Virgin Australia Velocity Switch-A-Roo: Statusmatch & Challenge To Gold & Platinum Tier

For a limited time, Virgin Australia invites frequent flyers with the equivalent of Velocity Gold Status and above with any frequent flyer program (excluding the programs of our partner airlines) to experience the best of Velocity with a 3 month Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold Trial.*

Offer available for a limited time between 13 – 26 September 2022 and is subject to availability, so get in fast!*

Members have to follow these steps in order to receive their tier match:

• Ensure you are an existing Velocity Frequent Flyer member. If you’re not you can join here (it’s free… unlike you-know-who).
• Email switcharoo@velocityfrequentflyer.com with your full name, Velocity membership number and a photograph of your other airline frequent flyer membership card indicating the equivalent of Velocity Gold status or higher. Make sure that you use the email address registered with your Velocity membership when emailing us with your status match application.
• Our team will take a look at your details and if you’re eligible, upgrade you into a 3-month Velocity Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold trial.
• This offer is only available to members of frequent flyer programs that are not partnered with Velocity Frequent Flyer.

Velocity had many match and challenge campaigns before, but this one is unique as they also offer Platinum status:

After the Gold match, customers need to fly & collect:

• 80 Status Credits to retain Gold
• 200 Status Credits to upgrade to Platinum

Unfortunately, all Velocity Airline Partners are excluded from this match opportunity:

This time there is an expiration date to this campaign listed as September 26, 2022. That being said, Velocity could withdraw or close the registration at any time, so just because it says Sep 26th doesn’t mean that it’ll be around until then, as the phrase “subject to availability” suggests.

Conclusion

Now members of pretty much all other programs except Velocity partners can apply for the Gold & Platinum status match / challenge. I wonder how much the retention rate of matched Gold members will be following the three-month trial period.

As I mentioned the last time I covered this, Virgin Australia has run these status match campaigns in the past I remember like ten years ago, they ran a big promotion at the Westfield Mall in Sydney offering an instant match up to Platinum for members of international competitors as well and even printed the card on the spot.

These are the Discover Gold campaign Terms and Conditions:

Frequent Flyer members of airlines which are not partners of Velocity Frequent Flyer (Velocity), that currently hold the equivalent of Velocity Gold Status and above (and that have not held Silver, Gold or Platinum Status with Velocity since April 2020) are eligible to receive a Velocity ‘Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold’ Status match (full details below) and opportunity to maintain Gold. If you currently hold the equivalent of Velocity Platinum status or above, after the 3-month Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold trial you will also have the option to fast-track to Platinum Status with Velocity for a period of 12 months by meeting the eligibility criteria outlined below.  You must hold a valid Velocity membership to participate in this promotion.   

In order to receive the ‘Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold’ trial, eligible Velocity members must apply by sending an email to switcharoo@velocityfrequentflyer.com between 13-26 September 2022, that contains their name, Velocity membership number and photographic evidence of the membership card of the frequent flyer program that they have the equivalent of Velocity Gold Status or above with (Application). Velocity members must submit this Application from the email address currently linked to their Velocity membership account. Please note that the Switch-A-Roo email address is only to be used for status match applications and cannot be used for general enquiries or escalations, which should be directed through your usual channels.  A limited number of Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold trials are available. Virgin Australia & Velocity reserve the right to end this promotion at their discretion, based on the number of status match applications received. It may take up to 4 weeks to receive the upgrade into Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold trial status.

‘Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold’ is a 3-month Gold Status trial in which you’ll receive some member benefits connected with Gold Status which include priority check-in, priority boarding, priority baggage & additional baggage allowance (not available when traveling on a Lite fare), access to VA domestic lounges and the ability to request to fly ahead (when travelling on a Business or Flex fare). 

Note that you’ll continue to earn Status Credits, Points and Eligible Sectors in the same way as other members. Benefits you won’t receive include Gold member baggage tags, a physical membership card, complimentary partner memberships, guaranteed economy Reward Seats and membership pause for parental leave. 

At the conclusion of your 3-month ‘Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold’ trial, we’ll assess your eligibility to retain your Gold Status or upgrade to Platinum Status. 

• If you are a Gold member with an eligible Frequent Flyer program and during your 3-month Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold period earn 80 Status Credits and fly at least 1 Eligible Sector, you will maintain Gold Status with VFF for a further 12 months.   
• If you are a Platinum member (or above) with an eligible Frequent Flyer program and during your 3-month Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold trial period earn 200 Status Credits on flights with a VA flight number operated by Virgin Australia, you will receive Platinum Status for a period of 12 months. Please allow for up to 8 weeks after your trial period for your Platinum Status upgrade to be processed and applied.  

If at the conclusion of your 3-month trial you are not eligible for either Gold or Platinum Status due to the above requirements not being met, your Status level will be assessed in accordance with the standard Velocity membership Terms and Conditions and you will receive Velocity Silver Status for a period of 12 months.  

Members who participate in the ‘Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold’ trial offered in accordance with these offer terms are still able to maintain or upgrade their Status to the next Status level in accordance with the Velocity membership Terms and Conditions.  

Find out more about how to maintain or upgrade your Status level. This offer is not transferable. Any Status Credits and Eligible Sectors earned in a member’s Velocity account are subject to expiry after 12 months from earn. 

¹ An Eligible Sector is any Trans-Tasman, International Short-Haul or Domestic flight operated by Virgin Australia with a VA flight number, excluding both Rewards Seats and Economy Lite fares. 

² Status Credits cannot be earned on all fare classes. Status Credits can only be earned on eligible flights, marketed and operated by Virgin Australia and/or a Velocity airline partner.  Status Credits cannot be earned on Virgin Australia operated flights sold with an Air Mauritius (MK) flight number. Status Credits accrual is based on single flight segments that consist of individual flight numbers. An itinerary that involves a change in aircraft but retains the same flight number is considered a single flight segment. An itinerary that consists of a change in flight numbers, even if the same aircraft is used for the entire itinerary, is considered two flight segments. Domestic flights booked within an International journey will accrue Status Credits at the earn level for international flights. Members travelling on upgraded fares purchased with Points or any other subsidised means of upgrades on Virgin Australia or our partner airlines will earn Status Credits based on original purchased fare class. 

³ Priority services may not be available at all airports at all times. 

⁴ Complimentary Lounge entry is subject to the Lounge Terms and Conditions, as amended from time to time available online at virginaustralia.com/lounge. 

⁵ See here for details on additional baggage allowances. Additional baggage allowances are applicable for Virgin Australia operated services only. For flights marketed by Virgin Australia but operated by Virgin Australia’s partner airlines, baggage allowances may differ.  The complimentary baggage allowance applied will be based on a member’s Velocity status at the time of travel, rather than time of booking. For full baggage Terms and Conditions visit the Virgin Australia baggage website. 

⁶ Platinum and Gold members with a confirmed booking for a Virgin Australia marketed and operated domestic flight and who arrive at the airport in time for an earlier flight than their booked flight, can request that they and up to 3 accompanying guests on the same booking, be carried on an earlier flight. See more details on Fly Ahead here. 

⁷ A Family Pool lets Family Members transfer their Points, or Points and Status Credits from up to 5 contributing accounts to one beneficiary account. You can choose whether you transfer only Points, or both your Points and Status Credits. A Family Member is someone you can demonstrate lives at the same residential address as you and is related to you in any of the following ways: husband, wife, domestic partner or de facto, mother or father (including in-law), son or daughter (including in-law), brother or sister (including in-law), grandparent or grandchild, uncle or aunt, niece or nephew, first cousin, or any foster, step or adopted relationship in any of these categories. Only 2 members in a Family Pool can be 18 years or over. If a third Family Pool member turns 18, they’ll be automatically removed from the Family Pool. In each calendar year, you can contribute to up to 2 beneficiary accounts (only one at a time). We can cancel a Family Pool (including automatically removing members from a Family Pool) at any time if the Family Pool doesn’t comply with these Terms. See full Family Pool Terms & Conditions here.   

⁸  If you’ve linked your Velocity Frequent Flyer membership to your Flybuys household account, you can earn the standard Status Credit earn rate of (1) Status Credit per $100 (including GST) spent each calendar month in total across Coles, Coles Online, Liquorland or First Choice Liquor Market when you scan your Flybuys card at the time of purchase, up to a maximum of 10 Status Credits per calendar month. Standard Status Credit earn rate is based on spend from the day your accounts are linked. Please allow up to two weeks after the end of each calendar month for your standard Status Credits to be credited. Spend excludes the purchase of gift cards, tobacco, tobacco related products, charity donations and delivery/service fees. Status Credits will be credited to the linked Velocity account as at the end of each calendar month. No part Status Credits will be allocated, only whole Status Credits per $100 spend. No retrospective claims for Status Credits will be accepted at any time, even in instances where due to technology malfunctions eligible spend is unable to be added to the Flybuys household account. Velocity members also need to fly on Virgin Australia marketed flights to earn Eligible Sectors in addition to Status Credits to upgrade or maintain a new level of membership, for more information, see here.