Beyond: that’s the new name for Virgin Australia’s invite-only, better-than-Platinum membership. It promises VIP treatment – think dedicated phone lines and special private lounges. If that sounds like the domain of the rich and powerful, that’s because it is. Virgin Australia Beyond’s entry list is still a closely guarded secret.
Virgin Australia Beyond is reserved for our most loyal and valued guests and signifies a fresh take and a move forward on enhanced status and service, in true Virgin Australia style.
– Jayne Hrdlicka, Virgin Australia CEO, 7 April 2022
But here’s everything we know about life beyond those shuttered doors.
Virgin Australia Beyond lounges to open soon
With much fanfare, Virgin Australia will reopen its premium Beyond lounges in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane on 20 April 2022. These exclusive lounges first shut their doors on 23 March 2020, at the height of the pandemic.
In an email being sent out to invited members, the airline’s CEO Jayne Hrdlicka promises “a relaxing and unobtrusive space.” Guests can look forward to an a-la-carte menu and plenty of privacy as they relax before the flight.
Point Hacks will be at the launch of the Beyond lounges on 20 April – stay tuned for our special sneak peek.
Tighter guest list for VIPs
Not all previous members of Virgin’s previous VIP program, The Club, will make it into this newest iteration. Point Hacks understands that the secret criteria include corporate accounts that drive significant spending onto Virgin Australia flights. Access to this invite-only program might also be able to be negotiated through corporate contracts.
Memberships in Beyond are valid for 12 months at a time and are extended to the spouse or life partner of an eligible member. Some members might also be put on a trial six or nine-month membership, depending on individual circumstances.
And for anyone who didn’t make the cut to Beyond, a Velocity Platinum membership will be bestowed upon them to soften the blow.
Summing up
Virgin’s decision to continue with ‘Beyond’ is excellent news for both the airline and corporate travellers. It shows that there is still room for premium travel in Virgin 2.0. Having a set of exclusive perks is sure to drive heavy-hitting commercial spending on Virgin Australia, which also launched the revamped Business Flyer program for SMEs recently.
Those who make the grade will look forward to special dining in the lounges, and special attention with each flight. Access to Virgin Australia Beyond is still invite-only, but that’s the nature of the game.
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So, basically, the Club is still the Club. Invitation criteria are still utterly opaque, the promise of transparency was just another false assertion (kinda like the CEO denying she as in line for the job during the takeover process).
Sure, it has a new name, something about beyond belief. Obviously the word Club is too staid, but the word Beyond is bang on brand: beyond the reach of the very folk who could be incentivised to up their loyal spend with VA: the hard working powerhouse of the economy those SMEs in their 100,000s.
One can easily envisage a situation wherein memberships will be doled out to the same set (how could you ditch a whole mob without consequences?) – high corporate account CEOs / CFOs, no doubt the politicians will still make the cut, and there’s no way they’ll let the A-list to D-list parasites go by the wayside.
Since point earn on VA is revenue based for flying, the everyday SME who is a Velocity member is already being scored by their loyal spend by the volume of their Points / status earn, which is why LTG, P1 tier, LTP etc make sense.
But then the whole loyalty system is unstable – VA keep handing out Gold status on the flimsiest of reasons, there are bonus status credits, lowered reward seat pricing, super low business seat pricing – it smacks of desperation!
Elsewhere it has been reported that VA surveyed their existing Club members about what they wanted. No mention of a novel population set being considered. Same stuff, different name. Except if you run your corporate out of locations which are not “financially viable” for a lounge.
Apparently, we’re one of these for just a regular lounge here in CNS. It was permanently closed, excluded as a “core lounge”, presumably “not financially viable”, despite huge upturn in tourist traffic, and a huge inward migration of ever richer folk from the southern cities. A key benefit of being Gold or Platinum (lounge access and all that goes with it, such as access to staff to enable key benefits such as fly ahead) just does not apply.
Why bother chasing status with VA?
What data were used to make these decisions?! Pandemic era travel data are meaningless, so any relevant data must be years old by now!
IMHO, VA are looking desperate. I’m using up my VA points on SQ business class ASAP.