Opinion: Why I Won’t Maintain My Velocity Status Next Year

In October 2024, Virgin Australia announced significant changes to its Velocity Frequent Flyer program, impacting how members earn status credits and redeem points.

I’ve consistently held either Gold or Platinum status with Velocity since 2017, when my family moved interstate and I found myself jumping on a flight every month or so to visit. Back then, I figured that if I was flying regularly anyway, I might as well aim for status with Virgin Australia instead of just chasing the cheapest fare (which was often Jetstar).

While the last eight years of travel have been good to me (pandemic disruptions aside), I’m no longer convinced it’s worth remaining loyal to Velocity after the recent program changes. In my opinion, the value proposition for sticking with Virgin no longer stacks up.

Yes, I’m that kind of member

So, I get it. Velocity’s higher status tiers of Gold and Platinum have become inflated. They were too easy to achieve without actually having to fly much, and I understand the need for Velocity to tighten the criteria.

To be completely honest, I’m probably the kind of member these Velocity changes are targeting. Until now, my status has largely been fuelled by a mix of short domestic flights, family pooling with my partner, credit card offers and Flybuys earn.

But if Virgin wants its status tiers to feel more exclusive, they also need to act exclusive.

What are we actually paying for?

In my view, the hard truth is that Velocity’s upper-tier benefits no longer stack up.

There’s no international lounge network to speak of. International flights on Virgin are few and far between. And those that do exist rarely offer lie-flat Business Class, unless you book elusive codeshare options (though this is slightly improved now with the addition of the Qatar Airways wet-leased flights to Doha).

Even Economy has become a budget experience. You’re now paying extra for bags, seats and snacks.

Losing Etihad as a partner doesn’t help either. I had always wanted to book at least one reward flight with Etihad (maybe even in First Class), and to visit the beautiful looking lounges in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately, I never quite got around to it with too many other places on my bucket list!

The domestic lounges? They’re fine, but nothing to write home about. And yet, Virgin wants me to spend nearly $5,000 just to retain my Velocity Gold membership for another year under the new system.

Upper tier benefits sound good, but…

In theory, the Velocity Platinum and Gold benefits sound impressive. In practice, I only use some of them.

I admit that I potentially don’t try hard enough. But I was surprised that for someone who travels as often as I do, I’m not able to easily utilise benefits such as:

• Platinum upgrades – You can only upgrade if there’s a Business Reward Seat available, in which case, I’d usually just book the Reward Seat outright.
• Priority Economy Seat Purchase – Never needed it as the routes I fly don’t usually sell out.
• Economy Reward Seat guarantee – Sounds handy for family trips, but you need to book more than six months out and have a three-day flexibility window on either side for international flights. That’s just not how I plan holidays. Velocity is now removing this benefit for Gold members anyway.

And then there’s the dog’s breakfast that is the inconsistent status benefits on partner airlines.

What I do like

That’s not to say there aren’t any upsides!

I’ve genuinely enjoyed the priority security screening, boarding and baggage handling as a Velocity Gold member. The Fly Ahead perk is useful too – I’ve used it to jump onto earlier flights more than once when I had booked a cheaper fare for a later time.

And the lounges, while not amazing, are still a pleasant way to start a flight. The last time I visited the Melbourne lounge, it looked like things were improving, with more hot food options, better drinks, and even the return of the elusive toastie station.

Where to from here?

With all that said, here’s where I land. Considering Virgin’s inconsistent benefits, the value of chasing status just isn’t there for me anymore. I’ll still be able to access the lounges through credit cards — for example, the Amex Velocity Platinum comes with a lounge membership.

I’ll keep earning a stash of Velocity Points from credit cards and shopping bonuses. The points are easy to earn and I like the ability to book on Singapore Airlines to get to and from Asia.

But being loyal to Virgin Australia just for the sake of status? That’s no longer a priority. For now, I’m happy to fly whoever offers the best deal, timing or experience. As for which airline that ends up being, well, that’s all up in the air.

Stephanie Logan

Stephanie enjoys the thrill of chasing a great travel deal. Since booking a round-the-world trip in Business Class for her honeymoon, she's been passionate about maximising frequent flyer programs to fly further, for less. She loves uncovering smart ways to turn everyday spending into unforgettable adventures - and helping others to do the same.

Stephanie posts on the AFF community forum as @Steph123.