Virgin Australia’s Platinum Plus problem – and why loyalists are noticing

[VALifetimeGold]

Six months since the introduction of the Platinum Plus tier feels like a reasonable moment to take stock. Are the additional benefits genuinely meaningful? Do they adequately reward the extra spend required to attain Plus over standard Platinum? Have you noticed a more personalised level of acknowledgement as a Plus member? And what changes, if any, would make the tier better suited to your actual travel needs?


Setting aside the Australian call centre (a genuine positive), the benefits over and above standard Platinum feel thin – particularly for those of us travelling primarily in Business.


The lounge situation is the sharpest pain point. Qantas extends an invitation to its Platinum One members to use the Business lounge; Virgin Australia Platinum Plus members, by contrast, remain confined to the Lounge. A venue frequent flyers have affectionately – if pointedly – come to know as “the trough”. The Beyond Lounge, it seems, has become the near-exclusive territory of corporate travel buyers and senior executives whose accounts underpin VA’s largest contracts.


Until the airline recalibrates how it values small business travellers and independents – who collectively represent a significant and loyal revenue stream – it’s difficult to see how this particular tension gets resolved.



Keen to get the views of others on here.

 

[flyingfan]

Plenty of discussion on two existing threads:

Thread 'Will you still earn/retain Velocity status beyond 2025?'

Nov 1, 2024

I'm sure most people reading this are already familiar with the recent changes announced to Virgin Australia's Velocity Frequent Flyer program. In particular, from next year:

• You'll earn status credits for Virgin Australia flights based on the amount you spend,
• You'll earn fewer status credits on partner airlines, and
• To earn or retain any status level, you'll need to earn at least half of the required status credits from VA marketed flights you personally fly (i.e. not from family pooling, partner airlines, etc.)

Put simply, this will make Velocity status harder for...

• AFF Editor
• airline status
• Replies: 1,029
• Forum: Virgin Australia | Velocity

• 

Thread 'Virgin Australia Platinum Plus Status Discussion'

Oct 24, 2024

One of the changes to the Velocity program announced last week was a new tier above Platinum called Platinum Plus. It will launch on 1 October 2025, and you'll need to earn 2,000 status credits within 12 months to reach it - with at least 1,500 of those from VA marketed flights.

We've put together this guide with details of the new tier:

Guide to Virgin Australia Platinum Plus Status

Velocity has launched its new Platinum Plus status tier, offering new perks to Virgin Australia's most frequent flyers. But do the benefits justify the required spend of around $24,000 per year?

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Do you think Velocity Platinum Plus is worth aiming for? You can share your thoughts below!

• AFF Editor
• Replies: 146
• Forum: Virgin Australia | Velocity

• 

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Six months since the introduction of the Platinum Plus tier feels like a reasonable moment to take stock. Are the additional benefits genuinely meaningful? Do they adequately reward the extra spend required to attain Plus over standard Platinum? Have you noticed a more personalised level of acknowledgement as a Plus member? And what changes, if any, would make the tier better suited to your actual travel needs?


Setting aside the Australian call centre (a genuine positive), the benefits over and above standard Platinum feel thin – particularly for those of us travelling primarily in Business.


The lounge situation is the sharpest pain point. Qantas extends an invitation to its Platinum One members to use the Business lounge; Virgin Australia Platinum Plus members, by contrast, remain confined to the Lounge. A venue frequent flyers have affectionately – if pointedly – come to know as “the trough”. The Beyond Lounge, it seems, has become the near-exclusive territory of corporate travel buyers and senior executives whose accounts underpin VA’s largest contracts.


Until the airline recalibrates how it values small business travellers and independents – who collectively represent a significant and loyal revenue stream – it’s difficult to see how this particular tension gets resolved.



Keen to get the views of others on here.

Agree… but no one should be spending anything ‘additional’ to get PP. It should be something you were going to spend anyway. Especially for VA who generally have the lower fares compared to QF.

In that scenario, the benefits, however ‘thin’ are a welcome addition?

 

[Sprucegoose]

It makes no sense to unless they open the Beyond Lounge to PP Members.

I will maintain WP status only and spend elsewhere.

 

[serfty]

There are three main benefits I perceive - access to SilverKris lounge in Singapore when not in Business/First, soft landing to WP and Platinum upgrades from non lite fares.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There are three main benefits I perceive - access to SilverKris lounge in Singapore when not in Business/First, soft landing to WP and Platinum upgrades from non lite fares.

Plus the two ‘just in case’ benefits… access to AU call centres (when you have a genuine problem that the o/s call centres can’t deal with) and ‘fly later’. Both of those I needed during my commuting days.