Will you still earn/retain Velocity status beyond 2025?

[Flyerwin]

triple SCs

Waiting for the next round of this. Wasn’t invited to the last one.

 

[straitman]

Personally I find it easier to think "Syd-Mel Choice" = 15SC rather than "How much was my ticket again" ?

When making a booking it states the number of SC to be earn't the same as it always has.

 

[odysseus]

When making a booking it states the number of SC to be earn't the same as it always has.

Sure, but planning when you get status or renew can be messed up as you can't predict whether prices go up or down. And if you get a few bargains you may find yourself short of status at the end of the period.

 

[MH_fan]

When making a booking it states the number of SC to be earn't the same as it always has.

But will you remember how many SCs you'll earn for a flight 6 months later?

 

[nutwood]

Interesting thread posted by the AFF admin. They've done the maths on QFF vs VFF, taking into consideration the sizes (i.e smaller VA International Partner network) and that you can't book VA trips originating overseas as it's primarily a Australian/Domestic Airline.

Thread 'Article: Is Qantas or Velocity Status Harder to Earn?'

Oct 27, 2025

Following the recent changes to the Velocity program, is it now harder to earn Velocity status than Qantas status? We did the maths to find out:

Is Qantas or Velocity Status Harder to Earn in 2025?

Our analysis shows that it costs an average flyer around 2-3x more money to earn status with Qantas than with Virgin Australia Velocity. But there's a catch.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

• AFF Editor
• Replies: 76
• Forum: Open Discussion

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One scenario they did not appear to cover, (unless it was factored into "The regional flyer" ?) is multiple leg flights. If I were to book from Launceston to a regional destination, this would be multiple legs. Port Lincoln for example. LST - MEL - ADL - PLO. I've had Gladstone presented as; LST - MEL - SYD - BNE - GLT. These multiple leg flights make a significant difference to the earn rate on Qantas, especially booked Flex, and the overall price for such a trip is significantly less than if each leg was booked individually. Mind you, Qantas are charging some fairly fancy prices for Flex, so probably still far more expensive!

 

[straitman]

Sure, but planning when you get status or renew can be messed up as you can't predict whether prices go up or down. And if you get a few bargains you may find yourself short of status at the end of the period.

You look at the cost vs the SC earn. If cost is not an issue then you buy a Flex instead of a Lite or Choice fare. If cost is an issue then it was always going to be a problem.

But will you remember how many SCs you'll earn for a flight 6 months later?

I actually fail to see how this is any different to what it was previously.

 

[odysseus]

You look at the cost vs the SC earn. If cost is not an issue then you buy a Flex instead of a Lite or Choice fare. If cost is an issue then it was always going to be a problem.

You don't know what's in the future. You don't want to overpay upfront so buy the most appropriate, but then come down the line may find yourself short if prices were cheaper. So wind up needing to do a last minute status run just to reach your goal. Or you buy flex in advance "to be sure", then prices for subsequent flights turn out higher than expected so you breeze through status but have wound up paying more than you needed to.

It's suboptimal either way, all because amounts earned are no longer known, except at time of booking.

 

[straitman]

You don't know what's in the future. You don't want to overpay upfront so buy the most appropriate, but then come down the line may find yourself short if prices were cheaper. So wind up needing to do a last minute status run just to reach your goal. Or you buy flex in advance "to be sure", then prices for subsequent flights turn out higher than expected so you breeze through status but have wound up paying more than you needed to.

It's suboptimal either way, all because amounts earned are no longer known, except at time of booking.

And how is that different to any other situation?

 

[odysseus]

And how is that different to any other situation?

Pretty obviously. In the previous situation you could plan I'll be doing x flights and know how many SCs you'd have at the end of it. Regardless of whether the price went up or down. And multiplying that result out was also a known amount of SCs per flight (at a certain fare level). So quick and easy to calculate. I have x SCs now, I have y flights booked, so I'll have z SCs at the end.

Now the calculation is a manual one, flight by flight. As all the above figures have an additional variable to be applied to work out the SCs - cost.

 

[straitman]

Pretty obviously. In the previous situation you could plan I'll be doing x flights and know how many SCs you'd have at the end of it. Regardless of whether the price went up or down. And multiplying that result out was also a known amount of SCs per flight (at a certain fare level). So quick and easy to calculate. I have x SCs now, I have y flights booked, so I'll have z SCs at the end.

Now the calculation is a manual one, flight by flight. As all the above figures have an additional variable to be applied to work out the SCs - cost.

I would suggest that for the majority of people the calculation won't be any different. I rarely fly the same route constantly so during booking I check the SC earn and then add it to a small spreadsheet. For people that do not fly regular routes that is more likely to be their norm IMHO.

 

[Up in the clouds]

I dont know why everyone has been complaining in this thread ..These new status calculations/rules are easy 1 status credit for every $12 YOU spend on VA flights (regardless of class of travel).. To maintain/gain status level 50% of credits must come from VA flights flown by YOU (unless you are Plat+ 75% from VA flights)... Simples.. No more gaming the system .. The system was broken Virgin had to fix it..
On the side virgin is not providing value to those members with the new Plat+.... Very disapointing .

 

[Falcs]

I dont know why everyone has been complaining in this thread ..These new status calculations/rules are easy 1 status credit for every $12* YOU spend on VA** flights (regardless of class of travel).. To maintain/gain status level 50% of credits must come from VA*** flights flown by YOU (unless you are Plat+ 75% from VA flights)... Simples****.. No more gaming the system .. The system was broken Virgin had to fix it..
On the side virgin is not providing value to those members with the new Plat+.... Very disapointing .

Fixed it for you:

*Excludes Lite fares, where you get 1 SC per $24
** VA Flight code, not necessarily VA flight
*** Excludes partner airlines, refer to separate tables
**** Make sure you keep a spreadsheet with your expected earnings, because the system won't tell you how many SC a segment will earn after you've booked it.

 

[aus_flyer]

Fixed it for you:

*Excludes Lite fares, where you get 1 SC per $24
** VA Flight code, not necessarily VA flight
*** Excludes partner airlines, refer to separate tables
**** Make sure you keep a spreadsheet with your expected earnings, because the system won't tell you how many SC a segment will earn after you've booked it.

*****Excludes all international flights (except short haul) operated and/or marketed by VA

 

[andye]

Where's the fun in a system you can't game?

 

[prelude]

Where's the fun in a system you can't game?

This is thing that people are really upset about, and there's a valid point that FF programs stand to benefit by giving consumers opportunities to "game" the system.

I don't actually think there's that big of a difference in complexity between the old and new systems. The recent AFF analysis is reasonably accurate, the new system benefits frequent domestic travellers from capital cities travelling in Economy (often flying for work), which appears to be who they are targeting (and I would expect to be a substantial proportion of travellers).

It's easy to forget that people on this forum are the minority, and for most others FF programs are "oh cool I managed to fly enough this year".

 

[Up in the clouds]

Where's the fun in a system you can't game?

Yes I Know ..I was a gamer..

 

[Up in the clouds]

Sorry.. I missed the title of the thread.. I am Platinum Plus and Forever Gold .. I wont maintain Plat+ so will have a soft landing to Platinum in October and then maintain Platinum with VA..But if if fail to maintain Platinum I always have the lifetime Gold to fall back on.. But dont know if I can handle life as a Gold..
(Also QF Plat1 and lifetime gold..) QF Plat One and of course The VA Plat+ earned in last year also both lifetime Golds earned this year also..

 

[Caversham04]

Pretty obviously. In the previous situation you could plan I'll be doing x flights and know how many SCs you'd have at the end of it. Regardless of whether the price went up or down. And multiplying that result out was also a known amount of SCs per flight (at a certain fare level). So quick and easy to calculate. I have x SCs now, I have y flights booked, so I'll have z SCs at the end.

Now the calculation is a manual one, flight by flight. As all the above figures have an additional variable to be applied to work out the SCs - cost.

I agree - it's the polar opposite of "simpler" as you don't know what your SC earn will be until the point at which you press the "Purchase" button

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I agree - it's the polar opposite of "simpler" as you don't know what your SC earn will be until the point at which you press the "Purchase" button

All the fares are displayed when you search. Don’t you just divide the displayed fare by 12? You don’t need to proceed to the ‘purchase’ step?