Virgin Flyer 2-For-1 - Significant negative changes from Dec 1

[Demonoid]

Not too sure why people are complaining. The current 2 for 1 offer up till now represented extraordinary value. Its no surprise they changed it. If you can afford business and flexi flights, you obviously don't care too much about saving money (why spend money on a business domestic flight is beyond me). I for one will be keeping it. Despite now having to pay 2 sets of taxes, if you save only $50 bucks a flight over 4 sectors (i.e. $200) its still easily worth the $129 fee. And you get a buck a point up to $1500 a month. That's enough for me - most of my spend goes on my NAB Amex which gives me 1.5 points a buck.

 

[medhead]

Not too sure why people are complaining. The current 2 for 1 offer up till now represented extraordinary value. Its no surprise they changed it. If you can afford business and flexi flights, you obviously don't care too much about saving money (why spend money on a business domestic flight is beyond me). I for one will be keeping it. Despite now having to pay 2 sets of taxes, if you save only $50 bucks a flight over 4 sectors (i.e. $200) its still easily worth the $129 fee. And you get a buck a point up to $1500 a month. That's enough for me - most of my spend goes on my NAB Amex which gives me 1.5 points a buck.

Actually even people spending money on flexi fares like to save money. If travelling with my family I could buy 2 flexis and then use my upgrades to business. No longer possible. Even with 2 lots of taxes it makes 2 business seats rather cheap.

 

[Demonoid]

Actually even people spending money on flexi fares like to save money. If travelling with my family I could buy 2 flexis and then use my upgrades to business. No longer possible. Even with 2 lots of taxes it makes 2 business seats rather cheap.

Well then, as others have pointed out, they should have kept the existing product (or introduced another one) with a higher annual fee. As it was, even I who was buying saver fairs was saving about $500 a year over 4 flights, let alone flexi and business people who would have saved over a grand no doubt. No wonder Virgin weren't making money off it

 

[bcworld]

Well then, as others have pointed out, they should have kept the existing product (or introduced another one) with a higher annual fee. As it was, even I who was buying saver fairs was saving about $500 a year over 4 flights, let alone flexi and business people who would have saved over a grand no doubt. No wonder Virgin weren't making money off it

I guess part of the problem is that, despite the T&Cs being quite open ended and suggesting that it may be the case, the flights are booked into revenue booking classes so long as seats are available - there is no capacity control re the comp flights. So for 6-8 seat business cabins I can see how that would be unattractive for VA...having to sell the last 2 seats available at half price when they might've been otherwise filled anyway. I do think the case for pulling flexi is less clear cut than that though. Then to increase the booking lead time to 30 days is salt in the wounds. I still think the charging of 2 x taxes is a symptom of Sabre they just don't want to have to keep working around.

I generally agree with your point though that the card can still more than easily recoup its annual fee if used intelligently.

 

[Princess Fiona]

New changes won't work for me. I only used it previously to book flexi and use my upgrades. The $1500 cap on full points earning is also too low.
Was a great card initially and I certainly got great value from it ( 50K Velocity points plus 200 SCs).
Time to ditch it and wait for an attractive sign on offer somewhere else.
C'est la vie

 

[medhead]

Well then, as others have pointed out, they should have kept the existing product (or introduced another one) with a higher annual fee. As it was, even I who was buying saver fairs was saving about $500 a year over 4 flights, let alone flexi and business people who would have saved over a grand no doubt. No wonder Virgin weren't making money off it

You wondered why people are complaining. Seems you know why. The commentary about introducing another product is irrelevant. Maybe if they did introduce a more expensive product people wouldn't complain. However, They haven't done that.

 

[Jama]

Well, they do have several card levels already, but the T&C's are the same. They could have taken the opportunity to differentiate them further.

As far as savings go, savings are only achieved if you where going to travel anyway, making extra trips because the price is good is not really a saving.

The changes will have another impact which will lose some business for VA. eg I was taking the whole family away a bit more often based on the fact getting one fare free helped towards doing this. Now the saving as decreased I am less likely to do this, which means the additional fare sales that resulted are lost as well. When your watching your spending, small changes have an impact. More likely to now do local trips that don't require flights.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

Nothing really out there with a 1.25 points / $ on Visa or Mastercard. This point / $ equasion will probably keep me in still at this point.

Until June, the Diners Club + Mastercard combo meant you could transfer 1:1 from Diners Club points to Velocity - you earned 1.25 on the MC and 3 on the Diners. However, they've reduced the transfer ratio by a third, it's now 1.5:1.

I suspect this isn't just Virgin Money. I'd read one of the new senior loyalty people at Virgin came from QFF, so they are well versed in squeezing any real value out of a frequent flyer program. In the meantime, Velocity and QFF get 0% of my credit card spend.

 

[grubbidok]

Go away for a month and find this. Bummer.

That being said, I generally use it solely for the more expensive flights and always in Saver anyway, so it's really just the taxes. TBH I probably would have signed up for the current one anyway as I get my $129 worth on Savers anyway, and I'm not fancy enough for a card with better perks.

 

[carpenteria]

I guess part of the problem is that, despite the T&Cs being quite open ended and suggesting that it may be the case, the flights are booked into revenue booking classes so long as seats are available - there is no capacity control re the comp flights. So for 6-8 seat business cabins I can see how that would be unattractive for VA...having to sell the last 2 seats available at half price when they might've been otherwise filled anyway. I do think the case for pulling flexi is less clear cut than that though.

Agreed, doubly for flexi. If availability on business was one of the main problems (assuming outright losing 50% on an expensive ticket doesn't come into it - and I'm sure it does!) that is easily remedied if you left flexi on, as I am reasonably certain that upgrades come out of the reward seats, of which there is X of 8, as opposed to whatever is available normally (up to 8 of 8). So best of both worlds, you can still get discount business seats using flexi + points if there is availability while still maintaining availability for full paying customers.

Having said that, I'm quite sure any fantasy we can concoct on here probable won't amount to much in reality...

 

[DeKa]

I have my own opinion on why they may have removed Flexi. I am thankful they gave plenty of notice however.

 

[goingboeing]

Not too sure why people are complaining. The current 2 for 1 offer up till now represented extraordinary value. Its no surprise they changed it. If you can afford business and flexi flights, you obviously don't care too much about saving money (why spend money on a business domestic flight is beyond me).

I would respectfully disagree - regardless of income, many people choose to extract the most out of their money as possible. The Flexi and Business 2For1 offer was a very valuable tool for getting maximum return for your money in my opinion. There are many benefits to Flexi/Business Class (higher SC/baggage allowances/level of service), so I think when the right situation comes up it is worth spending hard money on Flexi or Business domestically.

The vast majority of people who have a comfortable amount of money didn't get there by accident, they got there by putting their money to work in the best way possible for them. How would anyone ever build wealth if they just splashed money around without a care?

Either way though - VM seem to have alienated a group of customers by killing off Flexi/Business redemption. Sure the figures might look better in the short term, but they have smashed one gateway that people were using to get a taste of the VA premium products and potentially become hooked.

 

[justcallmeryan]

I for one will be cancelling as well. Once you remove the ability to purchase flexi and J this card really doesn't have much value at all, or at least a lot less than it used to. I used recently to fly BME - SYD for the Mrs. and I in a flexi fare and upgraded us both to J for a grand total of <$800 which for that routing, and fairly last minute, is extraordinary value.

Nice one Virgin!

 

[tm.smile]

For someone who flies on the cheapest ticket, this card made me choose VA over JQ or QF between Syd/Mel/Bne/Ool. However, with the recent changes, the different between going JQ and VA has now swung the other way as JQ is by far the cheaper option (couple with the magic pricematch on a Tiger route), hence I will be going back to JQ. No difference in terms of QP or VA lounge, more choice of snacks on JQ and seat pitch. I will only fly VA now on award flights (and moving CC spend to VA depending on the life of ASAs).

Was able to get a comp upgrade yesterday PER-SYD on an A330 on a 2for1 ticket and a points upgrade for partner after having ticket split. Fantastic value at $220 each plus points/comp cert. Once the final segments are booked before 1 Nov, will be leaving VM once and for all.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

with the recent changes, the different between going JQ and VA has now swung the other way as JQ is by far the cheaper option (couple with the magic pricematch on a Tiger route),

I'm hearing you on that.

 

[grubbidok]

However, with the recent changes, the different between going JQ and VA has now swung the other way as JQ is by far the cheaper option (couple with the magic pricematch on a Tiger route)

You're forgetting to add the therapist bill required to get over the trauma of flying JQ. Ends up making both VA *and* QF the cheaper option.

 

[tm.smile]

You're forgetting to add the therapist bill required to get over the trauma of flying JQ. Ends up making both VA *and* QF the cheaper option.

As long as the plane is on time and clean, it's all relative. Funnily enough I've had far more cancellations and delays on VA than JQ. For me, if I'm up the back my expectations are adjusted accordingly. In my experience, little separates VA with JQ besides the uniform and moodlighting

 

[Deleted member 29185]

In my experience, little separates VA with JQ besides the uniform and moodlighting

And the moodlighting is only there to stop everyone seeing red!

 

[jas]

Well.

I can't say I'm overly impressed with these changes. Nor the fact that I'm only seeing them now on here, over a month after they were apparently announced, rather than hearing it from them directly!

In any event I've made my thoughts known on the VM facebook page, and may drop an email to them as well.

Also sent this feedback to VA:

Hi Virgin Australia,

I am writing to express concerns with the recent changes to the 2-for-1 flights on the Virgin Money Flyer credit card. I appreciate that Virgin Money is a separate organisation to your airline (a trading name of Citibank/Bank of Queensland) however as the card provides a benefit from your organisation the new changes may affect my relationship with you.


I am a Velocity Gold frequent flyer, got this status after a status match from Qantas a couple of years ago and have maintained it since. I only fly enough each year to maintain status with one airline, so when I switched to Virgin Australia/Velocity I moved all my flying for the past couple of years to Virgin and partners. I made this decision because I believe that after the changes the relaunched Velocity program provided better value, and the Virgin Flyer card you were promoting was part of this (I replaced an existing QFF points earning card with this card), as the 2-for-1 flights with the conditions at the time provided good value for me and for the annual fee at the time.


Since I signed up for this card at the time I switched my flying to Virgin, there has been an annual fee increase which I begrudgingly accepted as I felt the card still provided good value. I also accepted the poor customer service I experienced with Virgin Money. However the recently announced changes whereby flight taxes are now not included in the 2-for-1 pricing, and flexi fares are not available, as well as increasing the advance purchase requirement; along with the higher annual fee means that the card may no longer offer me as much value and thus I may consider cancelling it when my renewal next comes up.


If I do cancel this card and no longer receive the 2-for-1 flight benefits, this will remove one of the main reasons I felt Velocity was a better value program for me at the time I switched my flying to Virgin, and I will reconsider my airline program of choice.


In the meantime, I would appreciate it if, as a partner organisation of Virgin Money, you could put pressure on them to rescind the new T&C changes to maintain the same value the products of Virgin Money and Velocity provide.




Regards,
Jason
VFF# ##########

Looks like I'll need to find another sneaky way to maintain status from next year other than my wife and myself taking weekend trips away (and using gold upgrade+points upgrade for one of the sectors each time...)

 

[DeKa]

Looks like I'll need to find another sneaky way to maintain status from next year other than my wife and myself taking weekend trips away (and using gold upgrade+points upgrade for one of the sectors each time...)

Gold upgrade?