Will you still earn/retain Velocity status beyond 2025?

[henrus]

Sorry, how does a rewards flight using VFF points on QR help retain VA status?

I think it was to be a cash booking, I was the one who mistook that for a reward booking and posted the multi city reward screenshot.

 

[Happy Dude]

I think it was to be a cash booking, I was the one who mistook that for a reward booking and posted the multi city reward screenshot.

Ah roger that. I got a little excited, then angry, that I might have been missing out on a trick.

 

[jamesatfish]

Late to this poll but just I've dropped from Gold to Silver and won't be back for the foreseeable future.

I've got 1235 status credits this year which is enough for Platinum, but they're mostly from SQ partner earn and I didn't take the required number of VA flights to meet either SG or WP levels.

I had two VA flights booked in July to get me to at least the Gold threshold but fate intervened; one flight was delayed 4 hours and the other cancelled so I ended up on QF for both, reaching the P1 threshold as a result and deciding to abandon VA altogether.

 

[clifford]

deciding to abandon VA altogether.

Yes indeed. Will be interesting to see how the owners Bain, QR and the retail investors go.

Might end in tears, a way down the track. However, the American management will probably have hightailed it by then, having seen the writing on the wall.

 

[MH_fan]

It'll be interesting to see how VA responds to QF's latest double SC offer, especially when compared to their own most recent double SC offer and the rather lukewarm reception it got. I wouldn't be surprised if offering triple SCs in the future is what gets people booking more with them.

 

[MooTime]

It'll be interesting to see how VA responds to QF's latest double SC offer, especially when compared to their own most recent double SC offer and the rather lukewarm reception it got. I wouldn't be surprised if offering triple SCs in the future is what gets people booking more with them.

True, but to play the brocken record again, VA have stated they want less status holders filling their lounges, only rewarding their most loyal musters.

So offering any form of Status Credit bonuses contradicts their current philosophy.

QF clearly targeting more status holders by unchanged tier requirements & constant DSC offers.

Polar opposites atm.

 

[MH_fan]

True, but to play the brocken record again, VA have stated they want less status holders filling their lounges, only rewarding their most loyal musters.

Except they're making it more likely for the lounges to fill up with credit card holders (that have unlimited access) who are definitely not their most loyal musters! That is the true contradiction!!

 

[MooTime]

Except they're making it more likely for the lounges to fill up with credit card holders (that have unlimited access) who are definitely not their most loyal musters! That is the true contradiction!!

Exactly.

 

[lovestotravel]

Except they're making it more likely for the lounges to fill up with credit card holders (that have unlimited access) who are definitely not their most loyal musters! That is the true contradiction!!

What credit card holders have unlimited access ?

I thought it was only Amex Plat Charge ?

 

[MooTime]

What credit card holders have unlimited access ?

I thought it was only Amex Plat Charge ?

AMEX velocity platinum.
I recently cancelled it.

 

[simmomelb]

Except they're making it more likely for the lounges to fill up with credit card holders (that have unlimited access) who are definitely not their most loyal musters! That is the true contradiction!!

Well, to be fair, that's only 1 entry per credit card and many don't qualify for an Amex or don't want to pay the higher annual fees associated with these cards.
Gold offers 2 pax entry, platinum 4 pax entry plus international lounge access with the likes of Qatar, Singapore, United, Virgin Atlantic, Air NZ etc (unlike the Amex Velocity card).
VA also makes real world revenue from Amex for the entry also, which is good for the balance sheet. Along with spend based monthly revenue which appears as Velocity points.
Credit cards with higher annual fees, offering single entry to lounges is nothing new, been going on for years and airlines love it.
This doesn't mean their plan to reduce FFS status to higher value pax wont be effective, because that is bound to happen with these changes.
I'm sure they will continue to still offer DSC or TSC from time to time when they want to increase revenue. The overall reduction in lower value FF's (Gold/Plat status) will still be achieved either way.

 

[lovestotravel]

AMEX velocity platinum.
I recently cancelled it.

Wasn't aware of that one...

I only fly VA because I get lounge access with my Amex, while I'm only silver, if I didn't get lounge access I'd fly QF (as much as I despise QF)

 

[MH_fan]

Well, to be fair, that's only 1 entry per credit card and many don't qualify for an Amex or don't want to pay the higher annual fees associated with these cards.
Gold offers 2 pax entry, platinum 4 pax entry plus international lounge access with the likes of Qatar, Singapore, United, Virgin Atlantic, Air NZ etc (unlike the Amex Velocity card).
VA also makes real world revenue from Amex for the entry also, which is good for the balance sheet. Along with spend based monthly revenue which appears as Velocity points.
Credit cards with higher annual fees, offering single entry to lounges is nothing new, been going on for years and airlines love it.
This doesn't mean their plan to reduce FFS status to higher value pax wont be effective, because that is bound to happen with these changes.
I'm sure they will continue to still offer DSC or TSC from time to time when they want to increase revenue. The overall reduction in lower value FF's will still be achieved either way.

That's a fair point. Well, VA are no longer my 99% first choice for domestic travel since the change. If their fares are competitive, I'll book them but anything less than a 20% price difference with QF and QF is getting my business (and we're comparing their Choice fares to QF's red e-deals here).

 

[antycbr]

I know VA lurk here so I’m going to make it clear. People are walking away from your program. Including me. I have close to 10000 LTG status credits and am a multi year platinum.

Qantas dropped a DSC promo yesterday which is making retaining any residual loyalty to your program very difficult. No response from VA.

You have a limited lounge network and confusing partners yet are positioning your program value proposition as if it’s superior to QF. VA used to be about 80 percent of QF in terms of pricing but the value proposition added up. Now it doesn’t. Your partners either have removed J availability or now have huge copayments.

You’ve created a loyalty program where it’s very easy to work out the value proposition - $9600 for platinum isn’t worth it. Let alone $18000 for 3/4 of Plat+ (needing another 500SC from somewhere else). The changes have also distorted the original intent of Family Pooling which was a genuine point of difference from QF.

I used to only look at VA and partners - not any more.

The only thing that got me genuinely excited in terms of loyalty - the prospect of Plat+ access to the Beyond lounge - is apparently a mistake.

 

[jase05]

$9600 for platinum isn’t worth it. Let alone $18000 for 3/4 of Plat+ (needing another 500SC from somewhere else)

Of course it’s not worth it but I’d suspect a fair proportion of Platinum or Platinum+ aren’t actually chasing status but it’s just the byproduct of travelling frequency. and as it stands currently for our leisure travel VA still offers a far better cost option on the routes we travel. I do believe they have gone too far and maybe they will reel it in a bit

 

[HS-TQE]

To repeat/be a broken record, I'd suspect they will be some changes that will be dialled down but I think VFF's intent of removing those FFs that only use VFF for International Long Haul partner travel (and little to no actual VA flying) I'd suspect is going to stick, as those don't bring much if any $ into the VA flying side, and goes with VA's aims of being a primary 'domestic carrier'.