Velocity Extends Platinum Upgrades on Choice Fares to June 2022

Velocity Platinum members can now upgrade from Economy Choice to Business Class until June 2022. Photo: Virgin Australia.

Virgin Australia is giving its Platinum frequent flyers more time to use their complimentary Business Class upgrades when booked on an Economy Choice ticket, with this offer now extended until June 2022.

Velocity Frequent Flyer Platinum members receive four annual complimentary upgrades. These can be used on any Virgin Australia domestic or short-haul international flight, subject to availability, and can be used by the member or anyone travelling with them on the same flight. But they are normally only available when booking an Economy Flex airfare.

Why is Virgin allowing Platinum members to use complimentary upgrades on Choice fares?

Of course, this is a nice thing for Velocity Platinum members. But that’s likely not the only reason Virgin is allowing its frequent flyers to use their upgrades on cheaper tickets…

Virgin Australia offers three types of Economy fares – Lite, Choice and Flex – with Flex obviously being the most expensive.

Normally, there is a significant price difference between Economy and Business Class. But over recent months, Virgin Australia’s Business Class airfares have been very low – especially on routes like Melbourne-Adelaide, Melbourne-Sydney or Sydney-Brisbane where Virgin is competing directly with Rex. In fact, in some cases, Virgin’s Economy Flex fares are currently the same price or even cheaper than a Business Class ticket.

Where this is the case, there is clearly no value in buying an Economy Flex ticket in order to redeem a free upgrade using Velocity’s UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer. (Instead you could just book Business for the same price, enjoy the greater flexibility & higher status credit haul that comes with that, and save the upgrade voucher for another time.)

Virgin Australia airfares from Sydney to Brisbane on 17 February 2022.

The ability for Velocity Platinum members to upgrade on the cheaper Economy Choice tickets is an acknowledgement of this.

Offer extended

This offer for Velocity Platinum members was previously due to expire at the end of this month. But Velocity Frequent Flyer has now extended it for a further five months until 30 June 2022. To use your free upgrades on an Economy Choice ticket, you would just need to book and travel by the end of June 2022.

Customers who booked before 18 August 2021 can also upgrade from Economy Getaway or Freedom fares during this promotion if travelling by June 2022.

At this stage, Velocity will revert to only allowing Platinum members to claim their four free upgrades on Economy Flex tickets from July 2022. But if there continues to be minimal difference in the cost of Economy Flex & Business airfares, the airline may need to reconsider again.

Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Platinum upgrades on Choice and Elevate Fares – now to June 2022

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 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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Gold Member Dec 30, 2021 #1

That’s some good news for Plats. But I’m still unlikely to travel with Virgin any time soon given all of their cancellations. For me, Domestic trips are just not viable under these circumstances let alone with all the C19 testing and border issues.

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j jase05 Dec 30, 2021 #2

I feel I should buy a lottery ticket as despite travelling on VA a stack in the last few weeks I’m yet to receive the dreaded cancellation.
Got another half a dozen or so in the next fortnight so don’t want to jinx myself now 🤣

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a antycbr Dec 30, 2021 #3

If you’re in SYD or MEL (which is 11 million people) there’s plenty of $69 and $79 choice airfares between these cities which means you can get a Business return for $140. Lots of services means very unlikely to be disrupted, and no testing requirements whatsoever.

Away from the trunk you might have more problems… but they reaccommodate you at the top of the list usually regardless of fare.

click to expand...

h hydrabyss Dec 30, 2021 #4

I used up 10 for flights before the offer expired and would have preferred to use them on longer flights. May see if they can be cancelled although Syd to Melb is a safe trip that does not have any risk of border issues like other states.

H Harthagan Dec 30, 2021 #5

How did you get 10?

Mattg Dec 30, 2021 #6

Considering the Flex fares are currently the same as Business fares on many of the routes I fly (in some cases Business is even cheaper), it's not surprising that this has been extended.

I wonder what will happen after June 2022 - will the Business fares become more expensive, Economy Flex less expensive, will the ability to upgrade on Choice be extended again or will the Platinum upgrade benefit become effectively useless? I suspect the longevity (or not) of Rex jet operations may answer this question.

h hydrabyss Dec 30, 2021 #7

My partner got 4 recently and I still had 6 left from when they gave out 8 early this year. Just a shame most have been used on mel-syd.

AIRwin Dec 30, 2021 #8

Hope you end up on one of the aircrafts with the new seats...

H Harthagan Dec 30, 2021 #9

I still had 6 left from when they gave out 8 early this year.

Damn I missed out on getting 8 this year. I had to fight tooth and nail just to get my regular 4, they tried to tell me I only had 2 left when I had never even used one before!