Velocity Quandary stay or move on

[Brittany]

I have a dilemma in trying to figure out if I should stay with Velocity; try and get status match elsewhere; or start flying with Qantas. I have been platinum with Velocity for about 10 years (July 2026) but still 1900sc off Forever Gold. I live an hour and a half from the nearest Virgin airport and only 15 mins from a Qantaslink (it used to take me an hour and a half to get to any airport previously). With their program changes and the loss of partnerships with Etihad and Hawaiian Airlines etc, I am running out of airlines that I prefer to fly with. Qatar is nice, but there is a part of me that remembers the forceful disembarking of female passengers for physical examinations, and I don’t think that will ever sit right with me. I flew F with them last year and they were great, but I’d be lying if I said I was 100% comfortable with their history.
Is anyone else considering their options? I have not flown Qantas since Virgin started in Australia, so I don’t know much of their business class or service standards (I usually fly J domestically). I thought about trying to get status (or status match if it’s an option) with Singapore, Emirates or Etihad, but I am an amateur when it comes to frequent flyer options, having been happy with Virgin until this change. Any guidance or thoughts are very much appreciated.

 

[drron]

I used to discriminate between airlines according to their behaviour re Civil rights of their citizens. The problem was I ran out of airlines to use hence having my first QR flights in August. If you do believe that Qatar's record means not flying with QR then Etihad and Emirates should also be on your list.

World Report 2025: Rights Trends in United Arab Emirates

www.hrw.org

Here on the Sunshine Coast a local went to work in Dubai for SPG. She was raped. The perpetrator was not charged yet she was charged, convicted and jailed for sex outside of marriage.

Now if you want to fly again with QR it is much easier to get a premium award with them through Velocity rather than QF. They also have a relationship with SQ and again easy to get J awards through velocity.

On the other hand QF being the closest to home would be a big factor in who I chose. So not an easy decision.

 

[Brittany]

I used to discriminate between airlines according to their behaviour re Civil rights of their citizens. The problem was I ran out of airlines to use hence having my first QR flights in August. If you do believe that Qatar's record means not flying with QR then Etihad and Emirates should also be on your list.

World Report 2025: Rights Trends in United Arab Emirates

www.hrw.org

Here on the Sunshine Coast a local went to work in Dubai for SPG. She was raped. The perpetrator was not charged yet she was charged, convicted and jailed for sex outside of marriage.

Now if you want to fly again with QR it is much easier to get a premium award with them through Velocity rather than QF. They also have a relationship with SQ and again easy to get J awards through velocity.

On the other hand QF being the closest to home would be a big factor in who I chose. So not an easy decision.

Thank you for your thoughts. Yes, I am aware that there are human rights issues with many airlines and their operational countries, but the incident with QR was the first I had heard of an airline removing women (including Aussies), off a plane for a “physical inspection”. When I flew with them, the crew were wonderful, but I still had that background thought while flying with them. Perhaps I’ll get over it, but the loss of partnerships is an issue too. There doesn’t seem to be a replacement drive happening either. You are also right, it is not an easy decision and I am sure others are in a similar quandary (not necessarily the same issues, but just trying to work out what their priorities are and where the best “match” is for their circumstances). I really appreciate your thoughts

 

[levelnine]

If you're usually flying J (you mention domestic, but what about international?), I wouldn't worry much about status. You get most of the perks of status with your J ticket. The only thing you're missing out on is oneworld first lounges, but it sounds like your priority is on board product.

From what you've wrote, I'd choose Qantas over Virgin domestically simply to reduce the commute time to the airport & Singapore internationally to Europe (which sounds like a frequent destination for you) if you aren't open to flying Qatar. And not worry about status.

It's important to remember that if you decide to go all-in on one alliance, you're usually sacrificing something else — cost, product quality, route network.

People not tied to status get the pick of the bunch.

The equation is different if you fly Y a lot.

 

[Brittany]

If you're usually flying J (you mention domestic, but what about international?), I wouldn't worry much about status. You get most of the perks of status with your J ticket. The only thing you're missing out on is oneworld first lounges, but it sounds like your priority is on board product.

From what you've wrote, I'd choose Qantas over Virgin domestically simply to reduce the commute time to the airport & Singapore internationally to Europe (which sounds like a frequent destination for you) if you aren't open to flying Qatar. And not worry about status.

It's important to remember that if you decide to go all-in on one alliance, you're usually sacrificing something else — cost, product quality, route network.

People not tied to status get the pick of the bunch.

The equation is different if you fly Y a lot.

You are making a good point here I usually fly F or J if I can, so I tend to get a ton of points from those flights. I suppose looking at where I can utilise those points here in Australia might be a good way to go about it (reverse engineer it!). Looking at what international airlines credit points to Qantas and if any of them have a status match, might be a start. Yes, I fly to Europe, the US (on hiatus) and the Middle East, often.

 

[Mwenenzi]

As above flying paid J and F status does not do much for you.

VA are not in alliance and have limited ff partners.

QF are part of OW Alliance, so many ff partners. QR Qatar, BA CX AA AS FJ and others.
oneworld Members: Airlines In The oneworld Alliance
And other non alliance airlines like AF/KLM, Emirates EK and HA Hawaiian.
HA is now 100% owned by AS and will become a OW airline, as a brand of AS
QF & QR are not friendly. Check the QF earnings on QR flights.

 

[Mattg]

Sometimes, when a relationship becomes too one-sided, it's time to move on.