Each year I hit Platinum with Virgin Australia through domestic flights and then shift my flying to Qantas to ensure I achieve Qantas Platinum. It's the "best of both worlds" as they say, especially when it comes to the benefits of Qantas Platinum for international travel.
But I would probably keep flying with Virgin a bit longer if there was a seriously good tier above Platinum. I like the idea of Qantas Platinum One but even if I moved all my domestic booking to Qantas I wouldn't reach P1 status because of the very high status Status Credit thresh-hold which is one reason why I split my bookings between the airlines.
Do you think Virgin needs its own Velocity 'Platinum One' level, and what exclusive benefits could it offer which might make AusBT readers who are Velocity Platinum like me keep flying with Virgin?
Whilst I've reached Gold in the Virgin program there has been nothing to entice me to book more travel with Virgin (or its partners) to get Platinum status.
Apart from a slightly higher baggage allowance, a better lounge in Abu Dhabi and access to a lounge at LAX, I see no visable difference in the two status levels.
Could Virgin work on this, yeh and maybe a newer status level would provide some level of difference between Gold, Platinum and the new level they create.
In all of this I think the better question would be what extra benefits could they provide.
I'd like to see things like access to the proper Singapore Airlines Business lounge in Singapore and when flying partners the ability to use the lounge that the airlines uses for the airport even if it's not operated by that airlines (Etihad is an exception here).
No. They don't differentiate well between Gold and Platinum as it is so I can't imagine a P1 being anything to aim for. I don't value P1 from QF either.
Best to add another FFP into the mix that you DO value.
Whilst I've reached Gold in the Virgin program there has been nothing to entice me to book more travel with Virgin (or its partners) to get Platinum status.
Apart from a slightly higher baggage allowance, a better lounge in Abu Dhabi and access to a lounge at LAX, I see no visable difference in the two status levels.
On the basis of that alone (Gold being peak), sounds like VA is made for Star Alliance ;)
It seems keeping status with international QF partners is getting harder as the days go by. If on QF metal or a QF flight number (sometimes) seems to be OK. But with reduced (or no) status and points on both EK and AA now introduced, unless flying up front, it's difficult to achieve.
One huge difference of course are the many OneWorld opportunities and benefits with QF, which Virgin can't compete in. Although they do well with Etihad and Delta, things can improve with their partner Singapore Airlines.
Case in point, even though I'm Platinum with VA, I can not self-assign a seat on Singapore Airlines until three days prior to departure if I have my Velocity number entered, which is the case for my upcoming flights to China. This I believe is super poor on both VA and SQ part, but if I want to fly to Asia, there is no other partner outside of SQ so you're stuck if you want points/status.
If VA don't want to join OW or Star, fine, but to be competitive international, especially with their upcoming launch to Hong Kong, then they need to find many more partners.
I had Platinum with VA for many years and after they dropped MEL - LAX I shifted to United and have had Platinum with QF for maybe 10 years.
I wouldnt go back to VA, as the status doesn't carry any weight with their partners if a flight is cancelled etc. I find United 1K excellent as I do with Qantas Platinum and is acknowledge by their OW and Star partners.
Also agree with previous comments that the P1 status with Qantas is very difficult to get and you are better to split your flying
Considering the level of service that VA can provide, its Platinum membership hasn't too much to offer comparing to its Gold membership. Singapore Airlines has four levels of lounges (Private Rooms, First Class, Business Class and Gold Flyers lounges), and three levels (or more) of check-in services, hence it can distinguish its PPS members from the gold flyers and distinguish its First Class pax from Business Class pax. What VA has is merely an all-in-one lounge with questionable service quality. What I can think of for building another tier upon the Platinum membership is to match the premium membership level of an alliance like *A.
As a QF P1 member (and LT gold) I see very little difference between QF's top WP and P1 tiers. Same F lounge guest policy, no anytime access, same domestic lounge access.
What VA (and QF) "could" do is offer domestic access to the "The Club"/CL for domestic P1 type travellers and also allow anytime access to both F and CL no matter who you are flying with. We really don't need an extra 50,000 FF points as we earn heaps any or some valet parking passes as these are either tax deductible or picked up by the company we may work for or own!
If this changed it would focus all of my travel on a single carrier as atm all I do is get to VA Plat (in say 3 months) and then move to QF to get to P1 so I can have both options
I must say although I do appreciate the P1 present at Xmas each year as it is a nice touch.
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Does Virgin Australia need its own Platinum One tier?
Kevin Cheung
Kevin Cheung
Member since 13 Sep 2016
Total posts 8
Each year I hit Platinum with Virgin Australia through domestic flights and then shift my flying to Qantas to ensure I achieve Qantas Platinum. It's the "best of both worlds" as they say, especially when it comes to the benefits of Qantas Platinum for international travel.
But I would probably keep flying with Virgin a bit longer if there was a seriously good tier above Platinum. I like the idea of Qantas Platinum One but even if I moved all my domestic booking to Qantas I wouldn't reach P1 status because of the very high status Status Credit thresh-hold which is one reason why I split my bookings between the airlines.
Do you think Virgin needs its own Velocity 'Platinum One' level, and what exclusive benefits could it offer which might make AusBT readers who are Velocity Platinum like me keep flying with Virgin?
henrus
henrus
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 23 Oct 2013
Total posts 765
Whilst I've reached Gold in the Virgin program there has been nothing to entice me to book more travel with Virgin (or its partners) to get Platinum status.
kiwiwings
kiwiwings
Air New Zealand - Airpoints
Member since 10 Aug 2015
Total posts 12
No. They don't differentiate well between Gold and Platinum as it is so I can't imagine a P1 being anything to aim for. I don't value P1 from QF either.
TheRealBabushka
TheRealBabushka
Member since 21 Apr 2012
Total posts 2,058
On the basis of that alone (Gold being peak), sounds like VA is made for Star Alliance ;)
jds747400
jds747400
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 04 Mar 2015
Total posts 6
It seems keeping status with international QF partners is getting harder as the days go by. If on QF metal or a QF flight number (sometimes) seems to be OK. But with reduced (or no) status and points on both EK and AA now introduced, unless flying up front, it's difficult to achieve.
Yannick2
Yannick2
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 13 Jun 2014
Total posts 1
I had Platinum with VA for many years and after they dropped MEL - LAX I shifted to United and have had Platinum with QF for maybe 10 years.
I wouldnt go back to VA, as the status doesn't carry any weight with their partners if a flight is cancelled etc. I find United 1K excellent as I do with Qantas Platinum and is acknowledge by their OW and Star partners.
Also agree with previous comments that the P1 status with Qantas is very difficult to get and you are better to split your flying
DBPZ
DBPZ
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 26 Feb 2016
Total posts 38
Considering the level of service that VA can provide, its Platinum membership hasn't too much to offer comparing to its Gold membership. Singapore Airlines has four levels of lounges (Private Rooms, First Class, Business Class and Gold Flyers lounges), and three levels (or more) of check-in services, hence it can distinguish its PPS members from the gold flyers and distinguish its First Class pax from Business Class pax. What VA has is merely an all-in-one lounge with questionable service quality. What I can think of for building another tier upon the Platinum membership is to match the premium membership level of an alliance like *A.
sparkymarky
sparkymarky
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 01 Sep 2015
Total posts 8
As a QF P1 member (and LT gold) I see very little difference between QF's top WP and P1 tiers. Same F lounge guest policy, no anytime access, same domestic lounge access.
What VA (and QF) "could" do is offer domestic access to the "The Club"/CL for domestic P1 type travellers and also allow anytime access to both F and CL no matter who you are flying with. We really don't need an extra 50,000 FF points as we earn heaps any or some valet parking passes as these are either tax deductible or picked up by the company we may work for or own!
If this changed it would focus all of my travel on a single carrier as atm all I do is get to VA Plat (in say 3 months) and then move to QF to get to P1 so I can have both options
I must say although I do appreciate the P1 present at Xmas each year as it is a nice touch.