Will you still earn/retain Velocity status beyond 2025?

[History]

I've retained silver until December 2nd, 2027.

 

[Steven of Bali]

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?

Better off using Amex Velocity Platinum - velocity lounge access is complimentary. There are so many on the Priority Line these days, who cares.

 

[PERLHR]

Better off using Amex Velocity Platinum - velocity lounge access is complimentary. There are so many on the Priority Line these days, who cares.

I never really understood the value of reducing the status collections in one hand then on the other get the Plat card for a few hundred dollars , gain points and get lounge access. Sometimes I do wonder who makes it all up...and what they get paid! And worse ...who signs it all of.

 

[odysseus]

I never really understood the value of reducing the status collections in one hand then on the other get the Plat card for a few hundred dollars , gain points and get lounge access. Sometimes I do wonder who makes it all up...and what they get paid! And worse ...who signs it all of.

Sadly, all about the money. Cutting their own member numbers was sold as boosting the returns on providing membership, and likely even exclusivity = desirability. But AmerEx is via partnerships, and since an external party is paying, that's just seen as pure revenue, so not something they want to cut, but rather as great and sacred.

Group A is seen as a cost centre, so something that can be managed down, whereas Group B is seen as a revenue source, so to be promoted. And they don't see any inconsistency in that, despite Group A and B sharing the same resource.

 

[QF WP]

Surprisingly, I'm 156 SC's away from Plat from my travel since 1 March - mostly due to DSC trips.



But I'm losing some SC's soon and no travel on the horizon

 

[straitman]

I still need 285 SC by 12 Nov to maintain VA Platinum.

Unless my maths is incorrect I have bookings that will cover all of this and retain Platinum.

 

[Tooner]

Very similar for me:

I’ve had to use the straight DSC offer earlier this year + the 2 Virgin Holidays DSC offers. My upcoming Hobart trip will cover Gold, I think.

It would also cover attaining Platinum if I didn’t have a lot of Canada flights dropping off in October. I’m considering crediting my AC premium economy YVR - YYZ flight to VA to see if that helps (rather than Aeroplan).

 

[HS-TQE]

According to VA Group's FY26 financials for Velocity in it's first full financial year of its 'controversial' Velocity changes.

* $143 million EBIT (up 12% on FY25)
* $487 million revenue (up 8.1% on FY25)
* 800k new members (since FY25)
* 9.0% growth in active members (since FY25)

* 29.4% EBIT margin (up 110bps from FY25)
* 12.4% External Billings growth (since FY25)

Source (Page 8): https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/a.../1.0/file/2924-03127795-2A1692994&v=undefined

Considering the earlier 'over-the-top' predictions of Virgin losing "hundreds of millions" or "billions of dollars" from the Velocity changes from the amount of members leaving the program over the changes, it's safe to say that Bain and/or Qatar Ariways will likely dismiss the earlier complaints as a "Vocal Minority" and will continue to adjust Velocity FF if they feel the need to do so.

 

[levelnine]

Absolutely no sign whatsoever of a downturn in those numbers. That EBIT margin is huge.