Velocity Gold could be yours with just one trip…
Virgin has its eye on legions of high-flying travelers across 29 different loyalty programs including Cathay Pacific’s Marco Polo Club, Malaysia Airlines Enrich and British Airways’ Executive Club, among others.
Here’s what you need to know about Virgin Australia’s Velocity Discover Gold status match program.
How long does the Velocity Discover Gold offer run for?
Unlike previous status match offers, there doesn’t appear to be a closing date by which you need to register your interest or apply to Virgin Australia for your existing status to be matched this time around.
So, at least for now until advised otherwise, the door has been bolted open for travelers new to the Velocity program to road-test Gold and strive for the challenge to receive a full year of benefits.
Who is eligible for the Velocity Discover Gold fast track?
Members of frequent flyer programs from nearly 30 airlines are being invited to attempt the Discover Gold challenge by providing proof of current Gold status or higher.
Virgin’s Velocity Gold status match is now available to frequent flyers of all Oneworld airlines.
It’s important to note that if you have previously held a Silver, Gold or Platinum status membership with Velocity Frequent Flyer, you sadly will not qualify for a Discover Gold membership. This also applies to members who have previously held a Pilot Gold trial membership in Virgin Australia’s Business Flyer program.
Any member of Virgin’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program holding its lowest Red tier can apply for this status match, provided you have never previously held Silver, Gold or Platinum status. This makes the offer perfect for new members and those who don’t often fly Virgin and have never progressed past the entry-level tier.
Velocity membership is limited in its geographic reach – you must be a resident of Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, or Vanuatu.
If you’re not already a member, joining Velocity Frequent Flyer is free.
Which airlines will Virgin Australia status match against?
Virgin Australia’s Velocity Discover Gold promotion is open to the higher-ranked frequent flyers of nine Oneworld member airlines, 10 Star Alliance partners (across seven loyalty programs), eight SkyTeam carriers and five more unaffiliated with the big three collectives.
Major airlines being targeted by the status match include Qantas, naturally – along with Air New Zealand, Emirates, Fiji Airways and former partner Delta Air Lines.
Unsurprisingly, loyal travelers of Virgin’s newest chums, United Airlines and Qatar Airways, are not eligible, nor are members of its existing partner roster, including Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways and others.
Here’s a full list of airlines and their eligible membership tiers:
Oneworld:
Qantas: Gold, Platinum, Platinum One
American Airlines: Advantage Platinum, Platinum Pro, Executive Platinum
British Airways: Executive Club Silver, Gold
Cathay Pacific: Marco Polo Club Gold, Diamond
Fiji Airways: Tabua Club Plus
Finnair: Plus Gold, Platinum
Iberia: Iberia Plus Gold, Platinum, Singular, Infinite, Infinite Prime
Japanese Airlines: JMB Sapphire, JGC Premier, JMB Diamond
Malaysia Airlines: Henry Gold, Platinum
Star Alliance:
AirChina: Phoenix Miles Gold, Platinum
Air India: Flying Returns Maharajah Club, Golden Edge Club
Air New Zealand: Airpoints Gold, Elite
Asian: Asiana Club Platinum, Diamond, Diamond Plus
Austrian Airlines / Lufthansa / Swiss Airlines: Miles & More HON Circle, Senator
Thai Airways: Royal Orchid Plus Gold, Platinum
EVA Air: Infinity Mileage Lands Gold, Diamond
Scandinavian Airlines: Euro Bonus Gold, Platinum
SkyTeam:
ChinaAirlines: Dynasty Flyer Emerald, Paragon
Eastern China: Eastern Miles Elite Status Silver, Gold
Delta Airlines: Skymiles Gold, Platinum
Air France / KLM Dutch Airlines: Flying Blue Gold, Platinum
Viet Nam Airlines: Lotusmiles Titanium, Gold, Platinum
Indonesian Garuda: Garuda Miles Gold, Platinum
Korean Air: Skypass Morning Calm Premium Club, Million Miler Club
Others:
Air Niugini: Gold Executive Club
Emirates: Skywards Gold, Platinum
LATAM: LATAM Pass Platinum, Black
Philippine Airlines: Mabuhay Miles Premier Elite, Million Miler
Royal Brunei: Royal Skies Elite Gold
‘Unpublished’ frequent flyer tiers such as Qantas’ Chairman’s Lounge, Air New Zealand’s Elite Priority one and Emirates iQ are ineligible for Virgin’s status match offer.
Starting off with Velocity Discover Gold status
Once approved for Virgin’s Gold-grade status match, you’ll enjoy three months of what Virgin Velocity terms ‘Discover Gold’ status.
This is a slightly tailored version of the standard Velocity Gold offering, with most of the standard Gold perks offered, including priority check-in and boarding, airport lounge access, additional cabin baggage in economy, a boosted checked baggage allowance, and more.
All that’s missing from your trial Discover Gold membership compared to the full Velocity Gold package is a Gold baggage tag, access to guaranteed reward seats, the ability to opt-in for equivalent status with a hotel partner (choose between IHG and Hilton) and a car hire partner (either Europcar or Hertz) and parental pause rights.
Earning a full year of Velocity Gold status
During your three-month trial period, you’ll need to do two things to ascend to a full year of Velocity Gold status: earn 80 status credits and fly at least one eligible sector.
(Compare that to the usual Velocity Gold benchmark of 500 status credits and four eligible sectors and you can appreciate how fast this fast-track is.)
The single ‘eligible sector’ is easy enough to check off: it’s one paid Virgin Australia flight on any route, on any Choice, Flex or Business fare (but excluding Velocity Reward Seats), as long as there’s a VA flight number on your ticket .
And those 80 status credits? They’re a breeze to pocket.
You’ll earn some from that eligible flight, and the remainder can come from:
- additional flying on Virgin;
- ‘family pooling’ (collecting the status credits earned by other family members);
- through Velocity partners such as by shopping at Coles, scanning your Flybuys card, and earning status credits when your Velocity Frequent Flyer account is linked.
Flying isn’t the only way to earn Velocity status credits…
At the conclusion of the three-month trial period, provided you’ve completed the challenge, you’ll tick over to full Velocity Gold and remain there for a year.
(If you don’t manage to complete the challenge in those 12 weeks, you’ll spend the next year at Velocity Silver, before returning to regular reviews based on future performance.
How to earn 80 Velocity status credits
The easiest way to earn Velocity status credits is by flying with Virgin Australia.
Flying with Virgin Australia is the best way to earn your full Gold stripes.
Here’s a quick look at how many status credits you can earn per one-way domestic flight, based on the type of fare purchased and the distance of each flight.
On short trips such as Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Brisbane, you’ll pocket five status credits on the lowest-priced and carry-on bag only Lite economy ticket; 15 status credits on the more regular Choice fares 25 status credits on flexible economy and 55 status credits on a fully-flexible Business fare.
So if a Sydney-Melbourne trip is on your radar, you’d meet or surpass Virgin’s requirement for 80 status credits with:
- one business class return trip.
- two economy class return trips on a Flex economy fare. three economy return trips on mid-range Choice tickets
For a mid-length flight, such as between Brisbane and Melbourne, you’ll get seven status credits for a Lite fare, 20 status credits in Choice economy; 35 status credits on Flex economy and 80 status credits on Business fares.
Finally, flying coast to coast between Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane and Perth lands you 10 status credits on Lite tickets; 30 status credits for Choice 45 status credits on Flex economy and 105 for a seat in the first two rows of the plane, known of course as business class.
Take off for Gold with Virgin Australia’s status match challenge.
So if you’d like to tick off your status challenge with one flight, a single mid-length business class fare between Brisbane and Melbourne, for example, will get you across the line.
Fast-track your Discover Gold challenge with family pooling, Flybuys
Tools like Velocity’s ‘family pooling’ can make the process of earning 80 status credits even easier.
This lets you funnel status credits from a family member’s account – such as your partner or children, provided they live at the same address – into your own Velocity account.
Whenever that family member travels, you’ll pocket their status credits, bringing you closer to that goal of 80 status credits.
Flying Virgin business class between Sydney and Melbourne? That’s as good as Gold.
If you took those return trips above together, for example, you’d qualify in half the time, as you’d be collecting not only your own status credits, but those from your family member, too.
Through the Flybuys rewards program, you can also earn one Velocity status credit per $100 spent at Coles supermarkets, when your Flybuys and Velocity accounts are linked.
Just be aware that Flybuys only sends across your status credits once a month, rather than immediately after every shop, so status credits earned via retail purchases made towards the end of your Discover Gold period may not appear in your account until after the challenge.
How to apply for the Velocity Discover Gold status fast track
Ready to get started on the path to elite Velocity status?
Sadly, Virgin Australia’s website is light on detail as to how frequent flyers can apply for this challenge. The best way we’ve found is to contact the airline through its feedback form, where you can make clear your request to take on the challenge.
The status match is open to those who have never previously held Velocity Silver, Gold or Platinum status.
You’ll need to indicate the status you hold, include a photograph or screenshot of your eligible frequent flyer card, and choose when you want your three-month period to begin, which needs to be within the next few weeks.
Once your request has been approved, you’ll then begin your three months as a Discover Gold member, putting you on the path to take home real Velocity Gold.