Virgin Australia boosts Platinum upgrade options
The airline is looking to resolve a common bugbear of its most loyal frequent flyers.
By Chris Ashton, September 27 2023
Velocity Platinum is the top tier of Virgin Australia’s loyalty program, and one of its unique perks is the offer of four complimentary upgrades from economy to business class each year (along with complimentary Gold status with either Hilton Honors or IHG One Rewards).
However, this ‘UpgradeMe’ benefit is only possible when Velocity Platinums are booked on the most expensive Economy Flex fares, not the cheaper mid-range Economy Choice fares.
This restriction (not to mention limited availability with only eight business class seats per aircraft) has become a common bugbear within the Platinum ranks, especially given the price difference between Flex and Choice fares.
For example, a one-way Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Perth in mid-October sees Flex tickets pegged at $679, while the average cost of a Choice fare sits at around $540; for Sydney-Melbourne, Choice fares are around $129, versus $409 in Flex.
In some good news for Velocity Platinums, the airline is expanding the UpgradeMe option to include Choice fares – albeit only temporarily, until March 2024.
Virgin Australia is today advising Platinum frequent flyers they can now use the “complimentary UpgradeMe credits when travelling on eligible routes on a Choice fare, in addition to our Flex Fare” until March 31, 2024.
Those eligible routes include Virgin Australia marketed and operated domestic (excluding Christmas Island and Cocos Island), trans-Tasman and international short-range flights.
Business class onboard Virgin Australia's Boeing 737.
However, moving from an Economy Choice fare into business class will require more of your annual Platinum UpgradeMe credits than the step up from an Economy Flex booking.
Where Flex fares require only one UpgradeMe credit (if you can find availability in business class, that is), those jumping from a Choice fare require two or even all four annual credits.
The number of credits need is determined by distance:
- flights up to 1000 miles (such as Sydney to Melbourne) will need 2 UpgradeMe credits
- flights beyond 1,000 miles (such as Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane to Perth) will require 4 UpgradeMe credits
Is it worth using most or all of your credits for one flight? That’s a question only each individual Platinum status holder can answer.
There’s certainly much less value in spending half of your annual UpgradeMe credit allocation on a quick hop such as Brisbane-Sydney or Sydney-Melbourne than in the longer transcontinental trek between the east and west coasts.
Whatever they decide, it’s fair to say this expanded upgrade benefit will be appreciated by many Velocity Platinums, particularly those struggling to use their credits in the first place.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 382
Good luck finding them on international services. This ‘benefit’ could almost be deemed a con.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 973
I just chewed up several upgrade vouchers "Thank You for that"
25 Jan 2022
Total posts 4
Good stuff. It needs a permanent overhaul, however. I just spent two of mine on a SYD-ADL sector. Four short hauls and two longer hauls with a choice fare seems like a good balance
09 Feb 2021
Total posts 11
Hopefully this becomes a permanent change. I've previously not even used the upgrade credits because, like many business travellers, I have to travel on Choice fares, not Flex.
07 Mar 2022
Total posts 63
Jolly Good just used a couple!!!!
Last week, on a Virgin flight an announcement came over the intercom, "We may not be the Spirit of Australia but We are the Heart of Australia" everybody laughed. On another flight last week over the intercom " They welcomed all the Qantas Frequent Flyers onboard as well as the Velocity Frequent Flyers" 😂
06 Sep 2019
Total posts 28
I called as soon as the email was received and of the five flights I tried over the next couple of weeks, none had upgrade availability. Maybe I'll have better luck at the gate.
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 98
Have never used the upgrade certificates as each attempt has resulted in anomalies ie the flexi fare being more than the full business fare so makes a mockery of the benefit . I canvased this with VFF only to be informed the upgrade vouchers at times ( In my case every time ) can result in additional expense over the purchase of a business ticket !!! So superfluous and irrelevant as a benefit .
03 Apr 2020
Total posts 3
About time. Benefits you can actually use!! This was mooted to be occurring a good few years ago and never happened.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
20 Jul 2012
Total posts 15
I have given up on using flight upgrades.
On a couple of occasions recently I paid more just so I could use them only for the flight to be cancelled and downgraded without ever getting the flight credits back.
11 Sep 2015
Total posts 219
Great to see, would be even better if this becomes a full-time arrangement. But the big issue with most Platinum upgrades is that lack of business class availability in the first place, given that Virgin has only eight seats in business class to start with and as it's become more successful in challenging Qantas and offering more competitive business class fares there are simply fewer seats up for grabs. I have trouble using my Platinum upgrades in the first place and hate seeing them go to waste, I wish Virgin would let you roll them over at least on a one-year basis.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 973
I agree, I just booked a few internal flights in the US / Canada and they have a total of 16 business class seats.
07 May 2015
Total posts 41
I'd be surprised if that was 16 business class seats on a 737-800, and even so, the US market is vastly bigger than the AU one so we are talking apples vs oranges.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 973
Just rechecking United gives me the option of pick 2 seats of there 16 business class seats.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Nov 2012
Total posts 122
It’s easy to offer a programme “enhancement” that no one can use.
05 Aug 2023
Total posts 12
Simple solution... VA is planning to overhaul their entire cabins...
Install row 3 of Business.
Simples
15 Mar 2018
Total posts 93
Right. Make it easier to fight for the 8 seats that are already seldom available. Who are they kidding. Just another hollow offer packaging nothing!
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