Star Alliance or Virgin Velocity Program?

[MJM57]

I am a Gold Velocity member.
My wife and I travel twice a year overseas once to USA and once to Europe. We like travelling with Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand, both Star Alliance members and always travel economy class.

Would we get better deals / offers if we use our e.g KrisFlyer membership rather than Velocity? We typically use our accumulated points for flights within Australia.

 

[SYD]

If earning points for redemptions is the priority, perhap sticking with VA might be the go? Use family pooling to maintain status and higher earn rates on VA flights. Easier to earn CC miles. The downside with VA is the redemption fees but they do have good domestic redemptions but worsening international availability. You can switch points over to SQ to access a better range of *A redemptions and lower fees. What I don't like about SQ is the absolute points expiry regime. But I guess you can switch those to VA if they look like expiring.

I travel with VA for work but normally stick with QF/OW for personal travel. Once VA aligned with NZ and SQ, I pondered the need for a *A FF account. Prior to that, I was sending the occasional SQ/NZ flight miles to UA. With the SQ tie up, I'll probably run down my UA account and use SQ to accrue any non-SQ/NZ miles on *A.

Would you be likely to achieve *A Gold? Lounge access is more consistent in a proper alliance. Another thing to consider.

 

[MJM57]

Thank you for that advice. I will stick with VV. We use points to visit family and friends in Australia and because we can go anytime we get some good flights for minimal points. This year I would not have made Gold with Velocity without taking some SC from wife. The pooling feature is an attraction of VV program. Frequent access to lounges in Australia probably more important that occasional access to an international lounge. VA not being a SA member is disappointing and a shortcoming of the program.