Article: Is Qantas or Velocity Status Harder to Earn?

[burningrage]

What I can say about this analysis is simply this.

Whether or not Virgin is still a good value or done the right thing with their latest move will be reflected in the bottom line. How their changes being perceived will be the final say whether this move will backfire or not.

Of course at a glance Virgin would still be better but Virgin is mostly a domestic operator so when you take this into account, QF FF would arguably be better.

We will see the impact of this a year from now, when all of the current Gold/Plat are either being downgraded and exited the program and new ones will have trouble meeting the "VA Marketed / VA Operated" requirement. At a glance, it looks like with recent QFF move to give away SCs and pushing up promotions like double SCs, either they are smelling blood (in a similar way when 28 degrees blew themselves up) or they are losing FF-ers (I doubt it).

 

[SYD]

Not sure I follow the point of your post,

By definition, to get VA status now you have to earn 50% SCs with VA code. Which means spending $ directly with VA.

You don’t have to spend anything like that directly with QF to earn status. Looking at the figures, they appear to be based on spend with QF v spend with VA.

but I do agree Qantas is great for anyone who is remotely savvy. I acquire WP for a fraction of your cost.

Yes, as per the analysis - using DSCs, status runs etc gaming the system - you can get high status for much less. Whereas I’m easily earning status going about my travels anyway. Yes, I know what earns better than others and I know how to get to Europe and back in J for $4k not $8k to $10k spending direct with QF, QR, SQ etc.

My travel patterns would not work at all with VA. My old work travel pattern wouldn’t work now either as I used to fly at lot of international and booked with EY, SQ and not on VA codeshares.

 

[levelnine]

I don’t think VA kick you out of the program when you move.

Plenty of QFF members based overseas are active here, many are only there temporarily.

The point is very simple. VA has no interest in overseas based members. They do not want you. Why would you do a head to head comparison between two companies in a segment where one company expressly avoids that segment?

 

[levelnine]

Presumably you could be an expat Aussie with active accounts in either program?

And why would you even consider pursuing status with VA if you do not live in Australia? It doesn't want you as a member — it is telling you that by having a 50% VA SC requirement!

QF is happy to have overseas members — it has US credit card transfer partners, is part of an international alliance, allows you to sign up with an overseas address.

VA does none of the above.

 

[justinbrett]

The point is very simple. VA has no interest in overseas based members. They do not want you. Why would you do a head to head comparison between two companies in a segment where one company expressly avoids that segment?

Because that is a major factor! The inability to book travel outside of Australia should be a major factor if there's any chance of you needing to book travel while overseas.

Similarly, who hasn't booked long haul flights to LHR or LAX or wherever, and booked add on flights with other oneworld carriers? Just look for the countless "will my bags be connected on separate PNRs" threads.

I'm not sure why you think it's so weird some of us don't only travel on tickets booked return from Australia.

 

[levelnine]

Because that is a major factor! The inability to book travel outside of Australia should be a major factor if there's any chance of you needing to book travel while overseas.

Similarly, who hasn't booked long haul flights to LHR or LAX or wherever, and booked add on flights with other oneworld carriers?

I'm not sure why you think it's so weird some of us don't only travel on tickets booked return from Australia.

I'm not sure why you cannot comprehend that there's no point doing a head to head comparison if there's no comparison.

Who makes the best hybrid SUV? Qantas v Toyota lol

 

[justinbrett]

I'm not sure why you cannot comprehend that there's no point doing a head to head comparison if there's no comparison.

Who makes the best hybrid SUV? Qantas v Toyota lol

Just because VA can't compete in that category doesn't make the category disappear.

There are other categories where VA was excluded:
Note that there are no values shown for Velocity on the First Class and Premium Economy traveller profiles, since it would be impossible for these travellers to earn Velocity status.

 

[levelnine]

Just because VA can't compete in that category doesn't make the category disappear.

Why would you, as an overseas based member who earns the majority of their status overseas on flights not touching Australia, be considering the cost of acquiring status on an Australian airline that is not part of an international alliance that does not fly international (apart from a few leisure routes) that does not want you as a member (with its residency and VA SC requirements)?

 

[justinbrett]

Why would you, as an overseas based member who earns the majority of their status overseas on flights not touching Australia, be considering the cost of acquiring status on an Australian airline that is not part of an international alliance that does not fly international (apart from a few leisure routes) that does not want you as a member (with its residency and VA SC requirements)?

I refer you to my previous answer.

 

[levelnine]

I refer you to my previous answer.

Feel free to suggest an article to AFF Editors where they compare the best program for people do the majority of their flying outside of Australia. You might be waiting a while though. I would guess it isn't high on the list due to ... a lack of readership.

 

[justinbrett]

Feel free to suggest an article to AFF Editors where they compare the best program for people do the majority of their flying outside of Australia. You might be waiting a while though. I would guess it isn't high on the list due to ... a lack of readership.

Again, they included categories for First Class and Premium Economy, and specifically said VA was excluded as it's impossible to earn with VA.

But I guess we're just glossing over that.

I never said majority of flying. I said majority of status - because it's much easier/cheaper to earn a lot of status on oneworld outside of Australia. You don't even need to do a status run, just in the course of a normal trip overseas.

I think @Mattg would probably put himself in this category.

 

[Human]

Well, this article is an eye-opener for those of us (including me) who had been hoping that VA would see the error of its ways and make it a bit easier to earn SCs. Maybe VA has been right all along. (Speaking as a MEL-SYD commuter).

Having said that, I still wish -- perhaps futilely -- that VA would give people a little more incentive to buy higher classes of tickets. It seems quite strange to me that it's $24 per SC for Lite and $12 per SC for everything else. I'd love to see something like $8/SC for Flex and $6/SC for Business.

That would preserve the integrity of the new system but still make status runs an option.

But what do I know.

 

[JustSlash]

Thanks Matt! Great article specially for someone like me who isn’t much of a VA flyer.

Just want to check I’ve understood this right: with the new status calculation, if Mr.A book an overpriced J ticket for $3k+ and do that twice, Mr.A would go from no status to Silver, then Gold after the second one? So basically two flights and Mr.A's Gold? Or am I missing something here?

(I know… not exactly the best value play!)

 

[Flyingwombat]

No, but the VA “spend” criteria probably skews the analysis to either spend with VA or spend with QF to attain status.

But in reality, apart from getting the four “squiggles” you can still get QF status relatively easily - even without DSCs and status running - by flying on partner airlines. In fact, it’s technically possible to get QF LT status and never set foot on a QF aircraft.

IME, post COVID I’ve spent about $12k pa and managed to maintain QF WP quite easily (without necessarily relying on DSCs).

Also, VA might have “Family pooling” but QF via Points Club has SC earn on reward flights. Which is great for earning AND burning.

I agree - the reason I've abandoned Velocity status is that I don't want to fly VA metal and now with the requirements to get half from that I can't make it. In past, I earned Velocity status (plat and gold) mostly with Etihad flex-economy and SQ business. Also, I am so far off lifetime gold with Velocity it is not worth thinking about.

Although I am a long way from QF LTG, at least I can get SCs from many other airlines and they still count for LTG. Plus QF gold is worth so much more.

 

[elanshin]

Why would you, as an overseas based member who earns the majority of their status overseas on flights not touching Australia, be considering the cost of acquiring status on an Australian airline that is not part of an international alliance that does not fly international (apart from a few leisure routes) that does not want you as a member (with its residency and VA SC requirements)?

It doesn't have to be overseas based members. There is a fairly big category of people that travel overseas for holidays or work and some domestic travrl as well.

Being handicapped on the VA partners which are as a whole better than QF mainline is what the "overseas" earners are losing out on. Someone that will buy SQ J to go to London? Now they're less likely to stay on VA and may opt for KF or look at QF. VA may even lose the domestic to QF and Int'l still stay on SQ rather than keeping them all on the VA ecosystem.

Personally one of the main reasons i didn't pursue VA as strongly for status was because they absolutely botched the NH partnership and Japan is a 3-5 times a year work location.

 

[Flyingwombat]

Wow Amazing

Love the analysis

From my experience and reading others ways of finding cheap credits those figures are indicative of what it takes

Why Is a status runner willing to “fly for no particular reason”?

Gamification
To open access to the WP benefit of phonin up to get a classic reward seat released ? And to be in the Points Club and to book it during a DSC campaign to get the double reward?

What I endeavoured to do was coincide an event with the proposed jaunt and book during the DSC.
(Historically that was the free-4-all JASA, now Points club (having gotten to LTG I Really don’t need the SCs))

So to my earlier event/s
Remember QF81 domestic flight from international Sydney For the 1st Lounges ? That pav is the bomb. So wonderful and champagne @ 10am

Rinse and repeat

The good old days were when QF platinum gave you First lounge whoever you were flying... I remember taking a really cheap Royal Brunei flight in economy from SYD and starting the trip in the QF F lounge....

And when we lived on the mainland and travelled from SYD/MEL, the great flight was the Hong Kong one that went between the 2 - loved getting the international lounge with my orange D sticker on my boarding card!

 

[elanshin]

@AFF Editor one thing that i just thought of that isn't discussed and is very hard to quantify but is a major part of any clued in status player on the QF side is PCP classic awards earnings SC.

That feature (whilst hard to utilise right now as finding QF CR isnt the easiest) can make huge jumps if you're point rich. Ive done Syd - Mel runs via CBR (harder now without the 717s) where ive earnt 72 SC for 18k points +$140 one way during DSC offer.

This year i think im earning 400+ SC from award flights thanks to OWA booked during a DSC.

 

[DejaBrew]

@AFF Editor one thing that i just thought of that isn't discussed and is very hard to quantify but is a major part of any clued in status player on the QF side is PCP classic awards earnings SC.

I guess an added challenge in quantifying that would be that you need to factor in the cost of earning PC in the first instance.

Actually, identifying strategies for earning PC/PC+ for the lowest possible cost could be an interesting exercise in itself (Of course I haven't checked whether an article along these lines has already been posted)

 

[Human]

That feature (whilst hard to utilise right now as finding QF CR isnt the easiest) can make huge jumps if you're point rich. Ive done Syd - Mel runs via CBR (harder now without the 717s) where ive earnt 72 SC for 18k points +$140 one way during DSC offer.

If you haven't come across it already, you might be interested in this article on Point Hacks...

How I unlocked every Qantas tier in one trip (using points)

Can you earn Qantas Gold status with points? I did. Here’s exactly how I did it and why I probably won't do it again.

www.pointhacks.com.au

 

[RooFlyer]

Really interesting analysis - I knew Qantas was an expensive airline, especially for what you get, but didn't realise how expensive for lesser reward wrt status than Virgin. And like @levelnine , I'll look on with bemusement at the 'Velocity status' thread and those swearing to take their business elsewhere

Who makes the best hybrid SUV? Qantas v Toyota lol

lol indeed. Switch the topic to overseas & look over there ...