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

[AFF Editor]

There have been a lot of comments in this thread from people who would have requalified for Velocity status under the existing rules before 30 September 2025, but who may still be downgraded because their review date falls on/after 1 October 2025. The timing around the status renewal changes also seems to be causing some confusion.

I've written an article about this, which you can read here:

Review Date Confusion: Velocity Members Caught Out by Virgin Status Renewal Changes

If your Virgin Australia status review date is on or after 1 October 2025, you'll have to meet the more onerous new requirements to renew your tier - even if you would have requalified before 1 October under the current system.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[vitagen]

There have been a lot of comments in this thread from people who would have requalified for Velocity status under the existing rules before 30 September 2025, but who may still be downgraded because their review date falls on/after 1 October 2025. The timing around the status renewal changes also seems to be causing some confusion.

I've written an article about this, which you can read here:

Review Date Confusion: Velocity Members Caught Out by Virgin Status Renewal Changes

If your Virgin Australia status review date is on or after 1 October 2025, you'll have to meet the more onerous new requirements to renew your tier - even if you would have requalified before 1 October under the current system.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

This is exactly me, i booked all my flights to requal under the 800sc / 8 sector rule, will achieve this before 1st Oct, my review date is Nov and will likely get downgraded as i dont meet the 50% sc from VA.

The rules are confusing and cough, if that happens im going 100% QF, as ill have both WP for both VA and QF, talk about an own goal VA.

 

[MH_fan]

What I don't understand is this. The new rules kick in on Oct 1. If you've re-qualified before then even though your review date is after, then you've friggin re-qualified before the new rules have even started! If you hadn't (under the new rules), then you still have an opportunity under the new rules to re-qualify by your review date. It's really not that hard...

 

[pauldab]

What I don't understand is this. The new rules kick in on Oct 1. If you've re-qualified before then even though your review date is after, then you've friggin re-qualified before the new rules have even started! If you hadn't (under the new rules), then you still have an opportunity under the new rules to re-qualify by your review date. It's really not that hard...

Nope, it doesn't matter to them until the review date.
It's a stupid decision but they make the rules.

 

[Edge]

My review date isn't until 28/2/26. I'll easily re-qualify for platinum by then. But do I only get 12 months as soon as I requalify? Eg - if I hit 800 SCs in October will my review date become October 2026? Or will it stay as February?

Thanks, it's confusing.

 

[bails81]

There have been a lot of comments in this thread from people who would have requalified for Velocity status under the existing rules before 30 September 2025, but who may still be downgraded because their review date falls on/after 1 October 2025. The timing around the status renewal changes also seems to be causing some confusion.

I've written an article about this, which you can read here:

Review Date Confusion: Velocity Members Caught Out by Virgin Status Renewal Changes

If your Virgin Australia status review date is on or after 1 October 2025, you'll have to meet the more onerous new requirements to renew your tier - even if you would have requalified before 1 October under the current system.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Thanks for the article. Now feels like more salt in the wound realising that on a lower status I could just opt to have my review date brought forward to requal now under existing criteria, but as Platinum I don’t have this option.

 

[oz_mark]

My review date isn't until 28/2/26. I'll easily re-qualify for platinum by then. But do I only get 12 months as soon as I requalify? Eg - if I hit 800 SCs in October will my review date become October 2026? Or will it stay as February?

Thanks, it's confusing.

You are reviewed on your review data. On 28 Feb, if you have met the requirements, you get 12 months from then. (well, 2 weeks later they extend, but it will be to 28 Feb 27)
The only time your review date comes forward is if you go up a level.

 

[WanderingNomad]

There have been a lot of comments in this thread from people who would have requalified for Velocity status under the existing rules before 30 September 2025, but who may still be downgraded because their review date falls on/after 1 October 2025. The timing around the status renewal changes also seems to be causing some confusion.

I've written an article about this, which you can read here:

Review Date Confusion: Velocity Members Caught Out by Virgin Status Renewal Changes

If your Virgin Australia status review date is on or after 1 October 2025, you'll have to meet the more onerous new requirements to renew your tier - even if you would have requalified before 1 October under the current system.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Wow I pre-emptively bought my flights since the last changes, only to now find that it will be all for nothing. The rules are harsh with Velocity

 

[the8guy]

not sure if this is the right thread for thsi questions but thought i'd ask : Does anyone know how this new changes will impact someone who is currently on a status hold due to parental ? My platinum;s currently on hold until early dec 2025, does this get extended for another 12 months as per before? or will i drop down to Gold after the review date in dec?

 

[JohnK]

My requalification date is early October.

I have a SYD-SIN-BKK return booked before April 2025 and we will fly that on 21 September. If I'm not mistaken I should still even 135 SCs for 3 of us from family pooling.

That should in theory take me to 401 SCs and with enough sectors will mean Gold for another year?

I have a few flights booked for November and February that should earn at old rate but getting 400 SCs again with 200 SCs from my own VA flying is going to be tough.

 

[BCons]

I hv a trip to Perth coming up wch will help ensure Plat retention on my Jan review date. Interesting that VA are More Expensive than the red roo both ways around my travel dates. So that’s another way FFs are going to be stuck - first we need to spend more to gain/retain status then they bump up the fares !

 

[RooFlyer]

first we need to spend more to gain/retain status then they bump up the fares !

Just helping you along to get there

 

[MooTime]

I hv a trip to Perth coming up wch will help ensure Plat retention on my Jan review date. Interesting that VA are More Expensive than the red roo both ways around my travel dates. So that’s another way FFs are going to be stuck - first we need to spend more to gain/retain status then they bump up the fares !

That's right, the higher fare the more SCs, it's to your benefit, ha!

 

[Gemstones]

Wow, I came on here to read the comments. I, too, thought the new calculations would begin in October. I did some trips this year, thinking if I stack status credits now in the current formula, I'll be fine. I booked Qatar direct because through the Virgin site it was much more expensive. Last week, my status showed 770, so I thought I would be fine for my Feb requalification date. I noticed that today it shows 525. I've been platinum for around 8 years, and I have to say I might just start travelling on the airlines I want to from now on and forget accruing Virgin status credits.

 

[Bolthead]

Wow, I came on here to read the comments. I, too, thought the new calculations would begin in October. I did some trips this year, thinking if I stack status credits now in the current formula, I'll be fine. I booked Qatar direct because through the Virgin site it was much more expensive. Last week, my status showed 770, so I thought I would be fine for my Feb requalification date. I noticed that today it shows 525. I've been platinum for around 8 years, and I have to say I might just start travelling on the airlines I want to from now on and forget accruing Virgin status credits.

Welcome to my world. (sort of) However, I have just requalified for Platinum so I am not affected by the 1st October date. My biggest gripe is Forever Gold. I have been platinum for close to 14 years (except after covid where I dropped to Gold for about 4 months) I played by the rules and my LOYALITY was 100%. The only times I flew another airline (that was not a partner) was when I took flights where there were no partners. (mostly in Europe) and I can count them on one hand. After all these years I am still 5,500 points short from getting FG and I at this rate I should hit that by the age of 95.

 

[jeppetto367]

Welcome to my world. (sort of) However, I have just requalified for Platinum so I am not affected by the 1st October date. My biggest gripe is Forever Gold. I have been platinum for close to 14 years (except after covid where I dropped to Gold for about 4 months) I played by the rules and my LOYALITY was 100%. The only times I flew another airline (that was not a partner) was when I took flights where there were no partners. (mostly in Europe) and I can count them on one hand. After all these years I am still 5,500 points short from getting FG and I at this rate I should hit that by the age of 95.

My concern is with FG is the 9000 out of 12000 have to be on VA. I have around 8400 credits but 5400 on partners, so 2400 of the credits I've earnt are useless. Wish I knew I would have been penalised for flying VA partners in the past. IMO they should count all credits earned before the FG announcement as VA, and then keep the current metric moving forward, or even reduce the VA requirement to 50% (which is the same as Gold anyway!).

 

[33kft]

IMO they should count all credits earned before the FG announcement as VA,

United did that with the continental merger and resulting miles based MP system and I did quite well out of it having credited a lot of partner miles. Agree that it seems like a fair compromise given no way to have known ahead of time that this would be a factor

 

[TMP]

Welcome to my world. (sort of) However, I have just requalified for Platinum so I am not affected by the 1st October date. My biggest gripe is Forever Gold. I have been platinum for close to 14 years (except after covid where I dropped to Gold for about 4 months) I played by the rules and my LOYALITY was 100%. The only times I flew another airline (that was not a partner) was when I took flights where there were no partners. (mostly in Europe) and I can count them on one hand. After all these years I am still 5,500 points short from getting FG and I at this rate I should hit that by the age of 95.

Loyal, but not loyal enough ($$$) for VA

 

[clifford]

United did that with the continental merger and resulting miles based MP system and I did quite well out of it having credited a lot of partner miles. Agree that it seems like a fair compromise given no way to have known ahead of time that this would be a factor

Yes indeed, I think VA is being quite mean about this, and in the end it quite possibly could hurt VA as well as the Velocity members who miss out.

As for UA, they certainly did the right thing, and helped me to amass 2.5M miles with Mileage Plus, thereby giving me (and my wife) lifetime Platinum status, as well as lifetime Star Gold and United Club membership. I don't see VA's offer going anywhere near this. And, as it turns out, I have lifetime access (that's VA's lifetime) to VA lounges and priority boarding (amongst other things), so I needn't bother chasing VA status anymore (not that I would now).

 

[fkcn]

I can sort of understand them wanting customers to earn on VA in future, but to disregard most of the previous earn is disingenuous. Loyalty works in both directions, this one sided decision will lose alot of customers who know they can never earn lifetime status, or indeed ordinary status due to lack of international earn options. I have lots of issues with Qantas, but SC earn is so much more generous. And QF Plat is actually worth getting, VA Plat not so much.