Velocity Changes incl SC earn on ASAs, SC by sector and baggage changes

[Virgin Bart]

VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

[h=4]Limited time only offer: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats[/h]For a limited time only, you will be rewarded with Status Credits when you redeem your Points for a Reward Seat with Virgin Australia*.
Simply redeem your Points for a Virgin Australia marketed and operated flight and travel between 13 January and 30 June 2013 to take advantage of this exclusive offer.
Status Credits are used to determine your level of membership in the Velocity Program. The further you fly and the higher the fare class, the more Status Credits you earn. Click here to learn more about the benefits you can receive at each membership level.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Limited time only offer: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

For a limited time only, you will be rewarded with Status Credits when you redeem your Points for a Reward Seat with Virgin Australia*.
Simply redeem your Points for a Virgin Australia marketed and operated flight and travel between 13 January and 30 June 2013 to take advantage of this exclusive offer.
Status Credits are used to determine your level of membership in the Velocity Program. The further you fly and the higher the fare class, the more Status Credits you earn. Click here to learn more about the benefits you can receive at each membership level.

That still only refers to reward seats. Is it confirmed that any seat awards are a permanent change?

 

[Fruitcake]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

That still only refers to reward seats. Is it confirmed that any seat awards are a permanent change?

There is. T&Cs were refreshed this morning, I posted over here:
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ity-status-run-master-46199-5.html#post741665

 

[oz_mark]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

That still only refers to reward seats. Is it confirmed that any seat awards are a permanent change?

As per the T&Cs:
9.6.5 Effective for travel taken on or after 13 January 2013, Points may be earned for eligible Any Seat bookings.

Terms & Conditions | Velocity Frequent Flyer

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Thanks Fruitcake and oz_mark.

 

[Jama]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Does the SC's on rewards mean that points and pay likewise get SC's now. Can't see anything definite on this.

 

[notzac]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Have been reliably informed that Award redemptions get SCs (for a limited time) and Any Seat redemptions get points and SCs.

 

[bullerdude]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Does the SC's on rewards mean that points and pay likewise get SC's now. Can't see anything definite on this.

I think points and pay bookings are either reward or any seat booking from now on... based on the way the VA booking site seems to be working.

Thus it would depend on which ticket you end up booking.

 

[Fruitcake]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Does the SC's on rewards mean that points and pay likewise get SC's now. Can't see anything definite on this.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....changes-incl-sc-earn-46113-11.html#post741700

 

[anat0l]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

There's still no clear indication on the website that explains how many points you will earn if you book an Any Seat award.

I've heard people say it will be the same as the base fare represented by that Any Seat, e.g. if your Business Saver Any Seat books into D, then whatever was the going price of a D ticket when you purchased is the basis of how much you earn.

Not that it may be that important to people (i.e. the status credits are probably a lot more important than how many points you earn).

On top of that, am I searching wrong or am I not alone: the Any Seat award prices are huge! I looked at a random date at BNE/SYD one-way, and whilst Business Reward is the normal 13,800 points plus co-pay, Business Saver Any Seat is going for upwards of 40,000 points or so.



Is it just me or has the earn points tables (Points Earn with Airline Partners | Velocity Frequent Flyer) subtly changed during the transition? I mean yes, there are cosmetic changes, new fare classes etc., but have some rates changed, conditions tightened, etc.?

 

[Fruitcake]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

On top of that, am I searching wrong or am I not alone: the Any Seat award prices are huge! I looked at a random date at BNE/SYD one-way, and whilst Business Reward is the normal 13,800 points plus co-pay, Business Saver Any Seat is going for upwards of 40,000 points or so.

The formulation of Any Seat pricing is pretty basic (and ridiculously expensive) - for every example I've found, it's ~0.8c/pt. So a $1000 cash fare translates into a 125,000pt any seat fare.

Or a J saver SYD-CNS: Cash fare is $661.55, or $87.99 + 71,700 (0.7999c/pt). Full J on that route is $901.55, or $109.81 + 99,000 (0.7997c/pt).

 

[oz_mark]

The issue with the price of any seat awards is that they don't seem to expose reward classes as any seat awards. Just like Qantas when there are no classic reward you can be looking at some big numbers.

The nominal dollar value of classic award tickets can be quite low.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Does the SC's on rewards mean that points and pay likewise get SC's now. Can't see anything definite on this.

The below-mentioned T&C clause seems to indicate that a reward flight is a reward flight and points or points and pay are both acceptable methods of settling that reward flight booking so in my non-legal capacity, I'd have thought the promo SCs are applied to both points and points and pay methods of remunerating VA for the booking.

13.1.5 The monetary amount and/or number of Points required to be redeemed for a particular Reward is set out on the Velocity Website and is subject to change.

 

[Jama]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Just thought of another scenario. If upgrading a Flexi to J with points do we now get the SC's of the upgrade class or the original booking as before. If not at the upgraded class rate how is this any different to SC's being given for reward bookings equivalent to the class selected for the reward.

 

[obrienja]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Jama Virgin confirmed to me via Twitter that upgraded flexis only earn at the booked class rate not the upgraded class rate.

 

[Jama]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Thanks for that. Doesn't make sense to me. Points for J = J SC's but. Points for J from flexi = Flexi SC's. So if nothing comes out of your pocket you get more SC's than you do if your parting with your cash !

 

[MadFairlane]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Thanks for that. Doesn't make sense to me. Points for J = J SC's but. Points for J from flexi = Flexi SC's. So if nothing comes out of your pocket you get more SC's than you do if your parting with your cash !

Part of the reason I cancelled my first flight ever the other day.

Cancelled my Flexi, with comp upgrade (with a full refund too due to it being booked before migration, and comp upgrade returned.) and burned points on a J class redemption back from PER, via MEL to BNE.

140SC instead of 70 and money back in my Amex... yes plz.

 

[anat0l]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Thanks for that. Doesn't make sense to me. Points for J = J SC's but. Points for J from flexi = Flexi SC's. So if nothing comes out of your pocket you get more SC's than you do if your parting with your cash !

To be fair, you can part with cash with a reward seat (though if you want to pay all points, also OK).

As far as I can tell, notwithstanding the "rebate" points on your cash ticket, an upgrade costs less points than a reward seat. Since you can't buy points, that could be a sticking point for those who simply don't have enough points (especially if multiple passengers).

In the end, it's all about finding what's the best value. (Just as many found out in the second half of last year, with half-priced upgrades it was better to pay for a flexi and upgrade rather than get a reward seat, even when it may have been during a reward seat promotion).

Also, the SCs on the reward seat thing is, at least at the moment, only a limited-time promo. We could see it extended, but otherwise after it is over, SCs will only be available on Any Seat rewards, which aren't cheap (so far).

 

[MadFairlane]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

Just been looking at my BP from the 13th, MEL-PER... Fare class is Z, even though it was a comp upgrade.

Watch this space, might get J SCs lol

 

[pangwen]

Re: VA: Earn Status Credits on Reward Seats

One thing I'm not liking about in the new system is that their sale fares all appear to be in Saver Lite, which doesn't let you pre-purchase baggage (can do it at the airport for $40). The base sale fare is still pretty much the same ($85 one way BNE-SYD), so that's effectively a $28 price jump (was previously $12 to add bags) if you want checked luggage.

Qantas was previously a bit more expensive with their sale fares, but they're currently $105 one way on the date I want (can be as low as $99 on other days), so it's $4 cheaper than Virgin's $109 saver fare but with a meal in addition to baggage. For me it won't matter (having status with VA), but my SO will probably have to book with QF.