A real shame there was not a 5th option in red - I'd have ticked that -
- I'll likely upgrade to a higher status tier
- I'll likely keep the same status tier that I currently have
- I'll likely downgrade to a lower status tier
- I don't fly Virgin Australia enough to earn status anyway
- Far too much change, too fast. A DUMB move - I'll now fly where I choose, going forward.
If Virgin thinks my partner and I will donate 10k a year spend EACH, to sit in an exit row seat that can be bought for $15 cash by anyone with a credit card, they have rocks in their heads!
All this year they've had Qantas totally on the back foot, now they have blown their advantage big time with this badly conceived Brain Fart package, of barely thought through changes. This was the year to change NOTHING major, and attract some disenchanted Qantas flyers. Best of both worlds.
They are a slightly upmarket LCC, with no lounges even for folks flying Virgin to the Pacific or Asia etc, (or even in Hobart!) pretending they are the market leader.
WRONG.
And they are an LCC planning a market float - and when revenues fall off the cliff during 2025, that will not look too hot for prospective investors, compared to the great 2024 figures.
QANTAS announced a DSC offer within days of this Brain Fart, as I predicted, and will be courting Virgin elites aggressively, I'd suggest.
We can now book
LITE fares if we prefer, as SC are near meaningless, and pay $15 to sit in an exit row, or can redeem points, which means Virgin gets zero bucks from us.
The
'Forever Gold' conditions are WAY too onerous and were very poorly thought out. FIVE emails to Plat line on this are unanswered (so much for that alleged PLAT benefit contact point) - have zero idea of my alleged SC total over 11 years, that need a Math Professor to wrestle with, to add only DCS or TSC totals, that Virgin appear incapable of doing. Any airline with BRAINS would have had that data showing on EVERY account right now, and
BEFORE the announcement was made.
Been a Virgin PLAT for over 10 years and THAT was the savvy model to award
'FOREVER' Status with - as Air France and real airlines have discovered, as THEY are smart. Ten years constant top elite and you are in - job done. It is only mid tier GOLD, on essentially a LCC for goodness sakes, with few overseas partners.
United have
FOUR lifetime tiers - STARTING at Gold. These are the BIG BOYS -- and a partner, and Virgin clearly have not learned from their long experience with such plans or even studied them.
We are both Virgin Platinums already to 2026, and hence soft land to Gold until 2027 .... so all a loss to Virgin.
If we want to fly to Europe
we'll now have OUR choice of carriers - based on price and other factors. If we want to grab an intro Biz Class fare deal on Turkish Airlines etc, we now CAN, and credit the miles to United. Or use other carriers that allowed miles to be credited somewhere useful. Qatar is now driving this Virgin bus, and with HEAVILY reduced SC earns even on Biz Class fares to Europe, there is no point.
As the Seekers song said -
'The Carnival Is Over'.
We have
Lifetime United Gold (hence Star Alliance Lifetime) that gives us full Virgin Lounge access, (even on LITE fares!) Priority Boarding, Priority check-in, and extra bags etc. And have Amex Platinum card for even more lounge access.
Handing Virgin $20,000 minimum to receive no extra benefits, except to book an exit row for 'free' and save $15, has no appeal at all to us, at least.
And we will not be alone in that.
This below is Matt's helpful table of $$ pain, that I still feel MASSES of Virgin flyers are unaware of - Most here probably are, but outside here - near zero idea this is the new deal I'd bet - and when THEY stop flying as much, or change to Qantas, the bottom line will get kicked hard -
)
