Virgin Australia Pick Your Bonus Promo - Double Points or Status Credits - Ends 13 June 2025

[simmomelb]

I dunno, that often gets brought, but there's a lot of complaints in the Qantas forum about inconsistencies within the alliance as well. Most recently of Cathay Pacific citing "overcrowding" to stop people going into certain lounges and the situation at Bangkok airport.

I've been *G for over ten years and there's often inconsistencies there as well. Lufthansa often goes above and beyond for *G customers, United not so much...

Sure, valid, but they aren't these types of inconsistencies, and these are just a handful of almost, bizarre ones.
- Fly ANA, no lounge, whatsoever.
- Fly ANZ to Auckland, get lounge access if you bought your ticket via VA, bought your ticket direct from ANZ, no access.
- Fly international on VA metal, no lounge for anyone, on their OWN aircraft.
- No third party lounge access from partner airlines.
- DSC not included in their "wet leased" service to DOH, which they promoted as their return to, long haul.

 

[SeaWolf]

Sure, valid, but they aren't these types of inconsistencies, and these are just a handful of almost, bizarre ones.

I do wish things were a bit more consistent with the partners, but I can understand the commercial realities of these arrangements. A lot of airlines and are not in an alliance and have various partners with various levels of services. Even carriers within an alliance have other partners with varying degrees of access to services. Some will be very close and offer a range of services, like QF and EK and others will just be simple code share or points arrangements, like QF and WS.

I get why some people are frustrated about it, but what's going on with VA and its partners all seems pretty normal to me.

Anyway, we've wandered a bit of the way off the topic of the thread.

 

[ols]

I’d be happy with less people in the lounges, far too overcrowded currently.
Status has been far too easy to earn in the past and although I do think they have probably gone a bit too far the other way it should at least sort the wheat from the chaff now

There will still be plenty of chaff from the Amex Velocity Platinum cardholders

 

[Must...Fly!]

Call a spade a spade.

They've decided the revenue from AMEX lounge visits is more financially valuable to them than offering the previous status arrangements.

I think it's ludicrous thinking and will backfire rather significantly for them, but I guess all we can do is wait, watch our status soft landings happen and see what results.

 

[aamslfc]

Their loads are pretty darn good

Yes, because they have spent years building a loyal base of frequent flyers.

Remove the frequent flyer incentives and let's see how darn good those loads become.

Yes I do think they have skewed it a bit far but at the end of the day they are rewarding their loyal customers

How incredibly insulting that a decade's worth of my family almost exclusively flying VA and their partners domestically and internationally - and the sizeable five-figure sum I've already funneled into this airline - does not constitute loyalty.

and there will still be plenty of those IMO but if it doesn’t work out then they can always rejig it

And there's the problem - alienate enough of the customer base, and it'll be too late to "rejig" it and create an offering that entices those customers back.

It's far easier to keep a customer than it is to win back a customer.

I’d be happy with less people in the lounges, far too overcrowded currently.

I agree - but I think that's a legacy of post-COVID flying and new people being exposed to FF points and lounges through social media/websites.

Status has been far too easy to earn in the past and although I do think they have probably gone a bit too far the other way

You still had to spend the money and do the travel to earn status - it wasn't exactly easy, it took a decent chunk of flying and spending to achieve and retain it, especially on an airline that has a limited footprint

it should at least sort the wheat from the chaff now

Seriously? They're opening up the lounges to everyone with a bloody credit card.

You think it's bad now, wait until they become 24/7 zoos with lines out the door like US domestic lounges.

 

[jase05]

Yes, because they have spent years building a loyal base of frequent flyers.

Remove the frequent flyer incentives and let's see how darn good those loads become.

There is a large percentage of people that choose BFOD so as long as VA’s prices are competitive their planes will be full.

VA’s status has been one of the easiest to earn for some time. With family pooling, DSC’s etc you could obtain Gold for pretty much nix.
They needed to tighten that up but whether they have gone too far remains to be seen

 

[MooTime]

Sure, valid, but they aren't these types of inconsistencies, and these are just a handful of almost, bizarre ones.
- Fly ANA, no lounge, whatsoever.
- Fly ANZ to Auckland, get lounge access if you bought your ticket via VA, bought your ticket direct from ANZ, no access.
- Fly international on VA metal, no lounge for anyone, on their OWN aircraft.
- No third party lounge access from partner airlines.
- DSC not included in their "wet leased" service to DOH, which they promoted as their return to, long haul.

The below has to be the worst status benefit of them all, especially as a Platinum member.

"Fly international on VA metal, no lounge for anyone, on their OWN aircraft"

One for the super Nova FF's is there any other frequent flyer program in the world that doesn't offer it's platinum, all but invitational members no lounge access on its own metal for international flights?
I mean really, this aspect absolutely stinks.

Thanks goodness for PP, limited as it's getting, still offers something.

 

[jguanine]

Does anyone know if bookings made via the velocity business website will also be eligible for double status?

 

[kevrosmith]

Does anyone know if bookings made via the velocity business website will also be eligible for double status?

I nearly always book through the Business Portal and have received DSCs in previous promotions.

 

[jguanine]

I nearly always book through the Business Portal and have received DSCs in previous promotions.

Good to know, thanks!

 

[straitman]

Except that lounge access now comes with the Velocity Amex card and many more people will get that than have status, I reckon, which still makes the lounges crowded.

... and/or the Amex Platinum Charge Card for access.

True, $5k or 10k for SG or WP respectively per year now..... Virgin lifetime lounge access can be bought for $9,750.

Comes with guest access & Arrivals access.

If I really wanted lounge access.......

Remembering that at the moment if you utilise the DSC offer it's $2.5k for Gold and $5k for Platinum.