Guide to Virgin Australia Platinum Plus Status

Velocity Frequent Flyer’s new Platinum Plus status tier went live on 1 October 2025. It’s Virgin Australia’s answer to Qantas Platinum One status, and promises to deliver greater perks to the airline’s highest-spending flyers.

Launching alongside Forever Gold, the new Platinum Plus tier was one of the major Velocity Frequent Flyer program changes originally announced in October 2024.

“Platinum Plus, shaped by member feedback, provides our most frequent flyers with VIP recognition across the entire Virgin Australia travel journey, while ensuring recognition benefits like Economy X and lounge access remain rewarding,” Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Nick Rohrlach said.

“This marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Velocity Frequent Flyer to ensure we are rewarding and recognising our most loyal flyers.”

Platinum Plus comes with some nice new benefits – but those don’t come cheap. To reach this tier, you’d need to earn at least 2,000 status credits in a year – with at least 75% coming from Virgin Australia flights.

So, what exactly do you get with Velocity Platinum Plus, and do those benefits justify the significant price tag?

Velocity Platinum Plus status benefits

Platinum Plus offers extra perks to Virgin Australia flyers who earn above and beyond what’s required to earn Platinum status.

Of course, this includes the usual benefits of Velocity Platinum status, such as:

• Access to Virgin Australia domestic lounges, including 3 guests
• Priority check-in, baggage and boarding
• Complimentary Economy X and preferential seating
• Additional carry-on baggage allowance
• Free Wi-Fi on Virgin Australia flights
• Fly Ahead (except on Economy Lite tickets)
• Economy Reward Seat Guarantee (available once per year, when booking at least six months in advance)
• 100% bonus points on Virgin Australia and selected partner airline flights
• Selected benefits on many of Virgin Australia’s partner airlines

In addition to the usual Platinum benefits, Velocity Frequent Flyer Platinum Plus members receive the following extra benefits:

• Ability to gift Velocity Platinum status to a friend or family member (this benefit replaces the previous benefit for Platinum members who earn extra status credits)
• Access to the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Business Lounge at Singapore Changi Airport (when flying Singapore Airlines)
• Option to use the four annual complimentary Business Class upgrades on Economy Choice or Flex fares (Platinum members can only use these on Flex fares); according to one AFF member, there’s also some additional flexibility to use these upgrades on flights without Business Reward seats available
• Fly Later (the option to move to a later domestic flight on the same day, e.g. if you’re running late to the airport)
• Higher checked baggage allowance of up to 5x 32kg bags (except on Economy Lite tickets)
• Direct access to Australia-based priority phone service
• Higher earn rates of 12 Velocity Points per $1 with Hertz car rentals, and 5 points per $1 on DiDi rideshares
• Access to exclusive events, offers and gifts throughout the year

According to Velocity, Platinum Plus members are recognised with the “highest priority recognition” when flying with Virgin Australia. They have “VIP” printed on their boarding passes, and digital boarding passes have a blue background.

This is the same level of recognition that Virgin gives to members of its invite-only Beyond program. However, Platinum Plus does not come with access to the special Beyond airport lounges in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Other than Singapore Airlines Business Class lounge access in Singapore, Platinum Plus members get the same benefits as Platinum members when travelling with Virgin’s international partner airlines.

How to earn Velocity Platinum Plus status

To upgrade to Platinum Plus status with Virgin Australia, you’ll need to earn at least 2,000 status credits within any rolling 12-month period. That’s twice as many status credits as you would need to reach Platinum.

At least 1,500 of those status credits need to come from Virgin Australia marketed and/or operated flights you’ve personally flown. (The remaining 500 status credits could come from other things like family pooling, partner airline flights, Flybuys or eligible Velocity credit cards.)

Once you upgrade to Platinum Plus, Velocity will reset the review date on your account. You’ll get to enjoy your privileges for 12 months.

Since Velocity now awards 1 status credit per $12 spent on Virgin Australia flights, this means you would need to spend around $24,000 on flights within a year to earn 2,000 status credits.

Even if you earned 500 of the required status credits through family pooling or partner airlines, you’d still need to spend at least $18,000 on Virgin Australia flights to get 1,500 status credits. You could reduce that amount of spend further by taking advantage of some double or triple status credit offers. Still, that’s quite an ask!

How to maintain Platinum Plus status

To maintain your Platinum Plus tier beyond a year, you’d need to earn another 2,000 status credits (with at least 1,500 from Virgin Australia marketed flights) during your next 12-month membership year. Otherwise, you’ll drop down to Platinum status after your review date.

Goal	Status credits required (total)	Minimum from VA flights
Earn Platinum Plus	2,000 per year	1,500 per year
Renew Platinum Plus	2,000 per year	1,500 per year

Is Platinum Plus worth it?

This is the $24,000 question.

On paper, I don’t personally think the benefits of Platinum Plus really look like they justify an annual spend of at least $24,000 on Virgin Australia flights. The benefits are nice, but are they really that nice?

Many AFF members seem to agree, but opinions on our forum are mixed. There is a subset of flyers who already spend a lot of money on Virgin Australia, and they’re probably very happy with the extra recognition and benefits.

A lot of the value of Platinum Plus will likely come down to the implementation, particularly by Virgin’s frontline staff.

For example, Platinum Plus members might get an extra welcome or special treatment on board Virgin Australia’s flights – something that many people might value, but that doesn’t have a specific monetary value.

It would also be good if cabin crew were given discretion to occasionally offer a free bottle of wine or beer to Platinum Plus members flying Economy, as another example. So far, though, this doesn’t seem to be happening.

Initial Platinum Plus member experiences

Numerous AFF members have already had the opportunity to trial Platinum Plus status over the past few months. Several of them have shared their experiences and feedback on our forum.

There was initially some excitement that Platinum Plus members could access Virgin Australia’s Beyond lounges, as well as Singapore Airlines First Class lounges. However, it turns out that this was an error and was quickly “fixed”. Which is a shame, as those benefits would have made the Platinum Plus proposition a lot more compelling.

More recently, some AFF members have reported some good experiences with Platinum Plus status. One wrote:

I felt like the staff member who checked me in did later attempt to make an effort to recognise the P+ status.

kevrosmith on the AFF forum

Another member posted:

On the plus side I had to call the call centre today. Got through straight away to an amazing person based in Australia who couldn’t have been more helpful. 

She also proactively mention that I had a number of benefits that I hadn’t used such as business upgrades and the Platinum gift. I had already given Platinum to my partner but I didn’t realise I had another Platinum that I could give during this trial period to anyone I wanted. So one of my mates is now Platinum, thank you VA.

But the most shocking thing was the Business upgrades. I said I never bother with those because they are never redeemable and she said well with your status the opportunities are slightly different. Over the next 25 bookings I have about six were in economy. Two of those, I could not fly Business because the cabin was full but the other four there were no reward seats but she upgraded me anyway. Admittedly, it was only Melbourne to Sydney, but hey I’m not complaining and I was super impressed. 

I have been Platinum with Qantas for 20+ years and I have never had this kind of service with them ever 

NB I would like to go to the beyond lounge again LOL.

bsb on the AFF forum

However, several Platinum Plus members have commented that they so far haven’t noticed any difference between Platinum and Platinum Plus when flying. One wrote on AFF:

Flown several times since the P+ trial started, including to NZ and back on VA. Noticed absolutely nothing different!

Sequel on the AFF forum

Another member commented:

If the Beyond Lounges & Singapore first class lounges are officially added as a Plat+ benefit, that would be well worthwhile IMO, and really, I think it should be offered given the yearly spend required.
Other than that, the other benefits really are minimal for the extra dollars.
For those chasing it, you’d definitely want to take advantage of any DSC or TSC offers, which can significantly reduce the yearly spend required.

simmomelb on the AFF forum

Summing up

If you’re not already spending this kind of money each year with Virgin Australia, it’s hard to say that it would be worth going out of your way to earn Platinum Plus.

And if you could earn Platinum One with Qantas for a similar amount of spend, Qantas Platinum One arguably offers more worthwhile benefits – especially if a lot of your flying is overseas.

But if you’re already flying (and spending) a lot on Virgin Australia, Platinum Plus could offer some welcome extra perks.

What do you think of Velocity’s new Platinum Plus tier? Would you go out of your way to earn it? Share your thoughts on the AFF discussion forum!