Will you still earn/retain Velocity status beyond 2025?

[simmomelb]

About 40 SC short of Gold and about to hit the review date. Did everyone need call up Velocity to request a (points paid) extension?

I'm not bragging (or am I?), but I was one of those who selected in the AFF poll that I'd likely drop in status. I was clearly wrong. My review date is August, and I've just secured Platinum 2 months ahead of the review date (will likely end up with ~100 too many). My advice: take advantage of those DSC offers; it obviously makes a huge difference.
Do you think you'll take the option of using Velocity points to secure Gold or not bother? Probably worth making a call, then deciding from there

 

[NoName]

Got complimentary 12 months of gold status through my AMEX Velocity Business card. Only earned 183 SC in that time. My account says my status is now in review and they’ll “let me know” if I retained gold by 12 June. What’s to review? I didn’t make the required number of SC. Or is there a chance they are desperate enough to encourage PAX that they might say welcome back for another year?

 

[oz_mark]

Got complimentary 12 months of gold status through my AMEX Velocity Business card. Only earned 183 SC in that time. My account says my status is now in review and they’ll “let me know” if I retained gold by 12 June. What’s to review? I didn’t make the required number of SC. Or is there a chance they are desperate enough to encourage PAX that they might say welcome back for another year?

The 2 week review period is just their process. Has been that way for years

 

[Warks]

Well here's a bolt from the blue I really wasn't expecting. I still needed 50 SCs to retain Platinum by July. My work travel had more or less ended for the time being so I was thinking I might have to book a trip somewhere just to make sure I qualified. I was checking my points balance last night and saw that I'd received a 50 SC bonus from Amex (Velocity Platinum) for spending over $25K in the year. I didn't even know that was a thing. Anyway I'm WP for another year, highly doubt I'll retain it again though.

 

[MattA]

Adding my own datapoint to this discussion: I was WP for a few years, but dropped back to Gold around the time these changes came in (for unrelated reasons). I've retained Gold this year but I doubt I'll do so again: most of my SC earn has traditionally been through O/S work travel (topped up with a bit of domestic personal and business here and there). With the 50% VA coded requirement, that just doesn't work anymore.

I retained Gold for one more year largely due to a work trip to Europe last year on VA-coded QR metal, but with current events, this year's trip is booked on SQ.

I book my own work travel and have a lot of flexibility. I have previously gone out of my way to fly partner airlines, but for the first time in I don't know how long I'm choosing to fly QF in a couple of weeks to do a customer visit to South Africa (previously I've done that trip on SA and even SQ).

I guess the changes are working as planned from VA's perspective here. They don't really want the cost of providing benefits to people who are mostly flying on partner airlines. But the flipside is that once I lose the lounge, any personal domestic travel is going to just be best fare of the day, where previously I would have automatically booked VA...

 

[History]

Yep, I've booked a return flight from Sydney to Perth for next month, enough for me to maintain Silver until November, 2027. Debating whether to aim for gold in 2027 or 2028.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Adding my own datapoint to this discussion: I was WP for a few years, but dropped back to Gold around the time these changes came in (for unrelated reasons). I've retained Gold this year but I doubt I'll do so again: most of my SC earn has traditionally been through O/S work travel (topped up with a bit of domestic personal and business here and there). With the 50% VA coded requirement, that just doesn't work anymore.

I retained Gold for one more year largely due to a work trip to Europe last year on VA-coded QR metal, but with current events, this year's trip is booked on SQ.

I book my own work travel and have a lot of flexibility. I have previously gone out of my way to fly partner airlines, but for the first time in I don't know how long I'm choosing to fly QF in a couple of weeks to do a customer visit to South Africa (previously I've done that trip on SA and even SQ).

I guess the changes are working as planned from VA's perspective here. They don't really want the cost of providing benefits to people who are mostly flying on partner airlines. But the flipside is that once I lose the lounge, any personal domestic travel is going to just be best fare of the day, where previously I would have automatically booked VA...

But was flying via SIN - 20 or so hours vs 14 hours in QF nonstop - plus extra costs with VA codeshares etc, worth the $450 annual lounge pass for VA lounges?

That’s the thing I reckon with chasing VA status… the benefits are so limited it’s hardly worth it?

 

[MattA]

But was flying via SIN - 20 or so hours vs 14 hours in QF nonstop - plus extra costs with VA codeshares etc, worth the $450 annual lounge pass for VA lounges?

That’s the thing I reckon with chasing VA status… the benefits are so limited it’s hardly worth it?

True. Although I’m in MEL so I have to change somewhere to get to JNB. Add in the transfer in SYD or PER and while QF is clearly shorter, it’s not *that* much shorter.

But I agree with you. Sometimes when chasing status we make irrational decisions and the net effect of the VFF changes for me is that I’m hopefully making less of them… which probably is not what VFF intended…

 

[MH_fan]

I was also one of those who thought I'd drop to SG but looks like I'm going to retain WP 6 months into my year. In fact I also retained WP with QFF less than 2 months into my new year with them!

 

[Falcs]

There were a ton of DSC offers this year, would have worked out to $250ish to retain gold.

My care factor for Velocity is low enough I couldn't be bothered going to the effort of a status run. But if there is a points-based option that isn't too expensive it may be tempting.

 

[MooTime]

I was also one of those who thought I'd drop to SG but looks like I'm going to retain WP 6 months into my year. In fact I also retained WP with QFF less than 2 months into my new year with them!

To think you'd drop to from WP to SG then go on to retain WP at the extraordinary more costly SC revenue based system in just 6 months, you must do don't a hell of VA lot more flying.
Even with DSC promos being used previously and still being status quo.

 

[MH_fan]

To think you'd drop to from WP to SG then go on to retain WP at the extraordinary more costly SC revenue based system in just 6 months, you must do don't a hell of VA lot more flying.
Even with DSC promos being used previously and still being status quo.

I usually fly a lot more with VA domestically. Previously, I would've tended to retain WP with VA after about 3-4 months but my retention of WP with QF would take 6-10 months. With the changes, I am definitely spending more with QF and less with VA.

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

TBH I thought that I'd drop back to SG, however I managed to retain WP with the 125SC bonus and a helping of DSC. These days I'm conscious that the cost difference between VA Choice fares & QF Red e-deals is narrowing on some of the QLD-based flights I'm taking, so it's no longer just heading to VA without many questions any more.

 

[Happy Dude]

Well here's a bolt from the blue I really wasn't expecting. I still needed 50 SCs to retain Platinum by July. My work travel had more or less ended for the time being so I was thinking I might have to book a trip somewhere just to make sure I qualified. I was checking my points balance last night and saw that I'd received a 50 SC bonus from Amex (Velocity Platinum) for spending over $25K in the year. I didn't even know that was a thing. Anyway I'm WP for another year, highly doubt I'll retain it again though.

So those SCs count towards the 50% BIS requirement? That's good to know, if so.

 

[ols]

So those SCs count towards the 50% BIS requirement? That's good to know, if so.

Didn't think they did?

 

[Happy Dude]

Didn't think they did?

Me too, but not sure. Thought I'd ask as question to perhaps pry out the specifics of @Warks situation. In my situation, I'm reliant on family pooling so the BIS is the last part of the equation to be satisfied.