Does anyone else find it rather ridiculous that you will most likely (pending the new sabre system) earn more velocity points on Virgin if you stop over somewhere.

Does anyone else find it rather ridiculous that you will most likely (pending the new sabre system) earn more velocity points on Virgin if you stop over somewhere. For example, if you fly from Sydney to Cairns and stop in Brisbane, because you flew two sectors, you get more minimum points. This seems rather ridiculous because the fares will usually be the same as a direct flight but at the same time, stopping over is more costly to the airline than point-to-point.

Hence the saying "Why go direct when you can connect?"

I flew Sydney to Hobart via Melbourne in Business class on December 22nd and only got 40 status credits (as it would be if i flew direct) rather than two lots of 40.

I believe the new system won't take effect until Virgin is using the Sabre system, which is sometime this month, which is why you would have only recieved the one amount.

If I had to connect I think it is a bonus, however I wouldn't be booking connecting flights just so I received more status credits.

It appears like they are rewarding those for the inconvenience of stopping over on a flight that they may be able to take with a rival airline direct.

I suppose more than anything, if you take connecting flights often it seems you will soon see more status credits being earnt quicker.

No, this is basically what every other airline does, including on Velocity for every airline except Virgin's domestic services.

And no, stopping over is not always more expensive to an airline than taking a direct flight, for many reasons.

I would be keen to hear some of the reasons why indirect = cheaper than direct flights???

Lets say VA has 3 daily flights SYD-CNS at 0800, 1200 & 1900. Now they want to fill the gap between 1200 and 1900 but there arent enough pax to fill a direct SYD-CNS flight at 1500.

So if they route pax SYD-BNE-CNS they can carry the extra pax on one of the many SYD-BNE flights and combine them with some BNE-CNS pax.

If the airline doesn't have a direct route it's obviously more costly to start up a new route than to have people fly indirect.

If you have a direct route running at near capacity, and the indirect connecting routes running low capacity, from a revenue perspective it would be cheaper to fly the connecting routes. Depends on the revenue management and management of capacity on connecting/direct routes.

Absolutely right, Madge! Chrisjrn, here is a snippet of my next Virgin Australia flight to Los Angeles on Business Class on the 3rd of Feburary:

As you can see, it is cheaper to fly with a stopover to Brisbane (and you can earn more Velocity points on the new system, so that's why I'm waiting for the 14th of Jan!) It is a $1,323 difference between VA1 compared to the stopover for Brisbane. This is an example of why "indirect = cheaper than direct flights"

Where did virgin mention the new earning system with SABRA that connecting flights earn individually???

So i guess the question is... who can find the best status run??? 

And one more question if you don't mind... If you have booked a flight ie PER - ADL but get offered/bumped onto a direct flight at check-in how will you earn???

You'll earn according to the flights you actually take.