Virgin Australia offers fast-track to Velocity Gold status

Flying with Virgin Australia or Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi and beyond? You could be in line for instant Gold status with the Velocity Frequent Flyer program thanks to a new fast-track promotion via Virgin Australia’s Accelerate business rewards scheme.

Make a return first class booking from Australia to Abu Dhabi or further afield with Etihad Airways and you’ll be boosted to Velocity Gold status for an entire year, provided you booked your Etihad flights as a Virgin Australia codeshare (with a VA flight number).

The same trip in business class – with either Virgin Australia or with Etihad, under a VA flight number – will see you upgraded to Velocity Pilot Gold status for three months.

How does Pilot Gold differ from 'regular’ Gold?

You’ll still enjoy benefits such as priority check-in, boarding and Virgin Australia lounge access – but not Gold-level hotel and car hire status matches, guaranteed reward seats or parental pause benefits.

Provided you notch up at least 80 status credits within the three months of your Pilot Gold period and take at least one flight with a VA flight number (either served by Virgin Australia or one if its codeshare partners), you'll have full Velocity Gold status for an entire year.

To be eligible for the Velocity Gold fast-track promo, your flights must be booked by November 30 2016 and flown by December 31 2016.

Bookings must also be made via the Virgin Australia Accelerate portal, via a corporate travel agent with an ‘Accelerate code’ attached or other the phone with the same.

That’s not to say you need your own Accelerate membership, however.

If travelling for your employer or for a client and either business is enrolled in the Accelerate scheme, just make sure your booking is made in the appropriate way – and if you run your own business, small or large, apply to join Accelerate for free and then make your booking.

After taking your flight, jump online and submit the details of your booking and of the Accelerate-registered business via this Google Docs form and Virgin Australia will upgrade your status within 15 business days.

(Travelling in premium economy or economy instead of at the pointy end? You can also be upgraded to Velocity Silver status for 12 months in much the same way after a similar return trip, provided you weren’t booked on the least-expensive Getaway fares.)

Also read:

• Your guide to Virgin Australia's Accelerate program for businesses
• How to get a Qantas, Virgin Australia frequent flyer status match

Connect with other business travellers in our Virgin Australia discussion group

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.