VIRGIN AUSTRALIA: Velocity frequent flyer program goes revenue. For Platinum status, spend AU$12,000.

Velocity Frequent flyers, if you want to gain status with Virgin Australia, you will have to dig deeper into your pockets. Earning and retaining Velocity status will cost significantly more from this week, because Virgin Australia has moved to a new spend-based system, rolling out from today, Wednesday, 2 April 2025.

How much does a Status Credit cost now?

With the Velocity program, you will now earn status credits depending on how much you spend. Previously, your Status earn was based on the distance (and class) flown.

Essentially, a Status Credit point costs AU$12 per point if you buy an Economy Choice, Economy Flex, or Business fare. If you buy the lowest fare type, and Economy Lite fare, then the cost doubles to AU$24.

Other things you need to know

There are some other changes. One is that the need to fly a minimum number of flights or ‘Eligible Sectors’ to qualify for Silver, Gold, or Platinum will be removed from 1 October 2025.

Real cost of velocity status

Barring special promotions like Double Status Credits, this is how much you have to spend to reach and retain your Velocity status. Here are the sums:

Silver

• Spend AU$3,000 to achieve (250 Status Credits)
• Spend AU$2,400 to retain (200 Status Credits)

Gold

• Spend AU$6,000 to achieve (500 Status Credits)
• Spend AU$4,800 to retain (400 Status Credits)

Platinum

• Spend AU$12,000 to achieve (2,000 Status Credits)
• Spend AU$9,600 to retain (800 Status Credits)

Platinum Plus

• Spend AU$24,000 to achieve (2,000 Status Credits)
• Spend the same to retain (2,000 Status Credits)

When you put it in cold hard dollars, you begin to ask whether it is worth it, especially if your spend is on your own dime, and not that of your employer. You can try doing the same sums on Qantas frequent flyer status, but because it is not strictly spend based, the ‘costs’ are a bit more rubbery, depending on the routes flown and any specials, like double status credit promotions that apply.

Winners and losers

So who wins and who loses? If you buy some expensive Economy Flex fares, then you stand to earn more Status Credits. On the other hand, if you buy Economy Choice (and who doesn’t!), then the reductions in Status Credits earn are pretty significant.

Here are some examples of the Status Credits (SC) earned changes based on flights from Sydney to Brisbane:

• AU$115 Economy Choice fare reduces from 15 to 9 SCs
• AU$434 Economy Flex fare increases from 25 to 36 SCs
• AU$384 Business fare reduces from 55 to 32 SCs

The sweet spot appears to be Economy Flex, with Economy Lite, and Business fares both dropping their earnings of Status Credits from today. That’s based on sampling a few routes.

• Brisbane-Perth route
  • A $315 Economy Lite fare increases from 10 to 13 Status Credits.
  • A $828 Economy Flex fare jumps from 45 to 69 Status Credits.
  • A $969 Business fare drops from 105 to 80 Status Credits.

Reasons for the changes to the Velocity Frequent Flyer scheme

Virgin Australia is just making a direct relationship between how much you spend and the status you earn. That’s it. No loyalty incentive if it doesn’t come with a direct relationship to how much you spend. You could argue its a sign of the Trumpian times where everything is a deal between two parties. No longer are loyalty schemes considered as more complex, with no consideration of other, more subtle benefits, like long-term loyalty, making advocates for your airline, or creating a reputation.

Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Nick Rohrlach sees it in much simpler terms, rectifying inequities that were designed into the scheme originally. He claims they make the system simpler and fairer:

“Sometimes you can see people who get discounted Business Class actually paying less than some on the (Economy) Flex fare. From a loyalty perspective, we’re actually under-rewarding those who are booking last-minute Flex fares.”

Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Nick Rohrlach

What happens to flights on partner airlines

Essentially nothing, that is until October this year. You will earn the same rate of Status Credits on Partner Airlines as you did before, up until 1 October 2025. That’s the same date as Virgin is launching lifetime ‘Velocity Forever Gold’ and the new Velocity Platinum Plus — think Qantas Platinum One.

However, it is also important to remember that you must earn at least 50% of your Status Credits from Virgin Australia-marketed flights if you want to attain or retain your status. That obviously includes Virgin Australia flights but also codeshare flights with Virgin Australia’s partner airlines as long as they are booked under a VA flight number.

2PAXfly Takeout

The bottom line on this change is that if you buy the cheapest ‘Lite’ fare, it’s going to be harder to attain or retain status. If you buy Flex fares, especially last minute, then you will find these changes to your advantage. But whichever way you cut it, it will cost more to retain or attain your Velocity Status.

If one of the prime benefits you value is say the lounge access you get with Gold Status, then it might be worth looking at other ways to get that access. For example, some Credit Cards offer that benefit, at a cost well below AU$12,000!