VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Will status match Qantas for Velocity Gold

You have until 15 September 2023 to apply for a status match with Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program if you hold gold status or above with Qantas. The match will give you three months of Velocity Gold status, and if you take a single flight, and earn a minimum of 80 Status Credits, then that Gold status will run until the end of 2024.

Good Deal

This is a great deal. I took up a similar one about a year ago. Gold Velocity status will give you lounge access across the Virgin network. In most cases, that includes similar perks with Virgin’s partners including Etihad, Qatar, Singapore and United Airlines.

Fine Print

Virgin has a few conditions for this ‘Discover Gold’ promotion. First, you must have Gold or above status with ‘members of any other Australian frequent flyer program that currently hold Gold status or higher’, Which is a lesson in how you say ‘Qantas’, without saying ‘Qantas.

But, there is always a but – you are not eligible for this promotion if you have held ‘Silver, Gold or Platinum Status with Velocity since April 2020. Damn! That means I can’t do an easy re-qualify!

Luxury Escapes

This packager of holidays has moved from allowing you to earn Qantas points to now partnering with Virgin Australia/Velocity, so you can now earn and redeem points with them. Qantas ended the partnership with Luxury Escapes when they acquired a major stake in Trip A Deal.

Luxury Escapes now has access to Virgin/Velocity’s 11.5 million members as part of their partnership. They will earn one Velocity Point for every AU$ 1 spent at Luxury Escapes and can pay for their Escape in whole or part using Velocity points.

Getting your Status Match

There are a few easy steps once you are a member of the Velocity Program. If you are not already, join here.

1. Go to the Velocity Luxury Escapes promo page
2. Apply by sending an email to info@velocityfrequentflyer.com
3. Include: Your Name, Velocity Membership Number, an image of your current Qantas Status Card – Gold or higher
4. And, if you want to earn points on your Luxury Escapes, you also need to be signed up for that.

If successful, you may wait up to six weeks before being given Discover Gold Trial status. Basically, that is all the benefits, without the trappings of luggage tags, a physical card, a guarantee on economy reward seats, or member pause for parental leave.

Extending Gold match

To extend your matched status, you need to earn 80 status credits – that’s a return trip in business between Sydney and Melbourne, for example. You also need to complete one ‘eligible section’, essentially, any flight with a VA flight number.

On the status credits qualifier, make sure you check what class of fare you are travelling on, ‘Flex’ or ‘Choice’, etc, as these have different Status Credit earn rates. Depending on your travel, you may find upping to a higher category is worth the extra cost to gain the status credits.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is a great way to ‘taste’ the delights of Gold status with Virgin Australia. If you are a welded-on Qantas flyer, this is worth trying. Virgin Australia flights are almost universally cheaper, especially in Business. There is not much overall difference in the level of service between Qantas and Virgin in Business, although you do get a pre-departure drink on Virgin, not on Qantas.

Qantas services more destinations and has more frequencies. The importance of which will depend on each individual’s flying pattern. As I have said before, I would be happy to fly more with Virgin Australia, was it, not the hell-hole that is Terminal 2 in Sydney, and the overcrowded Virgin Lounge, where the food is generally better than in Qantas Business lounges.