Major 2024-25 Changes to Velocity Frequent Flyer

Virgin Australia cabin crew in the 737 MAX
Velocity Frequent Flyer has announced a vast array of program changes. Photo: Virgin Australia.

Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program has today unveiled a huge range of changes. These will come into effect between now and October 2025. Although frequent flyers will likely welcome many of these changes, others might not be quite so popular.

The Velocity program changes include the introduction of new Forever Gold and Platinum Plus status tiers, new Reward Seat and upgrade pricing, and a reduction in the amount of points you’ll earn flying Virgin Australia.

Velocity is also changing the way members earn status credits, moving to spend-based earn rates on Virgin Australia and reducing status credits earned with partner airlines.

This guide contains an overview of the 2024 Velocity Frequent Flyer program update. Below, you’ll also find links to additional articles where you can find further details about some of the most important changes.

Changes to Velocity status credit earning

A major change is to the way Velocity members earn status credits. The attainment and retention thresholds aren’t changing, but the amount of status credits you’ll earn when flying Virgin Australia and partner airlines is.

There’s also a new requirement to earn at least 50% of the status credits needed for each status tier from Virgin Australia marketed flights that you’ve personally flown. This will come into effect on 1 October 2025, replacing the eligible sector requirement.

From 2 April 2025, Velocity members will no longer earn status credits on Virgin Australia flights based on the fare type and distance flown. Instead, Velocity will give 1 status credit for every $12 spent on most fare types. Economy Lite fares will earn at a rate of 1 status credit per $24 spent. These amounts will be rounded up.

On 1 October 2025, Velocity will also reduce the amount of status credits earned when flying on Virgin’s partner airlines.

Our separate article on the changes to Velocity status credits has the full details.

Changes to earn rates on Virgin Australia flights

From 2 April 2025, you’ll earn a base rate of 4 points per $1 spent on Virgin Australia flights. This is a 20% reduction compared to the current earn rate of 5 points per dollar.

However, if you’ve earned Velocity points with any eligible Velocity co-brand credit card within the past 12 months, you’ll still get to enjoy the current earn rate of 5 points per dollar. This change will apply to new bookings made after 2 April 2025.

Velocity Silver, Gold, Platinum (and soon, Platinum Plus) members will still earn their usual status bonus points.

Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800
Velocity is changing the earn rates for Virgin Australia flights. Photo: Virgin Australia.

New Forever Gold lifetime status tier

In a recent survey, 58% of Velocity Platinum members ranked lifetime Gold status as the most attractive of nine potential new benefits Velocity was considering adding to its program. 82% ranked it in their top three.

Indeed, there has been lots of discussion and speculation on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum over many years about Velocity adding a lifetime Gold tier. Well, Velocity has listened!

Virgin Australia will launch a new “Forever Gold” status tier in October 2025, which you can read all about in our guide to Velocity Forever Gold status.

In my view, this is a really clever addition to the program because it gives Virgin’s most loyal frequent flyers something (other than Qantas status!) to aim for once they’ve already renewed their Platinum status for the year. And this isn’t the only thing Virgin is adding to reward its best customers…

New Platinum Plus status tier above Platinum

Velocity will launch a new tier situated above Platinum status on 1 October 2025 called Platinum Plus. A competitor to Qantas Platinum One status, Virgin’s Platinum Plus tier will offer benefits including:

  • All current Platinum member benefits, excluding Companion Gold
  • Access to Australian-based VIP phone service
  • Highest priority recognition when booking and flying
  • The ability to gift a companion Platinum membership (this replaces the existing companion Platinum perk)
  • Fly Later (the ability to change to a later flight on the same route and day, up to 30 minutes before departure)
  • Four complimentary Business upgrades that can be used with both Economy Choice and Flex fares
  • Invitations to special events
  • Additional perks which will be announced prior to launch.
Priority bag drop at Virgin Australia Sydney Airport T2
Running late for your flight? Platinum Plus members will be able to “Fly Later”. Photo: Virgin Australia.

To upgrade to Platinum Plus status, you’ll need to earn at least 2,000 status credits within a 12-month period. That’s double the amount needed to get Platinum status. However, at least 1,500 of those status credits would need to be on VA-marketed flights.

Changes to Reward Seat pricing

There’s some good and bad news when it comes to Velocity Reward Seat pricing.

The good news is that, from today, Velocity has reduced the lowest-available points costs for domestic Economy redemptions. These now start at just 5,900 Velocity points (plus taxes & carrier charges), down from 6,200 points.

But from 21 January 2025, Velocity will charge more points for some Economy redemptions on Virgin Australia. It will also increase the cost of selected reward flights on partner airlines, and raise the carrier charges on Singapore Airlines flights.

See our article on Velocity’s changes to reward flight pricing for the full details on all of this.

Higher points upgrade costs from Flex fares

From 18 November 2024 – that’s a month from now – Velocity will stop offering upgrades for a lower amount of points if you book an Economy Flex ticket. There will just be a single UpgradeMe Points cost when upgrading from either a Choice or a Flex fare to Business Class.

Virgin Australia Business Class service on the Cairns-Tokyo route
Virgin Australia Business Class on the Boeing 737-8. Photo: Virgin Australia.

Other changes

Other changes the Velocity Frequent Flyer has announced today include:

  • Removal of the Guaranteed Reward Seat benefit for Velocity Gold members
  • Platinum members will need to earn at least 650 of the 1,300 status credits required to gift Companion Gold membership from Virgin Australia marketed flights

Why is Velocity making these changes?

Overall, these changes are likely to make it harder for most Velocity Frequent Flyer members to earn status unless they actually spend good money with Virgin Australia. Velocity is also incentivising more people to take out Velocity points-earning credit cards.

These are both things that are likely to make more money for the Virgin Australia Group in the long-term.

“Today’s changes to the Velocity program represent our focus and investment in areas that matter most to our members, like great value Domestic redemptions and being better recognised for loyalty,” Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Nick Rohrlach said.

Rohrlach said that the lower lead-in reward seat pricing and new status tiers “are balanced by adjustments to other areas of the program to ensure we continue to have a sustainable, competitive and valuable proposition for members.”

Join the discussion on the AFF forum

In my view, many of the changes announced today make sense. In particular, Forever Gold and Platinum Plus are great additions to the program which I’m sure many AFF members will welcome.

Of course, any increase in the cost of redemptions isn’t great. But it’s been quite a while since Velocity made changes to upgrade or partner reward pricing and costs have gone up.

That said, there’s no doubt that some AFF members will dislike the move to more dynamic-style domestic Reward Seat pricing, and the fact that status credits will now be earned based on the amount of money you spend. The move to require at least 50% of status credits to be earned from Virgin Australia flights might also upset a few people.

The major US frequent flyer programs moved towards dynamic reward pricing and minimum spend to earn status over the past decade. Delta was the first, then other airlines followed. Most of those US-based programs now offer arguably much worse value to members. Hopefully the same thing doesn’t happen in Australia.

What do you make of these major changes to the Velocity Frequent Flyer program? You can share your thoughts and read the opinions of other Australian Frequent Flyers on our forum:

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 90 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
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There’s also a new requirement to earn at least 50% of the status credits needed for each status tier from Virgin Australia marketed flights that you’ve personally flown. This will come into effect on 1 October 2025, replacing the eligible sector requirement.

That will undermine the family pooling for a lot of people.

Reply 6 Likes

Velocity says that it is “simplifying the way members earn or maintain status”.

Hmmmm...

Reply 7 Likes

That will undermine the family pooling for a lot of people.

Actual loyalty for a loyalty program

Reply 6 Likes

Not everything Qantas does is a good idea. Simpler and fairer was poorly received when introduced and drove many away to other FF programs.

VA also doesn't have the competing international network to "protect" like Qantas does.

I’d say this change was a “hey Qantas, hold my beer” moment.

I can’t imagine QF even considering introducing the 50% requirement.

Reply 7 Likes

I’d say this change was a “hey Qantas, hold my beer” moment.

I can’t imagine QF even considering introducing the 50% requirement.

Velocity used have status based on spend back in the DJ days

From April 2025, Velocity will award status credits for Virgin Australia flights based on the amount you spend, rather than the distance you fly and the fare type.

As forecast ...

Nah, they'll go the Velocity domestic (and increasingly USA) way, pioneered in Australia by @crazydave

(I.e. SC earned per $ spend)

Where is @CrazyDave?

Reply 2 Likes

I do agree that VA status is too easy to earn and I don’t mind the spend based status concept but the change to partner earnings is a tad annoying.
Thankfully we will still maintain Platinum very easy under this change and will just credit partner earn to other FFP’s

Reply 5 Likes

Actual loyalty for a loyalty program

Having your whole family fly an airline is pretty loyal 🤔

Reply 24 Likes

So this is simpler and fairer and has been enhanced

I've been Plat with VA and now Gold and status doesn't worry me at all these days with VA.

If I want business I'll pay for it
If I want economy X I'll pay for it
If I want an extra/heavier bag I'll pay for it

I have access to lounges with my Amex Plat

No need to worry about status

For others, it's a pretty bad change though

Reply 8 Likes

Some interesting changes, obviously doesn't affect me and overall seems like it will be harder for most, but probably a smart play by the airline in the grand scheme of things. I wonder when profiles will update to show how many SC people have towards forever gold and what percentage of users will qualify immediately - reminds me of when QF introduced LTP there were very few who automatically qualified, but I'm sure they based the requirement off how many they thought would get there straight away, so perhaps VA is doing the same.

Reply 3 Likes