Restricting Velocity membership
Jul 8, 2016, 1:17 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Lifetime *G (MP), Lifetime PE (Bonvoy)
Posts: 1,465
2 Because it helps a commercial partner. I suspect the Virgin Group has agreed informally to a regional carve up between Velocity, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America
3 BA when they were partners on the Kangaroo route denied Executive Club membership to Australian residents, presumably to advantage their partner Qantas
VA is basically an Australian domestic airline; why would a non-resident want to join?
Jul 8, 2016, 2:05 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Melbourne
Programs: ►QFWP/LTG►VA WP►HyattExpl.►HiltonGold►ALL Silver
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They certainly do; I suspect there's a commercial/contractual reason.
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.co...ns/#membership
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.co...ns/#membership
5.1.1 An individual is eligible to become a Member if:
(a) they are an individual resident in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Christmas Island or Cocos Island;
...
(a) they are an individual resident in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Christmas Island or Cocos Island;
...
Jul 8, 2016, 8:18 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ireland
Programs: Skywards
Posts: 313
Ive booked enough flights in the next 8 months to get gold (if I could register!) including AKL - RAR which is hardly Australian or regional! So whilst I understand the reasons you give from a Virgin commercial point of view there are many reasons why a non resident could benefit from joining.
Jul 10, 2016, 1:26 am
#6
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Of course, there may be quite a few Australian members of the BAEC who have a residential address in Austr[al]ia.
Maybe there's a few Irishmen with a Pacific address ....
Maybe there's a few Irishmen with a Pacific address ....
Jul 10, 2016, 2:35 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Lifetime *G (MP), Lifetime PE (Bonvoy)
Posts: 1,465
Ive booked enough flights in the next 8 months to get gold (if I could register!) including AKL - RAR which is hardly Australian or regional! So whilst I understand the reasons you give from a Virgin commercial point of view there are many reasons why a non resident could benefit from joining.
Jul 10, 2016, 3:59 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ireland
Programs: Skywards
Posts: 313
Jul 10, 2016, 4:31 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2013
Location: west coast best coast
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Jul 12, 2016, 7:41 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: UA 1k, AA EXPLT, NZ GE, VA PLT Hyatt Diam, Marr Plat, HH Diam
Posts: 3,445
They certainly do; I suspect there's a commercial/contractual reason.
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.co...ns/#membership
https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.co...ns/#membership
Jul 13, 2016, 1:43 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Lifetime *G (MP), Lifetime PE (Bonvoy)
Posts: 1,465
Realists regard NZ as a domestic destination and that's reflected in restricting membership to the South Pacific. Besides that there's Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles and ... ??? Joint venture partnerships in this context are irrelevant except for those already resident in the South Pacific. If you want to accumulate international miles, join an international carrier's FF scheme
Jul 13, 2016, 1:19 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,134
In my case, it would've been a question of whether to choose to earn miles on VA or VS for my DL flights. VS might still have won (the 100% bonus on DL would have been hard to pass up), but VA would've probably had a serious claim on it for the purposes of racking up points for a LAX-SYD/BNE award. Still, Platinum on VA would require at most 25 legs on DL in F (I can see a case for it being in the mid-teens, depending on the mix of flights).
Jul 13, 2016, 3:25 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: Melbourne
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... don't forget the required 8 flights on VA flight numbers ... (i.e. VA Marketed).
That takes it down to 23 DL First/Business class flights.
That takes it down to 23 DL First/Business class flights.
Aug 30, 2016, 9:11 am
#15
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-PLT, QF-GLD, DL-GM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
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And as you said they are partners with Delta and many other airlines, so you can earn points and status on those partners if you aren't able to become a Velocity member.
Velocity is a pretty good program, but I can't see why anyone would be upset they can't join if they don't live in the South Pacific.