How Velocity Fly Ahead lets you move to an earlier Virgin flight
Open to Gold and Platinum flyers, the ability to change to an earlier flight for free is one of Velocity’s handiest perks.
By Staff Writers, May 23 2023
It’s a common scenario, booking flights timed around specific events or meetings, only for plans to change at the last minute – suddenly leaving you with extra time on your hands. Rather than lingering in the lounge, Virgin Australia Fly Ahead lets you move to an earlier flight free of charge.
Virgin’s Fly Ahead is offered as an exclusive perk for Velocity Gold and Velocity Platinum members (and up to three guests) travelling on certain fare types, and is of course subject to seats being available on that earlier flight.
Fly Ahead is a key difference between Virgin Australia and Qantas, with the Red Roo not offering it as a published perk even to its top-tier Platinum One members; instead, Qantas encourages travellers to book a more expensive flexible fare.
Eligible Fly Ahead fares vary between Velocity Platinum and Gold members.
In this article:
Fly Ahead for Velocity Gold: eligible fares
Gold-plated jetsetters can request Fly Ahead for themselves and up to three guests on the same booking, as long as they are travelling on one of the following fares:
- Economy Flex
- Economy Reward
- Business Class
- Business Class Reward
- Business Class Upgrade
Note that Economy Choice and Lite fares are not eligible for Fly Ahead if you hold Velocity Gold status; passengers on a group booking are also not able to request Fly Ahead.
Fly Ahead for Velocity Platinum: eligible fares
The list of eligible Fly Ahead fares for Velocity Platinum members is slightly more generous:
- Economy Choice
- Economy Flex
- Economy Reward
- Business Class
- Business Class Reward
- Business Class Upgrade
As with Velocity Golds, the Fly Ahead option remains off the table for Economy Lite fares and group bookings.
One unique Platinum Fly Ahead perk is that you can move onto a flight up to two hours before your previously booked departure on the ‘golden triangle’ routes between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane; for all other destinations, you can only move to the flight immediately prior.
Fly Ahead can be requested for you and up to three others travelling on the same booking.
How to request Fly Ahead on Virgin Australia
You can request to Fly Ahead in person at the airport check-in counter or at the Virgin Australia lounge, with the added option for phoning the call centre if you hold Platinum status.
Moving onto an earlier flight is of course not guaranteed, and you need to request at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time (while the flight is still open for check-in).
Platinum frequent flyers can also call the Virgin Guest Contact Centre up to one hour prior to the scheduled departure of the flight they wish to move to.
Things to note about Virgin Australia Fly Ahead
Fly Ahead requests made in the lounge will only be accepted if you are travelling solely with carry-on bags. However, checked luggage is allowed on Fly Aheads if you’re requesting a change at the check-in counter.
If you’re flying in Virgin Australia business class, meals are not always guaranteed if you move to an earlier flight.
But if you’ve eaten at the lounge or are heading home early for dinner, that may be of little consequence – especially on shorter flights.
04 Sep 2019
Total posts 41
Letting anyone move to an earlier flight at the airport gate only, is just good customer service. Anything else is just profiteering
I regularly try this even on lite virgin fares if i arrive early between flights (or more to the point these days..on time) and generally am given it, im not velocity gold - but i am krisflyer gold
No surprises qantas says to buy a dearer flight -_-
03 Aug 2020
Total posts 21
My company uses the "best fare on the day" policy. Invariably this means non changeable fares. Understandably as a humble Silver member on both Virgin and Qantas, I appreciate that I'm nit that high up on the chain, but my last 3 out of 4 flights on Qantas I have been sent a notification to my app offering a change to an earlier flight. On 2 of thos occasions I've sone so ... changing it easily myaelf on the app. Does anyone know if Virgin do this?
09 May 2020
Total posts 552
Only slightly higher tier but don’t recall getting earlier flights offer for the last 5 years (yes including pre Covid). Only got notifications for getting dumped on later flights.
Perhaps it’s the ticket you are flying?
I have tried flying on earlier less busy flights but got rejected (didn’t even manage a look in to the seats) simply because of the fare class I was in.
The few times I was offered earlier flights were unsolicited (probably 2017-2018) usually involving either late running incoming plane on other routes, forcing them to cancel or postpone a particular flight, and moving people on earlier flights gives more option those remaining pax unable to arrive earlier, dumping them on later or the very last flight out of the airport.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
25 Jul 2013
Total posts 68
A wonderful benefit of the Velocity program.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 927
Fly ahead is excellent if your in economy but try and get a fly ahead seat in business, VA has done an outstanding job filling business seats with paying passengers to the point they don't usually have any spare seats to fly ahead.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 637
. . . . which is why, IMHO, they should add an extra row of 4 seats in J-class on the Mex jets (making it 12 instead of 8). But before they do, the need to equip cabin staff with a passenger manifest that identifies an order of pax in economy who can be offered a complimentary last minute upgrade into business class so that there's never an empty seat there after the cabin door is closed.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 927
Well said BT Well said!!!!
There was a cabin manager (name kept under wraps) who would fill empty business class seat with the most most frequent flyers and got caught by senior management and was then put on the Sydney Red Eye flights to Perth.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
13 Jul 2015
Total posts 274
It doesn't matter what status you have - you need to have the right fare type. I'm gold and have tried quite a few times to change and have been knocked back because I wasn't on the most expensive type of economy ticket.
Qantas are MUCH better at helping Gold and higher members jump to an earlier flight even on a cheaper ticket.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 927
With Qantas I normally just walk up to the gate of the earlier flight and asked to be moved on to it ✅
08 Feb 2018
Total posts 142
Of course Qantas encourages people to buy a more expensive ticket....
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Feb 2014
Total posts 11
I am platinum with both Qf and VA and I have found that Virgin are more accommodating and more flexible than Qantas. I much prefer to fly Virgin now. They also have better food options rather than the food in a box. Not that I fly for airline food but sometimes if you are flying at dinner time, its always nice to have an healthy option or hot option. Qantas definately needs to improve to win me back.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
10 Jun 2020
Total posts 17
This and the free economy X, added baggage and family pooling all make for a greta program. So much better value than Qantas
28 Sep 2022
Total posts 11
This is just a logical policy, which is unfortunately lost on most airlines - so it's great to have it on VA, and another great benefit to enjoy.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
29 Apr 2023
Total posts 1
Used this service last week from melbourne to the gold coast, and worked perfectly ...
25 May 2023
Total posts 1
I landed on the international flight into Melbourne in late April. With four hours to wait until my Virgin flight to Brisbane. I went to the checkin counter and asked the two clerks if I could get onto earlier flight. "Oh no" said they " we are not doing any fly-aheads today. Sorry".
I went to walk away, then returned and asked "but why not?"
After mumbling some vague reasons, one of them asked "I don't suppose you are a Platinum member by any chance?" When I affirmed, she said "Oh, you can do anything you want!" So I did, and was on the next Brisbane flight with all my three pieces of luggage checked in. And well before this happy event, I was a confirmed Virgin....
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