Last week, Velocity Frequent Flyer launched its first offer of double status credits (or points) since changing the way it awards status credits in April 2025. The reaction from frequent flyers on our forum has been… lukewarm.
During Velocity’s previous bonus status credit offers, frequent flyers would come to the AFF forum to share their tips on the best Virgin Australia status runs to book. This time, many have commented that they won’t bother taking advantage of this offer at all due to the recent Velocity program changes.
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Many Velocity members giving up on status
In a forum poll, 77% of AFF members who currently hold Velocity Frequent Flyer status said they would drop to a lower status tier as a result of the program changes.
Even with double status credits on offer during the current promotion, many AFF members say they will no longer bother trying to earn or maintain Velocity status.
This is what just a few AFF members had to say on our forum…
🥱 not worth it now post devaluation. Pity.
jakeseven7 on the AFF forum
Probably pass. Useless now – still 5000 shy of [Forever Gold]….
SYD on the AFF forum
Joining the choir here but all I’ll say is that when QF ran a DSC promo earlier this year, I booked a leisure trip in J that I’ve wanted to do but wouldn’t have booked at that stage or in J but for the DSC. I’m Plat on VA, and this DSC promo is of no interest to me.
FlyingKangaroo on the AFF forum
I’ve decided to “give up” Velocity Gold. Had the unusual opportunity during Covid to have Gold for both QF and VA (both self funded). Not worth it for domestic travel to maintain Velocity even with DSC promo.
KathN on the AFF forum
I’m joining in the chorus with you all and the Fat Lady as I wave goodbye to this offer and over a decade of Platinum status.
I had contemplated taking up the offer to get the 350 or so SCs I needed (thanks, VA for blindsiding me with the new VA vs non-VA calculation!) but finding a destination on VA’s miniscule network is hard enough… and then purposely finding a fare high enough to accrue the required credits (but still cheap enough to justify travel to said destination) is even more irritating.
aamslfc on the AFF forum
Why even bother. My usual BNE-SYD in J at discount price pays about the same SC at double SC that itnpaid previously for standard SC. They have lost the plot. Previously i would have taken the opportunity to go to MEL for weekend, CNS for a break, probably a bali break and multiple trips to SYD to see my son, which I do every month. This tine, zip, havnt even activated it. I estimate that the spend from me alone that they have lost is around 4k.
MarkD on the AFF forum
For many, the amount of spend now required to earn Virgin Australia status is just too high to be worthwhile. Especially when you can get Virgin Australia Lounge access (as well as an annual return flight) with an Amex Velocity Platinum card costing just $440 per year.
Enjoy Virgin Australia Lounge access and a complimentary annual return domestic flight…
- Card Name
- American Express Velocity Platinum
- Earn
- 1.25
- Signup Bonus
-
60,000 bonus Velocity Points*
Apply by 12th Aug 2025
- Annual Fee
- $440 p.a.
- Read more
- View Offer
on everyday purchases
Some loyal Virgin Australia flyers will still take advantage of this offer
Not all of the comments on our forum have been negative. Some AFF members say they will book in flights over the next week to take advantage of double status credits – but they’re in the minority.
Here’s what some of them had to say…
Have a few k to drop if I get the offer, given the huge booking window.
simmomelb on the AFF forum
I had given up retaining Plat after having to cancel a trip booked under the previous double credits promo back under the old earning regime… but after getting so close I am seriously tempted to book something!
The-Aviator on the AFF forum
I got the offer in the app. DSC for me. I’ll give forever gold a crack.
Sprucegoose on the AFF forum
I will certainly look at using the double SC. As I now stand I think I would have been just short of retaining Platinum and now by booking what I probably would have booked anyway I expect to be able to maintain it.
straitman on the AFF forum
Qatar Airways not included in this offer
A few AFF members noted that Velocity’s current offer may be designed to shore up more forward bookings ahead of Virgin Australia’s IPO later this month.
But some questioned why Virgin Australia’s flights to Doha are excluded from this offer. These flights launch later this week and will be operated by Qatar Airways. As one person said:
The major issue I’m seeing is their long haul international partners.
simmomelb on the AFF forum
Not expanding these promos outside their domestic and short haul is short sighted in my view.
When you are competing against Qantas with an extensive long haul network of its own, the least they could do is include their long haul partners in promos like this.
All a little perplexed by this as they recently boasted about their return to long haul (wet leased QR).
The numbers don’t lie
Obviously, only Virgin Australia knows how the current promotion is performing – in terms of actual revenue and flight bookings – compared to its previous ones.
But we do have access to some other data that may be of interest. One interesting point is that the number of clicks on last week’s Frequent Flyer Gazette article about Velocity’s new double status credit offer was 30% lower than the clicks on our article about Velocity’s last bonus status credit offer before it announced the program overhaul in 2024.
In fact, our internal statistics show that more people who read last Thursday’s Frequent Flyer Gazette were interested to read about Emirates’ fifth-freedom routes than Velocity’s double status credit offer.
Here’s one more stat that might be interesting: Our story about Qantas’ latest double status credits offer in March got three times more clicks than last week’s article about the new Velocity promo.
