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

[anat0l]

Too much VA flying needed - now they don't fly to USA and AUH, there is no way to earn decent amount of status with them.

I think you can fly VA marketed codeshare flights and they are treated the same as if VA was flying. I thought that was the whole point.

So you could fly VA marketed UA operated flights and it counts as if you flew VA anyway. Same with the QR wet lease flights - in fact, these are even closer - the flight is basically VA marketed and operated; it just so happens that the aircraft comes from QR, isn't repainted for VA and is operated with QR crew.

A couple of things I'm not entirely sure of, which are whether it is always (or much more) cheaper to purchase a given fare on a UA operated flight with a VA flight number or the base UA flight number (this tends to be a problem on many codeshare agreements). Also, I haven't tracked how much the international flight earn has changed, because SC earn for international flights (including partners) is different to domestic flights or short haul international operated by VA.

 

[Flyingwombat]

I think you can fly VA marketed codeshare flights and they are treated the same as if VA was flying. I thought that was the whole point.

So you could fly VA marketed UA operated flights and it counts as if you flew VA anyway. Same with the QR wet lease flights - in fact, these are even closer - the flight is basically VA marketed and operated; it just so happens that the aircraft comes from QR, isn't repainted for VA and is operated with QR crew.

A couple of things I'm not entirely sure of, which are whether it is always (or much more) cheaper to purchase a given fare on a UA operated flight with a VA flight number or the base UA flight number (this tends to be a problem on many codeshare agreements). Also, I haven't tracked how much the international flight earn has changed, because SC earn for international flights (including partners) is different to domestic flights or short haul international operated by VA.

In my experience, the VA flight number adds to the costs significantly and it is a real nuisance with seating and checking in (in some cases - caveat that my experience is a few years old).

I'm going to earn my UA and SQ flights towards my mileage plus account now (no expiry of points!) and I am not flying EY anymore.

 

[jeppetto367]

I think you can fly VA marketed codeshare flights and they are treated the same as if VA was flying. I thought that was the whole point.

So you could fly VA marketed UA operated flights and it counts as if you flew VA anyway. Same with the QR wet lease flights - in fact, these are even closer - the flight is basically VA marketed and operated; it just so happens that the aircraft comes from QR, isn't repainted for VA and is operated with QR crew.

A couple of things I'm not entirely sure of, which are whether it is always (or much more) cheaper to purchase a given fare on a UA operated flight with a VA flight number or the base UA flight number (this tends to be a problem on many codeshare agreements). Also, I haven't tracked how much the international flight earn has changed, because SC earn for international flights (including partners) is different to domestic flights or short haul international operated by VA.

You can book UA tickets as VA tickets but I find they're generally around 20% more. Additionally the VA earning on a UA flight (on a VA ticket) is less than before, and the UA earning (on a UA ticket) has literally been halved.

 

[PERLHR]

Yeah I have just compared VA code share on SQ metal to Hanoi from Perth. Biz class results in 700 dollars difference flying with VA number against SQ!! How can that ever be justified or even allowed? Same flights.and from what I see, same conditions of ticket.