Velocity - Lifetime benefits

[Mogul]

One thing I would like to see is some form of lifetime benefits for velocity members similar to Qantas' Lifetime Gold etc.

After so many SC's are earned you get lifetime Silver and the same with Gold.

Maybe Crazydave can answer whether or not it's in the pipeline.

 

[crazydave98]

One thing I would like to see is some form of lifetime benefits for velocity members similar to Qantas' Lifetime Gold etc.

After so many SC's are earned you get lifetime Silver and the same with Gold.

Maybe Crazydave can answer whether or not it's in the pipeline.

I'd like to answer but we are going to be making quite a few announcements about changes to Velocity (not "enhancements" in the Qantas sense) and don't want to give too much away. Let's just say the input from this forum carries a lot of weight in deciding which benefits would be of most benefit to members.
cheers
CrazyDave98

 

[sense99]

I agree 100%.

I was somewhat devastated to learn recently that if I had initally chosen QFF instead of Velocity as my frequent flyer program of chocie, I would now be easily LTS. Instead - due to a rare year of limited travelling secondary to serious injury and natural disaster(s), I will be downgraded to red status with absolutely nothing to show for my years of loyalty.

Please, oh please introduce a *Lifetime Status* for Velocity.

Backdated of course

 

[antycbr]

I agree 100%.
Please, oh please introduce a *Lifetime Status* for Velocity.

Backdated of course

Plus one to that - I'm just starting out but backdating would be sweet. And all status credits to be counted please, not just own-metal ones.

 

[SeaWolf]

Re: And SQ

so lets not lose focus on that point.

And the point of this thread was to discuss lifetime benefits/status on Velocity.

 

[JohnK]

But is it OK to attack a member who asks a fair question regardless of whether it is off-topic or not?

This seems to be happening quite a lot on AFF recently? I thought this type of behaviour was reserved for the likes of Flyertalk forums.

 

[SeaWolf]

But is it OK to attack a member who asks a fair question regardless of whether it is off-topic or not?

I think most of that has to do with how that particular member phrased the comment. To get back on topic, I'd love to see some kind of lifetime status on Velocity, but it would need to be realistically attainable, some airlines set the bar very, very high on this one.

 

[openseat]

A lifetime membership to the Lounge could be a nice option as well.

 

[samh004]

I think most of that has to do with how that particular member phrased the comment. To get back on topic, I'd love to see some kind of lifetime status on Velocity, but it would need to be realistically attainable, some airlines set the bar very, very high on this one.

At their current rates of 5/6/7 x the amount you spend, such a level might have to be higher than a million points?

 

[leny]

Lifetime status possibility is probably the one thing that could sell me to VBA. But for now, I'm happy accumulating lifetime SC's by exclusively flying Qantas/OW.
Sorry for bringing up an old post, but it came up in my google search of the matter.

 

[ff-jr]

Slightly OT, but I'd also love to see the option to purchase the next highest membership level at the end of each year (for those who fall short of climbing or renewing) based on a sliding scale against how many SC's you needed to make the jump.

I seem to always fall short of Silver but would happily pay for the upgrade, and I'm sure many loyal and/or business customers would take to it as well. Could be a nice revenue stream.

 

[samh004]

Slightly OT, but I'd also love to see the option to purchase the next highest membership level at the end of each year (for those who fall short of climbing or renewing) based on a sliding scale against how many SC's you needed to make the jump.

I seem to always fall short of Silver but would happily pay for the upgrade, and I'm sure many loyal and/or business customers would take to it as well. Could be a nice revenue stream.

In the current spend-based program I can see that being possible, as it’s easy to work out that at say 5 points per $ what you’d have to spend on flights yourself to get there, though I’m not sure some of the figures needed would be acceptable to you

For instance, falling 25,000 points short of Gold (so you’re a Silver and get 6 points per $ spent on tickets), that’d be $4166 (as that’s how much you’d have to spend domestically to get there normally… and I doubt anyone would want to pay that much for Gold).

 

[ff-jr]

In the current spend-based program I can see that being possible, as it’s easy to work out that at say 5 points per $ what you’d have to spend on flights yourself to get there, though I’m not sure some of the figures needed would be acceptable to you

For instance, falling 25,000 points short of Gold (so you’re a Silver and get 6 points per $ spent on tickets), that’d be $4166 (as that’s how much you’d have to spend domestically to get there normally… and I doubt anyone would want to pay that much for Gold).

That's assuming the new Velocity earn rate won't be miles-based.

But even considering what you're saying, there are alternatives. Personally, I would assume that you wouldn't be buying the SC's, rather, paying a premium (reduced against the base value of the required SC's) to close the gap. Potentially you could earn points on that purchase, but you'd be forgoing the SC's (you wouldn't need them anyway as they'd be a part of the previous earning year). It keeps the incentive on earning through flying, but is a fallback for those who don't make the grade.

And from a business standpoint - if you can sell loyalty, why wouldn't you?

 

[xtoss]

That's assuming the new Velocity earn rate won't be miles-based.

But even considering what you're saying, there are alternatives. Personally, I would assume that you wouldn't be buying the SC's, rather, paying a premium (reduced against the base value of the required SC's) to close the gap. Potentially you could earn points on that purchase, but you'd be forgoing the SC's (you wouldn't need them anyway as they'd be a part of the previous earning year). It keeps the incentive on earning through flying, but is a fallback for those who don't make the grade.

And from a business standpoint - if you can sell loyalty, why wouldn't you?

Not sure how I'd feel about that, I'm going to be just falling a bit short of Gold this year so in one way I would love to be able to top it up, but at the same time I like the idea that Status credits are form those that fly and that's where the prestige comes from

 

[DJ 1D]

If Velocity does decide to put together some sort of Lifetime benefit program, I really hope they count all the historical SCs. I (and I'm sure countless others) would be furious if all my past loyalty and hundreds of thousands of SCs just disappeared and we had to start all over.

 

[malmacdowall]

If Velocity does decide to put together some sort of Lifetime benefit program, I really hope they count all the historical SCs. I (and I'm sure countless others) would be furious if all my past loyalty and hundreds of thousands of SCs just disappeared and we had to start all over.

You would hope that any "new" velocity program would take previous and existing SC into account.... No point burning your current loyalty members.....

 

[JohnK]

I seem to always fall short of Silver but would happily pay for the upgrade, and I'm sure many loyal and/or business customers would take to it as well. Could be a nice revenue stream.

Why not just spend the money on the flights to get to status?

And from a business standpoint - if you can sell loyalty, why wouldn't you?

Excuse my ignorance but what good will Velocity status be if anyone can just purchase it for a sum?

And how mad will I be spending $9,000 to get Velocity Gold when someone can spend $4,000 to get Velocity Silver and then a token amount to be comped Velocity Gold. And yes I understand there are tricks people can use to get status now.

And I am not having a shot at you in any way but I fail to see the point of the discussion of people wanting status in a frequent flyer program (note I am not using the word loyalty) when they simply do not do enough flying?

 

[medhead]

Why not just spend the money on the flights to get to status?


Excuse my ignorance but what good will Velocity status be if anyone can just purchase it for a sum?

And how mad will I be spending $9,000 to get Velocity Gold when someone can spend $4,000 to get Velocity Silver and then a token amount to be comped Velocity Gold. And yes I understand there are tricks people can use to get status now.

Surely it wouldn't be a token amount in that case but the full $5000. Which gets back to your first question why not just fly.

 

[JohnK]

Surely it wouldn't be a token amount in that case but the full $5000. Which gets back to your first question why not just fly.

I get the feeling from the nature of the post and the reply that they would expect to pay a token amount only for the privilege of being comped status.

A little like purchasing a JQ ODU to StarClass after purchasing a cheap 1c fare on sale.

 

[ff-jr]

Lots of valid points against my suggestions, and I appreciate the feedback. What is this place if not for discussion, am I right? And certainly no offence taken. I like a good back-and-forth.

I was more suggestive towards it being targeted to people who fall within a certain margin short of status (I should have been clearer on that) - I definitely didn't intend it as something that anybody/every could take up (nor would they - it's very much a niche product).

Why not just spend the money on the flights to get to status?

Sometimes that's easier said than done. For example, I'm about to do some o/s travelling, including a bunch of domestic flights within the US, but then I'll be grounded for two months with no hopes of even a weekend getaway. Even in my regular routine, I study full-time and work on top of that - it's hard to find time to breathe sometimes! It'd be nice to know there's a windfall should I need it.

These are only suggestions from my perspective as a loyal DJ/VA (+codeshare) flyer who has fallen frustratingly short a couple of times. I can imagine it's the same for, say, business people who might find their travel budget cut at some point in the year or a FF who is grounded for other reasons.

I do believe, as I said in a previous post, that the emphasis should be placed on getting pax in seats. Without a doubt (and I'd much prefer to be sky high than shelling out empty dollars).

Admittedly the bulk of my travel is leisure-related, but I'm only human, flawed with the obsession of trying to earn status just like the rest of us.