Virgin Australia Velocity Changes Analysed

Love the updated Velocity Rewards Frequent Flyer Program unveiled Thursday by Virgin Australia. Already Qantas has responded with media advertisements promising exciting changes to their program. The competition in Australia is starting a new round.

I am currently a Gold flyer with Qantas and Virgin so my focus is on the Gold benefits. At the end of this post, I will paste a table comparing the two programs. Please let me know what I leave out.

The eight immediate features I like about Velocity Rewards:
  1. seemingly generous access to award seats
  2. Subject to space availability, Velocity Platinum and Gold members are welcome in the Virgin Australia lounge at any time, and do not require a boarding pass. This is a benefit Qantas took away from its Platinum fliers earlier in the year - and boy were we mad! 
  3. A family can pool all of your family member’s Points into one account as well as transferring points between family members
  4. If you have a baby, you can pause your membership for up to six months-thats impressive
  5. For every 100 status credits, you get a free lounge pass
  6. Guaranteed Reward Seats for an annual family trip for up to four return Reward Seats for an annual family trip to any Australian destination, for Gold while Platinum members can also international destinations.
  7. Gold and Platinum members can take up to two children under the age of 12 into the lounge with them.  (I wonder how many kids will now be screaming through lounges?)
  8. Free access to Sentinel who help you find lost keys etc
Getting and Keeping Gold Status
The first comparison between Gold Qantas and Gold Virgin for me is how easy it is to get and keep Gold status. You gain status based on the number of status credits you earn. Every eligible flight gets you status credits. The longer your flight the more status credits you get. The higher your class you reserved your booking with, the more status credits you get. So a Sydney to London flight in business class will get you way more points than a discount economy seat from Sydney to Melbourne.

GOLD
Qantas Virgin
Gaining Status-status Credits
700 500
Gaining Status-Sectors flown
4 4
Keeping Status-status Credits
600 400
Keeping Status-Sectors flown
4 4
Number of SYD-MEL Discount Y to keep
60 40
Number of MEL-AKL Discount Y to keep
30 20
Number of MEL-LAX Discount Economy to keep
13.33 10
Number of MEL-LAX Premium to keep
6.67 3.3



To get Gold with Qantas requires 700 status credits whereas Virgin gives it to you with 500 status credits. Of course how many you earn at each airline is different. Still its easier to get and keep Gold at Virgin than it is at Qantas.

For me to keep Gold with Qantas at the lowest earning rate possible (eg the Sydney -Melbourne) flight would mean 60 flights in a year. Virgin will give you gold after 40 Syd-Mel flights.

Likewise flying Melbourne to Los Angeles in Premium Economy would need 7 flights a year with Qantas to keep my Gold whereas I only need  4 with Virgin (or 3 plus a few SYD-Mel trips!)




Comparing Qantas Gold and Virgin Gold


GOLD


Before Travel
Qantas Virgin

Priority Phone Service

YES YES

Upgrade Using Points

YES YES
Advanced Seat Selection
YES NO?

Seating Preferences

YES Coming soon
Secure Sentinel membership 
NO YES
At Airport
Qantas Virgin

Priority Check-in -Domestic

Premium Service Desks Priority Counters

Priority Check-in -International

Business Counters Business Counters

Priority Boarding – Domestic

NO YES

Priority Boarding – Intl

YES YES

Kerbside Check in

NO Sydney only

Lounge-Domestic

Qantas Club Virgin Lounge-anytime access

Lounge-International

One World Virgin. Etihad, Air NZ, Delta

Priority Screening Lane

Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney Domestic Airports Melbourne and Brisbane Domestic Airports

Fly Ahead

NO YES
Priority Waitlist
YES NO
Airport Upgrade
YES NO

Baggage allowance-Domestic

1 piece (maximum 32kg) Economy; 2 pieces (maximum 32kg each) Business Allowance of 32kg
Baggage Allowance-USA
3 pieces: (maximum 23kg per piece) Economy/Premium Economy and 32kg per piece) Business/First 3 pieces: (maximum 23kg per piece) Economy and 3 pieces 32kg per piece) Premium Economy/Business
Baggage Allowance-Inernational
32kg (70lb) in Economy/Premium Economy; 64kg (140lb) in Business/First 33kg ) in Economy/ 42kg in Premium Economy/Business/

Priority Waitlist (coming soon)


YES
Arrival
Qantas Virgin

Priority Baggage

YES coming soon

Complimentary Elite membership with IHG?s Priority Club® Rewards or Hilton HHonors?

NO YES

Complimentary Elite membership with Europcar Privileges Program or Hertz #1 Club

NO YES
International airline partners
Qantas Virgin


One World Sapphire Virgin. Etihad, Air NZ
FAMILY BENEFITS
Qantas Virgin

Guaranteed Reward Seats for an annual family trip

NO YES

Family Points and Status Credit Pooling

NO Coming soon

Membership pause for Parental Leave

NO Coming soon

Complimentary lounge pass for each 100 Status Credits earned

NO Coming soon
STATUS BENEFITS
Qantas Virgin
Points bonus- on Carrier
75.00% 75.00%

Points bonus -Air Partners

? 50% Etihad
Points Bonus- Hotels/Car rental
NO 75.00%

Personalised Baggage Tags

YES YES
Loyalty Bonus
8,000 points for every 500 Status Credits earned in a single membership year a free lounge pass for every 100 Status Credits

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