Virgin launches lifetime Velocity status, new Platinum Plus tier

Virgin Australia will reward its top frequent flyers with lifetime Velocity status and a new Platinum Plus tier as the airline aims to close the loyalty gap against Qantas.

Both are part of what is arguably the most significant shake-up in the program’s almost 20-year history, alongside a move to spend-based status earning – the more your ticket costs, the more status credits you’ll earn.

But there’s also a hit to partner airlines, with increased Reward Seat pricing and decreased status credits earning.

Velocity Golds and Platinums will also lose some perks in what Velocity Frequent Flyer CEO Nick Rohrlach described to Executive Traveller as a “reset” for the program that’s been long in the works.

“Virgin Australia went through its own rebirth and refresh,” Rohrlach reflected, “to drive greater value, more aggressive and lower pricing  (including) discounted business class fares.” 

This sweeping overhaul of Velocity is about “aligning that on the loyalty side of things.”

The changes will be phased in across the coming 12 months, with 1 October 2025 seeing the following key developments.

Velocity lifetime Forever Gold status

Velocity’s rollout of lifetime status will initially be limited to lifetime Gold – to be known as Velocity Forever Gold – because Gold is seen as Velocity’s sweet spot for practical perks such as lounge access, increased baggage allowances, preferential seating and priority service.

To add a Velocity Forever Gold to your wallet or purse you’ll need to have racked up 12,000 status credits – with at least 9,000 of those earned on Virgin Australia flights or codeshares carrying a VA flight number.

And yes, double status credits promotions will count towards your Forever Gold target.

Although Velocity’s lifetime Forever Gold tier will launch on 1 October 2025, eligibility will be back-dated to recognise all Velocity status credits earned since 1 February 2013.

Velocity says a significant number of frequent flyers will automatically ascend to Forever Gold status on 1 October 2025, based on their long-standing travels with Virgin Australia and its partner airlines.

Could lifetime Velocity Forever Silver or Forever Platinum follow the launch of Forever Gold? 

“We absolutely did look at” other lifetime tiers, Rohrlach told Executive Traveller.

“But Gold is quite the signature thing, in terms of lounge access and especially with our partner network…we could always look at other things in the future, but the members are pretty clear this was the one that they really wanted.”

Velocity Platinum Plus status

A new Velocity Platinum Plus tier is also being added to the loyalty ladder, sitting above today’s top rung of Velocity Platinum but of course below the invitation-only Virgin Australia Beyond program.

Velocity Platinum Plus will require 2,000 status credits to earn and retain on a yearly basis – with 1,500 of those status credits from Virgin Australia flights or codeshares carrying a VA flight number.

By comparison. Velocity Platinum requires 1,000 status credits to earn and 800 status credits to retain it.

And there’ll be no need to clock up any number of  ‘eligible sectors’ of flying, with Velocity axing ‘eligible sectors’ as part of the move to spend-based status earning of 1 status credit per $12 spent on most fares.

As usual, double status promotions will contribute towards your Platinum Plus tally – but there’s a caveat when it comes to Family Pooling.

Status credits earned by any member of your Family Pool will count towards the overall 2,000 status credit goal, but only those earned by the actual travelling member will count towards the mandatory 1,500 status credits ‘from VA flights’ threshold.

Platinum Plus members can expect a raft of better-than-Platinum benefits including:

• access to an exclusive Australian-based VIP Priority phone hotline
• four complimentary business class upgrades which can be used on economy Flex and economy Choice fares (compared to only Flex upgrades for Platinum members)
• the ability to gift Velocity Platinum membership to a companion (this perk is being removed from Platinum to become exclusive to Platinum Plus)
• free rebooking to a later flight on the same day (known as Fly Later, and essentially a reverse of Virgin’s popular Fly Ahead).

Velocity Platinum Plus members will of course enjoy the highest priority recognition for bookings and upgrades, and Velocity promises more benefits will be announced closer to launch. 

Gold, Platinum perks axed

1 October 2025 will also see three benefits removed from Velocity Gold and Velocity Platinum.

Velocity Golds will lose their Guaranteed Economy Reward Seat benefit. This lets them request up to four economy reward seats be made available from seats otherwise put up for sale – on any return Virgin Australia domestic flight.

Velocity’s rationale is that this benefit was used by less than 100 members in the 12 months to June 2024.

However, Velocity Platinum members will still be able to request the release of up to four economy reward seats on return Virgin Australia domestic and international flights.

As noted earlier, Velocity Platinums will lose the option to gift Companion Platinum status to another Velocity member.

Velocity Platinums will still be able to gift Companion Velocity Gold status but the benefit will only be unlocked when “650 status credits of the current 1,300 status credit threshold" earned across their membership year are “earned on Virgin Australia marketed flights flown by the member”.

Under the current system, Companion Velocity Gold becomes available to Velocity Platinums simply by earning an additional 500 status credits above the required 800 status credits needed to retain Platinum.