Compared: Qantas Platinum vs Virgin Australia Platinum
Platinum status is the prize for frequent flyers, but Qantas Platinum and Virgin Platinum are very different propositions.
Reaching top-tier Platinum frequent flyer status is no easy task. It demands plenty of time and commitment – especially if your focus is on domestic flights rather than international trips, and even more so if those local flights are largely made in economy class.
For Australians, holding Platinum status typically means Qantas Platinum or Virgin Australia Velocity Platinum.
But while both tiers share the same name, there are major differences in not only how easy it is to earn that shiny status but also the perks which come with it. Here’s a quick comparison.
The pathway to Platinum status
Virgin Australia requires that travellers notch up 1,000 status credits in their membership year to achieve Velocity Platinum status, while Qantas sets its Platinum bar a little higher at 1,400 status credits.
Once that Platinum card is safely tucked away in your wallet or purse, Virgin wants you to earn 800 status credits to stay at Platinum status, versus 1,200 for Qantas.
(Another requirement for Platinum is to take a set number of flights or ‘sectors’ with the airline each membership year. On Qantas that’s four sectors, on Virgin it’s eight, but you’ll easily reach that tally when working your way up the status ladder.)
So how many flights will it take to hit that status credit target?
It depends on what routes you’re flying – short domestic hops versus long international trips – as well as the type of fare you’ve purchased.
Less expensive economy fares earn you fewer status credits than higher-priced ones, and of course business class always trumps economy.
As an example, here are the status credit earn rates on the popular Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Brisbane routes:
- Virgin Australia Lite economy, 5 status credits
- Virgin Australia Choice economy, 15 status credits
- Virgin Australia Flex economy, 25 status credits
- Virgin Australia Business, 55 status credits
- Qantas Discount Economy, 10 status credits
- Qantas Flexible Economy, 20 status credits
- Qantas Business, 40 status credits
- Qantas Flexible Business, 45 status credits
So if the bulk of your flying is Sydney-Melbourne and/or Sydney-Brisbane, it’s easy to calculate the number of flights needed to reach Platinum with either airline depending on the type of fare purchased by you or your company.
For example, if you were to exclusively fly business class, Virgin Australia Platinum could be yours in just nine return flights, versus a little over 17 for Qantas Platinum.
The other X-Factor here is the price of those tickets.
As a rule, Virgin Australia undercuts Qantas; indeed, a quick search for Sydney-Melbourne business class in mid-September 2024 shows Virgin offering seats for $379 against Qantas at $499, so you could nab that Platinum status with fewer flights and a tighter travel budget.
Of course, if the majority of your flights are overseas – around Asia, to the USA, the UK or Europe – it’s a very different story: a handful of trips in business class and you’ll be sorted.
Qantas has its own extensive international network, while Virgin Australia relies on a bespoke selection of codeshare partners such as Singapore Airlines, United Airlines and Qatar Airways.
Lounge access for Platinum frequent flyers
Being able to spend time in an airport lounge before your flight – and in some cases after your flight – is generally regarded as the best perk of status, and it’s also perhaps the biggest difference between Qantas Platinum and Virgin Velocity Platinum.
On the domestic front, the Flying Kangaroo has its rival beat by the sheer number of lounges dotted around Australia – almost 50, with many in regional locations – compared to barely a half-dozen Virgin lounges (at Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney).
And even being one rung down at Velocity Gold gets you into all of those Virgin lounges: there’s nothing extra here if you’re Velocity Platinum.
But Qantas Platinums can not only visit any domestic Qantas Club lounge, they gain access to the superior domestic Qantas Business lounges found in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney – and they can pop into domestic Qantas lounges on arrival.
Qantas Platinums are also well ahead on the international front.
They can visit Qantas First Lounges in Sydney, Melbourne, Los Angeles and Singapore, where seasonal á la carte dining and drinks are just a starting point, along with over 600 airport lounges around the world – mainly those of Oneworld airlines (many of which have their own first class lounges) but also of Qantas partner Emirates.
Velocity Platinums (and indeed Velocity Golds) must make do with a patchwork of partners with inconsistent lounge access arrangements.
For example, United Airlines flights out of Sydney and Melbourne, Velocity Platinums in economy or premium economy have access to Star Alliance lounges, alongside travellers seated in business class... but Brisbane has no such arrangement.
In addition, Velocity Platinums can pop into some great partner lounges when overseas, such as Qatar Airways’ Platinum Lounge in Doha and Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi Terminal A First Class lounge. At the time of writing, there’s no access to ANA lounges.
In short, Qantas Platinum will almost certainly suit you better than Velocity Platinum for international travel.
Baggage allowance for Platinum frequent flyers
Both Qantas and Velocity Platinum frequent flyers enjoy priority check-in and boarding, as well as boosted checked baggage allowance.
For domestic flights on the Red Roo, Platinum members enjoy three pieces up to 23kg each when flying in economy, or two pieces up to 32kg each at the pointy end of the plane. (This allowance ramps up even higher on international flights.)
Virgin Australia allows three bags at 23kg each in economy (excluding Lite fares, which are carry-on only – your status makes no difference here) and two bags up to 32kg each in business class.
Carry-on limits are also increased once you hold a Platinum card in your hand, with Qantas providing an extra 3kgs on Virgin Australia, be it one piece, two or a bag and suit bag.
X-factor perks for Platinum frequent flyers
Qantas Platinum is the equivalent of Emerald status in the Oneworld alliance, which counts 13 full members (soon to be 15) within its ranks.
This gives Qantas a real edge, with frequent flyers entitled to priority treatment when flying on those partner airlines, including access to first class priority check-in and the ability to earn and redeem Qantas points whenever flying on a member airline.
Another Platinum-grade Qantas perk is a loyalty bonus, which is unlocked through every or 500 status credits earned on Qantas and Jetstar flights. It provides a choice of 8,000 Qantas Points or 50 status credits, and can be very handy indeed.
In addition is a Platinum Bonus Reward, giving you a choice between 50,000 Qantas Points or complimentary Gold membership for a family member or friend once you reach 2,400 status credits.
Virgin Australia delivers some impressive and very practical Velocity Platinum advantages too – starting with four free business class upgrades each year on any domestic route, as long as your booking is on an economy Flex fare.
Platinum members have the option to ‘Fly Ahead’, allowing them to hop onto an earlier same-day flight at least 30 minutes before departure, plus on-arrival lounge access.
Velocity Platinums also get free inflight WiFi (which is admittedly free to all passengers on Qantas flights) plus complimentary Economy X seating.
Earning well above the 800 status credits needed to retain Platinum status? You can gift Velocity Gold to the companion of your choice, once you hit 1,300 status credits in a year, or Platinum when you reach 1,800.
Members are also given a choice of receiving Hilton Honors Diamond or IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status, as well as preferred car hire status with Europcar and Hertz.
Virgin’s Family Pooling option makes it easier to earn too, with all points and status credits from your nominated family member flowing into your account, supercharging your path to Platinum.
Qantas vs Virgin Australia Platinum: which is better?
Though members of Qantas Frequent Flyer and Velocity would likely have strong opinions on which program is better, it really comes down to what you want airlines to deliver in exchange for your loyalty.
If lounge access is something you rate highly, then Qantas Platinum status delivers that – and then some. Scores of lounges around Australia, leading through to some 600 globally by way of Oneworld Emerald status, really does have a real gleam to it.
Tend to travel with more baggage in tow? Qantas has Virgin beat in that arena too.
But where Virgin really shines is its on-ground partner benefits, such as free Hilton Honors Diamond or IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status, plus the option to Fly Ahead and gift complimentary Platinum status (something only unlocked at Qantas’ higher Platinum One).
Family Pooling is also a great way for regular but not quite frequent flyers to get a status leg up, funnelling status credits from a partner or family member into their Velocity account.
09 Feb 2021
Total posts 16
Virgin really should reconsider their 4 "free" upgrades to Business. The fact it can only be used on Flex fares makes it largely useless to a lot of business travellers whose company policy will dictate that they must book CHoice fares.
A reasonable compromise would be that an upgrade from Flex takes one of your four credits, whereas an upgrade from Choice takes two.
Without that, the benefits of Platinum over Gold really are pretty minimal.
23 Oct 2014
Total posts 237
I would say Virgin Australia is hands down winner for domestic travel - fewer flights required to earn PA, fewer $$ spent to earn that - more status credits and less $$ spent to hold and retain PA- winking
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 474
If you're travelling through the US as a Qantas Platinum you also get to access the better American lounges in key ports like Chicago, Dallas, and LA - The Chicago and Dallas lounges are absolutely first class and a big step ahead of the Qantas Domestic Business lounge network
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 734
As has often been noted by others on this platform, there are some Virgin Platinum members who amass over 2,500 - 3,500 status credits each year (I'm NOT one of them, never will be) and who get little more for their loyalty that I currently get. That's one awful lot of fare revenue for Virgin. Wonder how much damage (if any) to profitability would result if Platinum members reaching 3,000 SCs/year for any 3 years in a consecutive 5-year period were rewarded with Lifetime Platinum membership?
If that calculation is just a bit too hard for the 'Velocity Brains Trust', perhaps an easier gift might be 20 days complimentary airport valet parking for use during the 12 months following that point in time when they hit 3,000 SCs, provided they're departing on a VA coded flight? This isn't rocket science, more like "BD-101" in marketing and brand management.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 984
Don’t forget some Beyond passes
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 May 2018
Total posts 27
After losing virgin platinum status back to gold I certainly missed the free economy X seat allocation for the entire travelling party
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
08 Dec 2023
Total posts 2
Small clarification – The article mentions that Velocity Platinums do not have “any option in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane ahead of United Airlines flights”. Actually, according to the Velocity website, “Velocity Gold and Platinum members departing on a same day United Airlines operated service in Economy or Premium Economy Class from either Melbourne or Sydney will have access to the Singapore Airlines lounges.” I’ve used the SQ lounge when flying United many times without issue.
The point that VA FFs “must make do with a patchwork of partners with inconsistent lounge access arrangements” is absolutely correct though and this is where Qantas definitely wins. It would be so much easier to know whether you have lounge access without having to consult Google before every flight. The lack of lounge access for Virgin’s own international flights is also a miss. Surely, they could do a deal with SQ or their new friends from across the ditch, to give lounge access to Platinums ahead of their own short haul international flights.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Dec 2018
Total posts 3
Just completed my first SYD-BNE as a newly minted Platinum with VA. Zero recognition both at check in and in the air. Saving grace earned extra FF points.
17 Nov 2023
Total posts 37
VA Platinum hands down for me :)
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Compared: Qantas Platinum vs Virgin Australia Platinum