Discover Gold trial period earn 200 Status Credits on flights with a VA flight number operated by Virgin Australia, you will receive Platinum Status for a period of 12 months. Please allow for up to 8 weeks after your trial period for your Platinum Status upgrade to be processed and applied.

If the Platinum status will make a difference to your own travel this week, perhaps worth a try calling up and asking if they can apply it manually? Worst they say is "not yet"; and you're no worse off. I've only got QF forward bookings at the moment, so am in no rush. I just hope they don't apply the status retroactively after 8 weeks of waiting, which would be a little unfair!

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[PERLHR]

My app says I still need X2 flights and x number of points to achieve Plat, having secured Gold easily through this promotion last week. It also says review date Dec 2022 so I am assuming this is when they will maybe do us all who fall under this switcheroo promotion? Don't know, not very clear.

 

[RooFlyer]

No - nothing as yet. No Platinum e-mail or change to actual status. In the app it says that the current Discover Gold status has a review date of 14 Dec 2022, so I'm not expecting it before that time.

Yes, I'm on Discover Gold, took the flight to reach (surpass) 200SCs yesterday. The app tells me review date of 15 Dec, exactly 3 months (ie the promo qualifying period) after I got the e-mail confirming my participation.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Looks like we'll all be simulatenously updating here once it finally comes through as I'm in the same boat. Ticked over 200 SC last week and still gold.

 

[marks]

Looks like we'll all be simulatenously updating here once it finally comes through as I'm in the same boat. Ticked over 200 SC last week and still gold.

I submitted a question on the feedback page last night. Will see what happens.

 

[MooTime]

I think VA has made WP a little too easy for QF or others to attain, I mean 200SC's really??

Now QF threw out Gold to whoever wanted it, but I don't see many companies throwing out Plat to anyone.
I guess Qatar airways did is status match couple years ago.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

I think VA has made WP a little too easy for QF or others to attain, I mean 200SC's really??

Now QF threw out Gold to whoever wanted it, but I don't see many companies throwing out Plat to anyone.
I guess Qatar airways did is status match couple years ago.

Especially considering their business class flights are routinely cheaper than QF flex Y tickets it was pretty easy...

 

[marks]

I actually think I'll have 400SC before the years end...
I think that dyed in the wool QF peeps are looking to change for various reasons, and this is cheap marketing. QF service, price, network & timings aren't retaining customers. Personally, I've looking to utilise SQ more and this was my tipping point.
QF needs to retain to survive, hence their cost focus. VA needs to grow to survive, hence their investment focus.
They have removed the barrier to change with this and will get some high revenue customers along the way.
Will they have people which will use this over 3 months and never meet renewal. Of course. Everyone has tyre kickers attracted to their programs. We've written about this in many posts. But I'd love to be in the campaign review in Feb/Mar when they are reviewing new spend this campaign attracted.

 

[marks]

Especially considering their business class flights are routinely cheaper than QF flex Y tickets it was pretty easy...

I hope they start looking at more than 2 rows of business soon.

I'm actually enjoying the Economy-X seats. And not rushing to the beginning of the priority line to get overhead space for the bag.

 

[dairyfloss]

I think VA has made WP a little too easy for QF or others to attain, I mean 200SC's really??

Now QF threw out Gold to whoever wanted it, but I don't see many companies throwing out Plat to anyone.
I guess Qatar airways did is status match couple years ago.

Keep in mind that 200SCs in 90 days is actually a little more than the annualised rate you would need to retain WP with VA, which is 800SCs in 365 days. 90 into 365 is 4.056, so the annualised SCs required from the challenge is ~811.1

QF Platinum is easily worth more than VA WP for most folks, and it's unlikely you would see a public WP match from QF like this, but they do have a corporate Platinum Accelerate Challenge which gets you WP at 400SCs in 90 days.

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[sudoer]

I think VA has made WP a little too easy for QF or others to attain, I mean 200SC's really??

Now QF threw out Gold to whoever wanted it, but I don't see many companies throwing out Plat to anyone.

I think dropping the bar so low was necessary to grab the attention of rusted on QF WP/P1s and convince them to give VA a go.

If those QFFs weren't willing to try attain VA status pre-covid (Switcheroo excluded those who already held any status with VA) wouldn't VA need to make the loyalty proposition even more attractive post-covid?

Don't forget that VA went into voluntary administration, lost their competitive widebody J product, dropped many significant international business routes, discontinued lounge access when flying VAi, and moved their whole economy product downmarket. These would be weighing on a QFF WP/P1 who sees their QF membership as the safe, known quantity, even if it takes more flying to retain.

What is working in VA's favour is how many own goals QF has scored this year - and VA ran this promotion to capitalise on that moment.

I don't think 200SC is an unreasonable number. It's low enough to be attractive, but high enough that most taking the challenge would need to fly VA at least four times, but realistically closer to 6-8 flights. This is a reasonable amount of flying to give the airline a serious 'test' and also a not-insignificant amount VA has pulled away from QF. I wouldn't say it's giving the status to "anyone".

 

[Port Power]

Whether I try to renew for a further year is unlikely. VA emailed “upgrade to business class” for a flight next week from LST-MEL. “Lounge access, more leg room, extra baggage allowance, hot meal.” There is no lounge in LST! The flight is only one hour, so I don’t need more leg room, and I am only taking a carry on. Lounge access with Singapore Airlines was my goal. Achieved, but I probably won’t need it after all. Velocity is not acknowledged by Lufthansa, so unfortunately I can’t add my Velocity number with them to earn Velocity SCs.

I think many who have achieved Gold through this promotion will not renew.

 

[dairyfloss]

My status Review Date is today, according to the digital card. I wonder if I'll see the change to WP any time soon, or if an e-mail will come first, followed by the 'up to 8 weeks after your trial' period?!

For me, I'm ok for it to be delayed as forward bookings are on QF for now, but there will be some who are keen to get started sooner, I'm sure!

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[PERLHR]

Mines the 16th. Let's see what happens ...

 

[dairyfloss]

No change yet, and still shows review date of 14 Dec 2022, however when I click on the Status Credits number earned, I now get this screen, which is new in the last 12 hours



Cheers,
Matt.

 

[RooFlyer]

I think dropping the bar so low was necessary to grab the attention of rusted on QF WP/P1s and convince them to give VA a go.

If those QFFs weren't willing to try attain VA status pre-covid (Switcheroo excluded those who already held any status with VA) wouldn't VA need to make the loyalty proposition even more attractive post-covid?

Don't forget that VA went into voluntary administration, lost their competitive widebody J product, dropped many significant international business routes, discontinued lounge access when flying VAi, and moved their whole economy product downmarket. These would be weighing on a QFF WP/P1 who sees their QF membership as the safe, known quantity, even if it takes more flying to retain.

What is working in VA's favour is how many own goals QF has scored this year - and VA ran this promotion to capitalise on that moment.

I don't think 200SC is an unreasonable number. It's low enough to be attractive, but high enough that most taking the challenge would need to fly VA at least four times, but realistically closer to 6-8 flights. This is a reasonable amount of flying to give the airline a serious 'test' and also a not-insignificant amount VA has pulled away from QF. I wouldn't say it's giving the status to "anyone".

Your post says "me (as in, RooFlyer), me, me, me!!!). I'm waiting on the Plat Switcheroo, but I've flown 300 SCs not 200 and have HBA-MEL-HBA, and HBA-BNE-HBA in business in the next few weeks.

I think VA has made WP a little too easy for QF or others to attain, I mean 200SC's really??

Per the above, I think I've paid my way

No change yet, and still shows review date of 14 Dec 2022, however when I click on the Status Credits number earned, I now get this screen, which is new in the last 12 hours

Me neither, but I don't get that screen; mine was 15 Dec (yesterday) ... c'mon guys, don't disappoint ...

 

[PERLHR]

No change yet, and still shows review date of 14 Dec 2022, however when I click on the Status Credits number earned, I now get this screen, which is new in the last 12 hours

View attachment 311186

Cheers,
Matt.

Ewww that sounds promising.....well.maybe. I see no change yet to anything except VA cancelling my flights and not telling me but rescheduling ...just as well it's far off!