How can Virgin Australia make Velocity Platinum better?

Interesting to read this AusBT article this morning: Virgin Australia Velocity polishes the Platinum proposition

Virgin once again talking up improvements to Velocity Platinum, but what does everybody here think they really need to do to make Velocity Platinum a compelling and 'rewarding' alternative to Qantas Platinum?

I know some people want there to be a Velocity equivalent to QF's Platinum One tier but I'd rather they nail the Platinum proposition first!

I'd like to see a special Platinum-only area in the Virgin lounges with better meals. Their current breakfast lunch and dinner options are very third-rate.

Platinum only area + one guest flying with you in Lounges...

Probably two things spring to mind. 

Agree that a Platinum lounge wouldn't work for Virgin. Qantas is large enough to have a two-tier lounge structure, the Qantas Club and Qantas Business Lounge, but Virgin simply lacks that scale.

It would be good if Platinums could have their free hotel and hire car status each year, at the moment you get it the first year you reach Platinum and then it disappears unless of course you qualify through the hotel or hire car rewards program. Maybe after a year, if you don't qualify for that reciprocal 'Platinum' hotel or hire car status you get the 'Gold' equivalent.

It would be nice to actually be recognised as a Platinum on VA international flights..... just returned from the US and I felt like I was scum in business class - was ignored by the cabin manager while other members were welcomed and seem to be given more urgent attention. The cabin manager used to introduce themselves and make you feel valued.

Virgin are not going to make separate Plat areas in their lounges. For starters several lounges simply dont have the room and it would be extremely expensive to install separate food, bar etc areas. Where the kitchen is part of the normal lounge and there was no room to build a separate kitchen (ie BNE), would staff cart the better food through the normal lounge into the Plat lounge? This is not going to happen.

I don't think you would get a lot of people wanting to 'reach for platinum' if you get rid of the benefits you have given gold frequent flyers. I think you will just end up with a rather large contingent of annoyed people.

No one likes losing something that they have already been given.

SQ does allow SilverKris lounge access in SIN for Air NZ Elite, would be nice if they did they same for Velocity Plat

Having been a platinum for 4 years and just now dropped to gold I'm not putting any effort into getting back up to platinum, as alluded to the differences are so minute it's not worth it. I don't think there will be any major improvements to plat benefits as long as VA remain in their quasi alliance with SQ and EY rather than joining one of the more established ones like Star Alliance.

This is my wish list:

- Make the 4 comp domestic upgrades available from any fare (thank you smit0847)

- Introduced lifetime Gold like QF; this is the biggest difference between the 2 programs

- Getting more into bed with Accor; I would love a PT status match with Accor

I have been Velocity Platinum for many years now. The one thing that really bugs me, is after you have reached Platinum, there is no incentive to remain loyal to the brand; I have often thought maybe I should at that point start flying Qantas to get status in both (last year I maintained my own platinum, plus got my partner to platinum via family pooling, plus still had enough to gift a gold membership).