Requalify for gold with only 110SC

[Peabody]

After getting status match from QF last year and only earning 110SC since I expecting a drop to silver I today received an emailing staying:
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You have maintained Gold membership in the Velocity Frequent Flyer program and will continue to have access to additional benefits reserved for our frequent flyers for a period of 12 months.

For more information on Gold membership, please visit the Velocity Frequent Flyer website.

Your new membership pack, containing your new card will be with you shortly
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Anyone else got this?

 

[chooms]

Got DJ Gold after status match last year, received email notifiying me of my downgrading to DJ Silver after only earning 80SC... Not worried, locked in with QF for next two months once a week return J trip BNE-SYD. Be back as a QFWP in no time.

 

[MarkD]

Makes me a bit pissed off that I earnt 890 SC on DJ, mostly on savers in your ****ty hard vinyl seats, and didnt get a hint of anything. How about a free platinum upgrade, seeing as every man and his dog is keeping Gold/Platinum without even flying / doing 100SC. Virgin, you are a JOKE

 

[lovestotravel]

These "we'll keep you at Gold" after a Status match offer and only flying a few flights really annoy me!

Just devalues the whole program and keeps the lounges full

 

[hummel]

These "we'll keep you at Gold" after a Status match offer and only flying a few flights really annoy me!

Just devalues the whole program and keeps the lounges full

While I don't hold status with QF or DJ (will be DJ gold in a month) at the moment I tend to agree. Perhaps if DJ comped the customer if 50%+ SCs had been attained I would understand...

 

[Peabody]

Just so it is clear, I think it is crazy too. I fly mostly on QF and whilst I would have liked to fly more in my year of status match, I simply didn't as I worked on the last few hundred SCs for QF LTG. When I read about all the "1x J Return to maintain" offers I emailed DJ to enquire as to why I didn't receive the offer, that was purely out of curiosity. I was told it was targeted and I would be dropped to silver, I accepted that fate and then for no apparent reason I got this email today. Poorly managed loyalty program if you ask me!

 

[awilcockson]

and keeps the lounges full

Only if said person actually flies with Virgin. Which I would assume would be the entire point of the exercise.

 

[lovestotravel]

110SC could be only a $1000 spend or less...

 

[lovestotravel]

Only if said person actually flies with Virgin. Which I would assume would be the entire point of the exercise.

True, but it's another person in the lounge, who wouldn't normally have access

Once off status match fine, but then another "please please fly more with us" is desperate

 

[toowongman]

I am seriously so <redacted> over this. Here I am like a chump flying up and down the east coast 10/20 SC at a time (self employed therefore cheap) and some blow-in (sorry OP) requalifies Gold with 110 SC. Cranky letter-writing time.

 

[awilcockson]

True, but it's another person in the lounge, who wouldn't normally have access

But you aren't looking at it from Virgin's point of view. To you it's another unworthy person making the queue longer at the pancake machine. To virgin it's another seat sold that otherwise would have gone to the competition.

 

[Peabody]

I am seriously so f'ing over this. Here I am like a chump flying up and down the east coast 10/20 SC at a time (self employed therefore cheap) and some blow-in (sorry OP) requalifies Gold with 110 SC. Cranky letter-writing time.

I am in the same boat but with QF, I earnt 550SC in my last year almost all on discount Y travel with a few classic awards (non SC earning) flights. A majority of those where SYD-MEL vv at 10SC a pop. If I met someone in the QP who had qualified with 110SCs I would be equally as pissed. Please don't see this as me being happy about qualifying, I think it is stupid to reward people like me who hardly fly their airline.

 

[toowongman]

I am in the same boat but with QF, I earnt 550SC in my last year almost all on discount Y travel with a few classic awards (non SC earning) flights. A majority of those where SYD-MEL vv at 10SC a pop. If I met someone in the QP who had qualified with 110SCs I would be equally as pissed. Please don't see this as me being happy about qualifying, I think it is stupid to reward people like me who hardly fly their airline.

No worries - I'm not angry with you. Half your luck I guess. I have just sent a missive to Velocity explaining my dissatisfaction.

 

[lovestotravel]

But you aren't looking at it from Virgin's point of view. To you it's another unworthy person making the queue longer at the pancake machine. To virgin it's another seat sold that otherwise would have gone to the competition.

Given it was a status match the person is already gold with Qantas, and given the limited flying with Virgin they are probably still gold with Qantas (ignore the fact we know they are lifetime Gold)

They already have lounge access so giving it away with Virgin won't entice them over if it didn't suddenly work in the first year

 

[MadFairlane]

hahaha... I just laugh at this stuff now...

Might just have to book my J return to LAX with QF now...

 

[lovestotravel]

Please don't see this as me being happy about qualifying, I think it is stupid to reward people like me who hardly fly their airline.

Hey we are not angry at you at all, so please don't think that

It's the decisions of Virgin which as questionable!

Much like the "Please fly once or twice with us" and we'll give you Gold/Plat that went around a few months ago

 

[awilcockson]

Given it was a status match the person is already gold with Qantas, and given the limited flying with Virgin they are probably still gold with Qantas (ignore the fact we know they are lifetime Gold)

They already have lounge access so giving it away with Virgin won't entice them over if it didn't suddenly work in the first year

OK fair enough. So let's follow that through and assume that the bribe doesn't work and they don't fly with Virgin. Cost to Virgin = cost of printing and mailing out a new card. Effect on existing "real" VFF members = zero because you will never see the comped person in the lounge or in a plane. So I really don't see why people are getting all upset.

If on the other hand the comped person decides to repay the free status by redirecting some flying to Virgin ... Cost to Viring is still the printing and mailing out of a new card plus the occasional pancakes and glass of beer, but with the return on investment being increased loads and income. Effect on "real" VFF members is that they might see one or two extra people in the lounge.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

If on the other hand the comped person decides to repay the free status by redirecting some flying to Virgin ... Cost to Viring is still the printing and mailing out of a new card plus the occasional pancakes and glass of beer, but with the return on investment being increased loads and income. Effect on "real" VFF members is that they might see one or two extra people in the lounge.

I think the real cost is pissing off non-status match members who are doing the hard yards. Considering their loyalty to Virgin over the past 2+ years, this is the type of thing that will make them think "well maybe it's time to try out QF.....who don't hand status out like candy"

People talk, and these pages are indexed for the entire country to see. That is the risk!

No doubt the higher powers at Virgin have weighed up the pro/cons. Will it change my flying? no. Will I be ticked if you get an upgrade and I don't? yes

 

[MarkD]

OK fair enough. So let's follow that through and assume that the bribe doesn't work and they don't fly with Virgin. Cost to Virgin = cost of printing and mailing out a new card. Effect on existing "real" VFF members = zero because you will never see the comped person in the lounge or in a plane. So I really don't see why people are getting all upset.

If on the other hand the comped person decides to repay the free status by redirecting some flying to Virgin ... Cost to Viring is still the printing and mailing out of a new card plus the occasional pancakes and glass of beer, but with the return on investment being increased loads and income. Effect on "real" VFF members is that they might see one or two extra people in the lounge.

Please dont take this the wrong way, but I believe you also got requal at way short of requirement. I understand, yes you are more a QF person, and thats fine, but why does that make you more valuable to DJ? again, no disrespect intended, but, you didnt qualify, so why do you get the prize?
Wonder if you would feel the same if it wasnt the case. .
The main point being they have no reasoning in their donation of status to people. Bit disillusioned with the whole show at the moment to be honest, They really have lost their way, and need to start treating their Loyal customers better in their Loyalty program.
I dont hold anything against anyone who gets comp'd, Good luck to them, and they would be mad not to accept. its not the customer its Virgin that suck the big one, and they are doing their loyalty program more harm than good

 

[Fruitcake]

If on the other hand the comped person decides to repay the free status by redirecting some flying to Virgin ... Cost to Viring is still the printing and mailing out of a new card plus the occasional pancakes and glass of beer, but with the return on investment being increased loads and income. Effect on "real" VFF members is that they might see one or two extra people in the lounge.

And importantly, with anytime access now gone, you're only going to see them in the lounge when actually flying. So they won't be there when using the premium entry to fly JQ in SYD, or when flying JQ (or soon, QF) out of OOL.

Interesting to note on the QF forums a post yesterday from a Gold Coast member who rather than falling to silver was offered WP:
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....program/anyone-else-gold-coast-get-43302.html