Major changes to Velocity Frequent Flyer announced 17/10/24

[RooFlyer]

I always paid more for Choice solely for SCs.

I'm sorry, that sort of thing drives me nuts. Paying more for status; the airline is manipulating you to pay more than you need to. The status benefits these days on Qantas and Virgin are so eroded they are not worth 'chasing'. I wonder if people tot up the extra they've paid over a year for 'status' whether they'll think its worth it?

You might thank Virgin management for saving you heaps going forward - use it towards something useful.

 

[ozstamps]

So, it seems VA management can do these dastardly things with no effect on flyer's behaviour. Sounds like they have got it right for the company - reduce elites with no reduction in flying.

If you have read this thread, and my comments, and still feel this program change has resulted in no reduction of their flying Virgin on paid flights ... you really should visit your nearest SPECSAVER branch.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

I'm sorry, that sort of thing drives me nuts. Paying more for status; the airline is manipulating you to pay more than you need to. The status benefits these days on Qantas and Virgin are so eroded they are not worth 'chasing'. I wonder if people tot up the extra they've paid over a year for 'status' whether they'll think its worth it?

You might thank Virgin management for saving you heaps going forward - use it towards something useful.

In principle I agree with you. But in my case, the decision was calculated, so no need to be sorry that I made a decision that I made sure was in my favour.

An extra $15-20 per flight to pay for Choice on just the number of flights I needed for the status I was after was worth the benefit of securing at least Gold as it meant I had access to partner lounges and various benefits when flying Y or PY on those carriers, and having to fly domestically in the US frequently, it saved quite a bit in baggage fees on United, far more than I ever paid on Choice up-charges.

Same reason I do it with QF when it makes sense based on my planned flying patterns for the year ahead. You certainly won't find me doing overnight status credit milk runs from the Gold Coast to Auckland via Melbourne, because no one can convince me that any status is worth several thousand dollars that would otherwise not leave your wallet.

 

[RooFlyer]

If you have read this thread, and my comments, and still feel this program change has resulted in no reduction of their flying Virgin on paid flights ... you really should visit your nearest SPECSAVER branch.

If you can engage in a discussion without resorting to insults, I will engage; but I think I know where it will go . You might wish to consider reality Vs keyboard warrior input; but In the meantime, please continue to enjoy the VA experience

So funny.

 

[leesionn]

While I largely enjoy reading through AFF and I do like the community, I do think at times the Frequent Flying part can become somewhat of an echo chamber. I'd guess the majority of travellers probably do not place an emphasis on status, and as such will not really choose who to fly based on status credits, aside from extremely frequent travellers (people in this forum, businesses etc).

I personally believe that there isn't much point in being loyal to any one airline, in my opinion it can get too restrictive - I'd rather focus on flying a product I want to try, flying an airline I want to try, and/or flying the airline most convenient to me at the best price. Also, as seen with the Velocity changes, while you may be loyal to them they don't have to be loyal to you back, and can change things in an instant.

For the bulk of my travel domestically, Virgin tend to have the best fare, so I mainly fly with them.

Not looking to engage in any debates here etc, just my 2 cents

Enjoy all your weekends.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

While I largely enjoy reading through AFF and I do like the community, I do think at times the Frequent Flying part can become somewhat of an echo chamber. I'd guess the majority of travellers probably do not place an emphasis on status, and as such will not really choose who to fly based on status credits, aside from extremely frequent travellers (people in this forum, businesses etc).

I personally believe that there isn't much point in being loyal to any one airline, in my opinion it can get too restrictive - I'd rather focus on flying a product I want to try, flying an airline I want to try, and/or flying the airline most convenient to me at the best price. Also, as seen with the Velocity changes, while you may be loyal to them they don't have to be loyal to you back, and can change things in an instant.

For the bulk of my travel domestically, Virgin tend to have the best fare, so I mainly fly with them.

Not looking to engage in any debates here etc, just my 2 cents

Enjoy all your weekends.

That's sensible balanced talk; we can't have that here! (jk)

But agree --- AvGeeks (myself included) can easily overestimate how much the average person cares about anything except getting where they're going as easily/cheaply as possible.

Fly well!

 

[ozstamps]

Also, as seen with the Velocity changes, while you may be loyal to them they don't have to be loyal to you back, and can change things in an instant.

'Also, as seen with the Velocity changes, while you may be loyal to them, they don't have to be loyal to you back, and can change things in an instant.'

Yes, we have seen that this year, in spades sadly.

Oddly, their dopey program changes have been quite liberating for me.

Tonight I tried to log into my long dormant Qantas account. Been years since I did that. Nothing was working.

Had to set up all the 2FA etc, and new email and cellphone details etc, via a long phone call, and to my great surprise, discover I have about 800,000 Qantas points, and wife has about 425,000.

Decided to see where we could go with some Qantas points before the ever constant devaluations of all award charts. To my huge surprise there is wide Business Class, 'Classic' bucket AVAILABILITY, and for TWO pax, and to interesting places, in real widebody planes, with flat bed suites - not 737s with TEMU shower curtains, on the long flights to Bali or the Pacific.

And lounge access too for Biz Class travellers flying overseas - what a novel idea! A leading edge concept totally lost on Nickel and Diming Bain who are way too cheap to bung SQ or Air NZ a few bucks in SYD etc, to allow lounge access.

I see we can fly to Jakarta for 67,000 points on BA, in a 777, in top end business class each way. (Half the points of flying QF metal oddly on same days.)

And Johannesburg awards were also attractively priced etc on a quick look.

So none of my hard-earned money to Virgin now, unless totally essential, and then only on LITE fares, for which we get all Lounge and row 3 seating perks etc for 18 months.

Very liberating.

Dumb for Virgin, and smart for me and others, but I do thank them for forcing me to see sense at long last, and look over the fence for the first time in decades. Many thanks.

No vendor deserves client loyalty, if they move the goal posts dramatically. It is like Trump and tariffs. Mess with the Status quo, and you WILL regret it very soon.

 

[clifford]

With everyone moving over to QF, the fare difference will only increase between the 2 airlines. I find VA perfectly adequate for domestic travel and since I only really need lounge access as a tangible benefit - as I'm never going to get to Platinum, I'll be happy to use my SQ Gold to get into the VA Lounges that might be near empty given all the comments above. When my SQ Gold ends in a few years, I might have to pay more for a QF flight and use my QC Life membership more often.

To each his own.

I'm QF WP, and will be for the foreseeable future (hopefully). I'm also VA Plat and like many others, I'm letting it bleed out. And, like you, I'm also a *G member, (for life) so I don't care a jot about losing access to VA lounges via Velocity. UA *G will help me out there, as long as the alliance holds, or VA exists.

I just can't believe that the Americans did this to a second grade airline. What were they thinking? Their money might go down the gurgler in due course. Times are cyclical.

 

[anat0l]

I just can't believe that the Americans did this to a second grade airline. What were they thinking? Their money might go down the gurgler in due course. Times are cyclical.

You're making a long term bet that VA will meet some sort of fiscal demise.

By that time, the Americans would have flogged off VA and maybe still counting the money.

Let's not forget VA would be dead if not convincing said American mob to take a chance on saving the airlines. Could always happen again (and a free pass to forgive debt again).