Virgin Australia Launches Limited-Time Status Match

21 May, 202422 May, 2024 Matt Graham

Virgin Australia lounge staff — Virgin Australia is offering 3,000 Discover Velocity Gold memberships this week. Photo: Virgin Australia.

Got Gold, Platinum or Platinum One status with Qantas, and want to make the switch? Virgin Australia has just launched a limited-time status match!

Velocity Frequent Flyer’s new Discover Gold offer is available to the first 3,000 eligible applicants to apply by Friday, 24 May 2024.

The offer isn’t only limited to Qantas Frequent Flyer members. Anyone else currently holding the equivalent of Gold or higher status with another airline that is not a Virgin Australia partner can apply.

Virgin has launched this promotion in celebration of its post-COVID record on-time performance last month. After getting through a period of poor operational reliability around the end of last year, Virgin had more on-time arrivals and fewer cancellations last month than both Qantas and Jetstar. (Rex had the least cancellations overall.)

Virgin 737 and Qantas A330 at Melbourne Airport — Virgin beat Qantas for on-time arrivals in April 2024. Photo: Matt Graham.

“We know how important punctuality is for travellers, and so we are pleased to make it easier for frequent flyers to try Velocity Discover Gold to enjoy the most sought-after benefits of the program, including complimentary Lounge access, while enjoying our reliability and wonderful service,” Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said.

Virgin’s last status match promotion was in August 2023.

This offer is not available if you’ve held any status with Velocity since April 2020.

How to apply for this Velocity status match

To take advantage of this latest Virgin Australia status match offer, you’ll need to be one of the first 3,000 eligible Velocity Frequent Flyer members to send an email to [email protected]. In your email, include the following:

Your full name
Your Velocity membership number
Proof of your current frequent flyer membership with another airline, with your status (the equivalent of Velocity Gold or higher) clearly showing

For example, you could send a photo of your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership card. If you don’t have a physical membership card, send a screenshot of your digital card in the Qantas app and/or an activity statement.

How Velocity Discover Gold works

If Velocity accepts your status match application, you’ll receive three months of Discover Gold trial membership. During this time, you’ll receive most of the usual benefits of Velocity Gold status including Virgin Australia Lounge access, priority check-in and priority boarding. You can also enjoy all the usual Velocity Gold benefits on Virgin’s partner airlines.

Priority bag drop at Virgin Australia Sydney Airport T2 — Velocity Gold benefits include priority check-in. Photo: Virgin Australia.

You’ll also get the opportunity to extend your Velocity Gold status for another 12 months – and access benefits like complimentary Hilton Honors or IHG One Rewards Gold status – by completing a challenge.

During the three-month trial period, you would just need to earn at least 80 status credits and at least one eligible Velocity flight sector to extend your status for a year. That could be as simple as flying one-way from Melbourne to Gold Coast or Brisbane in Virgin Australia Business Class.

Our Velocity status run guide has more tips!

Virgin Australia's new 737 design lacks a cabin divider between business and economy class — You could complete the Discover Gold challenge with as little as one flight. Photo: Virgin Australia.

See the Velocity Frequent Flyer website for more details about this offer.

Leave a comment or discuss this topic on the AFF forum

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 80 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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AIRwin May 21, 2024 #1

Media release:

View image at the forums

Virgin Australia tops performance, launches status match offer

Virgin Australia has delivered a post-COVID record operating performance for both completion of scheduled flights and on time departures for the month of April.

View image at the forums

newsroom.virginaustralia.com

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a asterix May 21, 2024 #2

Email sent with my Aeroplan 50K card.

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SYD May 21, 2024 #3

Email sent with QF WP.

I’d also received an email from VA BF offering Pilot Gold (apply by 30 June). There was no mention of the $2k qualifying spend so was pondering that but jumped on this because I don’t see any mention of the usual 2 yr waiting period for previous VA WP/SG?

I’ll otherwise drop to NR come June…😉 But if this comes through, then I might look at how I can c get through some hoops and jumps to retain status for a little longer.

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o odysseus May 21, 2024 #4

Email sent with QF WP.

I’d also received an email from VA BF offering Pilot Gold (apply by 30 June). There was no mention of the $2k qualifying spend so was pondering that but jumped on this because I don’t see any mention of the usual 2 yr waiting period for previous VA WP/SG?

I’ll otherwise drop to NR come June…😉 But if this comes through, then I might look at how I can c get through some hoops and jumps to retain status for a little longer.

Seems to be a ~4 year period in this case:
Frequent Flyer members of airlines which are not partners of Velocity Frequent Flyer (Velocity), that currently hold the equivalent of Velocity Gold Status and above with those non-partner airlines (and that have not held Silver, Gold or Platinum Status with Velocity since April 2020) (Eligible Velocity Members)

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elanshin May 21, 2024 #5

Email sent with QF WP.

I’d also received an email from VA BF offering Pilot Gold (apply by 30 June). There was no mention of the $2k qualifying spend so was pondering that but jumped on this because I don’t see any mention of the usual 2 yr waiting period for previous VA WP/SG?

I’ll otherwise drop to NR come June…😉 But if this comes through, then I might look at how I can c get through some hoops and jumps to retain status for a little longer.

Seems to be a ~4 year period in this case:
Frequent Flyer members of airlines which are not partners of Velocity Frequent Flyer (Velocity), that currently hold the equivalent of Velocity Gold Status and above with those non-partner airlines (and that have not held Silver, Gold or Platinum Status with Velocity since April 2020) (Eligible Velocity Members)

Seems significantly worse than the status match offer last year aimed at QFF elites. That matched plat as well and was only 1 year for no VFF status.

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Layslow May 21, 2024 #6

Just what VA needs when they are investing zero dollars into their seven lounges and Sydney is already looking like a dogs breakfast everytime you go in there. Their lounge network can't sustain an influx of new members with out some capital investment into what they are offering. Any other VA flyers feel the same?

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SYD May 21, 2024 #7

Seems to be a ~4 year period in this case:
Frequent Flyer members of airlines which are not partners of Velocity Frequent Flyer (Velocity), that currently hold the equivalent of Velocity Gold Status and above with those non-partner airlines (and that have not held Silver, Gold or Platinum Status with Velocity since April 2020) (Eligible Velocity Members)

Dang! Well, let’s see if their IT works….

Just what VA needs when they are investing zero dollars into their seven lounges and Sydney is already looking like a dogs breakfast everytime you go in there. Their lounge network can't sustain an influx of new members with out some capital investment into what they are offering. Any other VA flyers feel the same?

I only want status again to match to Virgin Voyages! 😉

Maybe the odd OS partner flight to use up my points.

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trippin_the_rift May 21, 2024 #8

Just what VA needs when they are investing zero dollars into their seven lounges and Sydney is already looking like a dogs breakfast everytime you go in there. Their lounge network can't sustain an influx of new members with out some capital investment into what they are offering. Any other VA flyers feel the same?

I wouldn't worry about lounge overcrowding.

3,000 matches isn't a big number.
Take out QF Plat/Plat1/CL, who probably won't do it because Platinum isn't on the table (i.e., they get better treatment with QF...ironically - the Plat and higher type flyers spend more and usually have higher yield than Silv/Gold -- and thus, VA is going after the least profitable flyers).
Then take out the % who won't ever earn 80 SC -- which is still a fair chunk in 3 months for a 'Gold level' frequent flyer.

What you're left with, is maybe, at best, a few 100 that complete it -- and even then -- they're only gold level so not exactly the profile of traveller that's in the lounge every week.

Personally, it would require more than a 3-month status challenge to get me to share shift away QF, especially as QF Platinum or higher.

So yeah... don't worry about the lounges.

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SYD May 21, 2024 #9