Virgin Australia “Switch-A-Roo” Gold & Platinum Status Match

From 13-26 September 2022, Virgin Australia is running an expanded Velocity status match offer that it’s calling “Switch-A-Roo”.

Aimed blatantly at Qantas customers but also available to anyone who holds the equivalent of Gold or higher status with any airline that doesn’t partner with Virgin Australia, this new promotion offers fast-tracks to both Velocity Gold and Platinum status!

With a “Switcharoo Discover Gold” membership from Velocity Frequent Flyer, you’ll get to enjoy Gold status benefits with Virgin Australia and its partner airlines for three months. If you complete a small challenge during those three months, which could be as simple as taking one Virgin Australia flight at a cost of less than $300, you’ll then get to keep your benefits for a further year!

How to get this Virgin Australia status match

To be eligible for the Velocity Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold status match, you would need to already have the equivalent of Gold or Platinum status with an eligible airline that is not a partner of Virgin Australia. This means status with airlines such as Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, United or Etihad won’t qualify for this status match. But a long list of other airlines’ elite membership cards will be accepted, including Qantas.

Unlike the regular, ongoing “Discover Velocity Gold” status match offer which is generally available outside of this special promotion, the “Switch-A-Roo” offer is available to any eligible flyer who has not held Velocity Silver or above status since April 2020. (The normal offer is not available to people who have ever held any Velocity status tier.)

Keep in mind that only residents of certain countries including Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island countries are eligible to join the Velocity Frequent Flyer program.

How to apply

If you’re eligible and would like to apply for the Velocity “Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold” status match and challenge, send an email to [email protected].

The email must be from the address that you used when signing up for your Velocity Frequent Flyer account. It should contain:

• Your name,
• Your Velocity member number, and
• A photo of your membership card with another frequent flyer program that shows your current status tier with that airline.

This offer expires on 26 September 2022 or until fully subscribed. According to the offer terms & conditions on the Velocity Frequent Flyer website:

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.

If your request is approved, you’ll be notified by email and given further details. This could take up to four weeks from the date that you apply, and Velocity says it is not possible to expedite the processing – even if you have an upcoming flight booked.

Pilot Gold membership via Virgin Australia Business Flyer

If you don’t already have elite status with a qualifying airline, another way to access Velocity Gold membership is through the Virgin Australia Business Flyer program.

Small-to-medium Australian businesses can join Virgin Australia Business Flyer for free. Businesses that spend at least $2,000 on Virgin Australia flights within 3 months of joining will be able to nominate two people to receive Pilot Gold memberships. Pilot Gold membership comes with the same conditions as Discover Gold.

What you get during your Discover Velocity Gold trial period

Eligible frequent flyers who take advantage of Virgin Australia’s Discover Gold trial will receive complimentary Velocity Gold status for 3 months. This comes with benefits including lounge access, priority boarding, bonus Velocity points, additional baggage allowance and Fly Ahead when flying with Virgin Australia.

You’ll also receive the usual Velocity Gold benefits when flying with partner airlines including Singapore Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic and Etihad.

The only regular Gold benefits that you won’t receive during your trial status period are:

• Guaranteed Economy Reward Seats for an Annual Family Trip
• Complimentary Partner memberships with hotel and car partners
• Membership Pause for Parental Leave
• Gold Premium luggage tags

How to complete a Switch-A-Roo Discover Gold challenge

If you currently have the equivalent of Gold status with another competing airline, you can renew your Velocity Gold status for a further 12 months beyond the end of the 3-month trial by completing the following challenge within the trial period:

• Earn at least 80 status credits, and
• Take at least 1 eligible Virgin Australia flight sector.

The status credits can be earned on any Virgin Australia or partner airline flight. They could even come from Flybuys or family pooling. But you would need to take at least one paid Virgin Australia flight to earn the eligible Velocity sector, which can’t be earned on partner airlines, reward seats or Economy Lite tickets.

As a guide, this is the number of status credits you would earn for a Virgin Australia domestic flight:

As you can see, a single Virgin Australia Business Class flight of more than 751 miles would be enough to earn the 80 status credits required to extend your Velocity Gold status for another 12 months! That could be as simple as flying from Melbourne to Brisbane for $299 in Business Class.

How to complete a Switch-A-Roo Velocity Platinum challenge

If you currently hold the equivalent of Platinum status with a competing airline – such as Qantas Platinum or Platinum One – you can alternatively upgrade to Velocity Platinum status at the end of your 3-month trial period by completing the following challenge during the trial:

• Earn at least 200 status credits from Virgin Australia marketed and operated flights, and
• Take at least two eligible Virgin Australia flight sectors.

Unlike with the Gold status challenge, status credits earned from flights on partner airlines or other sources won’t count. But status credits earned by family members through family pooling for Virgin Australia flights will count.

Velocity says it might take up to 8 weeks for your upgrade to Platinum status to be processed after the end of your 3-month trial.

If you don’t complete the Gold or Platinum challenge (depending on which you were eligible for), your Velocity tier will be downgraded after the 90-day trial period ends to Silver for the following 12 months.

Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Virgin Australia Discover Gold (Status Match)