Will you still earn/retain Velocity status beyond 2025?

[antycbr]

Apologies if this sounds obvious, but do you earn SCs when paying by Travel Bank funds under this new scheme?

The VA website states that SCs cannot be earned on:

• A flight where the membership number entered is not the membership number of the passenger travelling
• Reward Seats bookings, excluding Any Seat
• Any fare class that is not listed above
• Upgraded fares: members travelling on upgraded fares that are purchased with Velocity Points, UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer, UpgradeMe Premium Bids or using cash at the airport will earn Status Credits based on the fare class originally purchased.

So, it appears like Travel Bank funds are treated the same as cash at $12 per SC. But, has anyone tried it yet?

Travel bank is just treated as a form of payment so you should be getting everything you’d get on a cash fare.

 

[SCM]

I've been waiting for Virgin to fix their stupid inconsistent pricing so I don't have to pay a 2k premium over booking identical flights with Qatar, but they haven't, so I will let my platinum status lapse into gold next cycle.

 

[Growing Older]

Well that's settled then... it was fun for a year to spite QF and to taste Diamond status with Hilton Honors, but just not worth it post-devaluation.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well that's settled then... it was fun for a year to spite QF and to taste Diamond status with Hilton Honors, but just not worth it post-devaluation.

I reckon Hilton Diamond was the best part of the whole platinum package! The hiltons we stayed at they looked after us so well!!

 

[Falcs]

I reckon Hilton Diamond was the best part of the whole platinum package! The hiltons we stayed at they looked after us so well!!

And 6 years of it thanks to covid!

 

[Mattg]

In what universe is the new status system "simpler"?

 

[MooTime]

They live in a bubble up in the Brisbane HQ office.

I don't 100% understand my Gold Forever or yearly requirements. I need xx amount of status credits, BUT xx need to be flown by me or something so the SCs I've received, the very few from Coles FBs distort the figure. Then just a few more have come Mrs.Moo pooling so buggered if I can see a clear precise amount.

Simpler, Fast. How about they drop these advertising words and focus by sending out a poll to frequent flyers and see what they think now, apparently we asked for this system, yeah yeah.

 

[antycbr]

apparently we asked for this system, yeah yeah.

The only thing we asked for through surveys and focus groups was lifetime gold. We didn’t envisage that they’d do this.

It is after all so simple, simply have a spreadsheet with what-if scenarios.

It’s become so complex thanks to in effect creating two types of status credit but calling them the same name. You can over qualify numerically but you have the wrong type of status credit then you are out of luck.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The only thing we asked for through surveys and focus groups was lifetime gold. We didn’t envisage that they’d do this.

It is after all so simple, simply have a spreadsheet with what-if scenarios.

It’s become so complex thanks to in effect creating two types of status credit but calling them the same name. You can over qualify numerically but you have the wrong type of status credit then you are out of luck.

They got rid of the 4 segment rule and effectively made it 40! (segments)

 

[Flyerwin]

Trying to plan a status run now...

 

[antycbr]

Trying to plan a status run now...
View attachment 477816

No such thing as a status run. It’s simply maths for domestic, and there’s very few international partners that earn more than a straight $12/SC domestically…

 

[RooFlyer]

No such thing as a status run. It’s simply maths for domestic, and there’s very few international partners that earn more than a straight $12/SC domestically…

Exactly - which is one of the reasons I don’t mind the new system even though I’m going to drop down from Plat to gold.

You (rhetorical) want the privileges of platinum on Virgin? Fly enough and spend enough on Virgin to earn it. I won’t.

 

[justinbrett]

In what universe is the new status system "simpler"?

View attachment 477808

IMO it’s very simple. That’s not the same as easy.

 

[Mattg]

IMO it’s very simple. That’s not the same as easy.

I don't think it is very simple any more.

Before, you had to earn X status credits and fly either 2, 4 or 8 VA flights.

Now, you have to earn X status credits, with at least 50% or 75% only counting if they're earned from certain activities. So now you need to keep track of which SCs are from VA marketed and/or operated flights, etc. etc.

 

[clifford]

IMO it’s very simple. That’s not the same as easy.

But is it simpler than QFF? I know what I think.

 

[RooFlyer]

But is it simpler than QFF? I know what I think.

Qantas is simpler and fairer.

 

[justinbrett]

I don't think it is very simple any more.

Before, you had to earn X status credits and fly either 2, 4 or 8 VA flights.

Now, you have to earn X status credits, with at least 50% or 75% only counting if they're earned from certain activities. So now you need to keep track of which SCs are from VA marketed and/or operated flights, etc. etc.

It’s basically the same as QF P1 in terms of tracking QF vs other SCs. But yes, solely on that I guess it’s not simpler.

My point was the calculation of SCs is simpler now it’s just based on spend.

But is it simpler than QFF? I know what I think.

Just the tracking of SCs, no, QF is simpler other than P1.

But as to how to get those SCs, QF is far more complex, and that’s a great thing. It’s why you can get status a lot cheaper if you learn how to play the game.

 

[antycbr]

My point was the calculation of SCs is simpler now it’s just based on spend.

Unless you’re on a VA coded partner flight where it’s not based on spend. Unless it’s a wet lease (SYD-CBR) but not all wet leases (DOH)…Let’s explain aviation leasing terminology to the punters.

 

[moa999]

Qantas is simpler and fairer.

I remember when the QF status earn table was about 7 lines long purely based on distance.

Now under simpler and fairer you've got the category earn table for each partner, and then pages of separate route calculations, before you finally hit a 10 line long distance table that applies in any other case.

 

[antycbr]

I remember when the QF status earn table was about 7 lines long purely based on distance.

Now under simpler and fairer you've got the category earn table for each partner, and then pages of separate route calculations, before you finally hit a 10 line long distance table that applies in any other case.

Aside from P1 at least all those status credits are created equal.