Anytime Lounge Access Finishing? [Yes, from 15Aug12]

[serfty]

did they? I think plenty of them earnt it by flying AA instant upgrade fares all around North America and the Caribbean!!

True, also by well planned A/DONEx.

I am happy to say I have done both to earn many of my 20000+ life time SC's - also a lot of discount economy domestically.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

did they?

Yes they did. It's semantics to want to debate how, but they FLEW on a OW partner airline which like it or not is an acceptable way of earning! They predominantly weren't gifted status.

 

[muppet]

EDIT: Misread the post reference.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Yes they did. It's semantics to want to debate how, but they FLEW on a OW partner airline which like it or not is an acceptable way of earning! They predominantly weren't gifted status.

So accepting a publicly made offer of a status match is not an acceptable way of receiving status? It should not matter how you received it... if the airline wants to give it out this easily and offer the associated perks then what is the big deal?

 

[muppet]

So accepting a publicly made offer of a status match is not an acceptable way of receiving status? It should not matter how you received it... if the airline wants to give it out this easily and offer the associated perks then what is the big deal?

haha dazza81.

I made the same error. They were actually debating whether achieving QF status via YUPPs in the Caribbean is valid way of earning status.
Not our fault. They were OT.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

So accepting a publicly made offer of a status match is not an acceptable way of receiving status? It should not matter how you received it... if the airline wants to give it out this easily and offer the associated perks then what is the big deal?

It was gifted. It was not earned. I'm already on record stating that approach devalues the integrity of the scheme. The difference is QF status was earned, but don't forget QF had many many years of entrenchment in the OZ air market. VA wanted/needed to make quicker change. The SM was their executive decision and I'm guessing only VA know exactly how effective it was. JB suggested their big gains have been made with their alliance partners and the recent, almost desperate, bid to hold the SMed brigade tends to suggest it may not have been as successful as most of us believed just a few short weeks ago.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

It was gifted. It was not earned. I'm already on record stating that approach devalues the integrity of the scheme. The difference is QF status was earned, but don't forget QF had many many years of entrenchment in the OZ air market. VA wanted/needed to make quicker change. The SM was their executive decision and I'm guessing only VA know exactly how effective it was. JB suggested their big gains have been made with their alliance partners and the recent, almost desperate, bid to hold the SMed brigade tends to suggest it may not have been as successful as most of us believed just a few short weeks ago.

gifted or earned, the airline gave status as they saw fit. the benefits listed included anytime lounge access. those who received it were entitled to it according to the airline at the time. There was no stipulation that you must maintain this status or fly x number of flights during that 12 month period, so using the lounge was not abuse. Im simply arguing here with people who are angry that people have somehow abused the system. It's not like anyone was being sneaky or doing anything they were not allowed to do.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

gifted or earned, the airline gave status as they saw fit. the benefits listed included anytime lounge access. those who received it were entitled to it according to the airline at the time. There was no stipulation that you must maintain this status or fly x number of flights during that 12 month period, so using the lounge was not abuse. Im simply arguing here with people who are angry that people have somehow abused the system. It's not like anyone was being sneaky or doing anything they were not allowed to do.

With due respect offered dazz81, this particular micro-conversation (within the thread and relevant to the thread) was not about abuse of the system per se, it was about whether there was a difference between the QF scapping of ATA and the VA scrapping of ATA (see the quotes below), which there is difference. I don't disagree at all with your comments above except it has been agreed that the word "abuse" should perhaps be replaced with "over use". I've also said my issue is not with the "freeloaders" as such, but with the system that allowed it to be used to a point where we've now all lost ATA.

But for those who earned it, it is not different what so ever to when Qantas scrapped theirs yet the 'anger' here is directed towards 'free loaders' rather than the company.

It is very different. All QF ATA recipients earned their "right" by flying QF and accruing SCs. This time round, many VA ATA recipients were gifted status.....

did they? I think plenty of them earnt it by flying AA instant upgrade fares all around North America and the Caribbean!!

Etc, Etc, Etc

 

[amaroo]

Maybe they just wanted to save money!

 

[jazza1971]

Disappointed to see it go, used it three times....probably the only reason that I was actually considering the offer to maintain my gold status......such is life!

 

[TonyHancock]

Disappointed to see it go, used it three times....probably the only reason that I was actually considering the offer to maintain my gold status......such is life!

Gold still has a bit of value though, how far did you get towards retaining it?

 

[JohnK]

Anytime lounge access is not important and priority boarding is important.

Wrong! A benefit is a benefit and all Virgin Australia have done is further diluted the benefits of status. What benefit is going next and is anyone going to be around to care?

Very very disappointing....

 

[Gremlin]

I still haven't found a lounge as good as my own at home

To be fair, most airline lounges have less kids screaming like banshees than my lounge at home.

Mind you, I'd still choose my lounge at home any day. (Most likely, because of the kids screaming like banshees!)

 

[immature]

I didn't think that my thread would receive so many replies! Guess this is official, based on the AusBT confirmation

As others have said, ATA access was a nice benefit. But if access on arrival remains for Golds and Plats, I can't think of many scenarios where ATA would be used. Perhaps when picking someone up from the Airport? Goes without saying that DJ would want to discourage people using their lounge facilities while flying on QF/JQ/TT

 

[markis10]

I didn't think that my thread would receive so many replies! Guess this is official, based on the AusBT confirmation

As others have said, ATA access was a nice benefit. But if access on arrival remains for Golds and Plats, I can't think of many scenarios where ATA would be used. Perhaps when picking someone up from the Airport? Goes without saying that DJ would want to discourage people using their lounge facilities while flying on QF/JQ/TT

It's official because of the post here by Virgin Australia.

 

[MarkD]

Anytime lounge access is not important and priority boarding is important.

Wrong! A benefit is a benefit and all Virgin Australia have done is further diluted the benefits of status. What benefit is going next and is anyone going to be around to care?

Very very disappointing....

I agree 100% with this ( I know Johnk I very rarely agree ) but your point is spot on. I would have liked but can't on iphone


I'm too poor to own a signature

 

[TonyHancock]

I still haven't found a lounge as good as my own at home

Sounds like a lounge run is in order. Do you serve chips?

 

[anat0l]

I still haven't found a lounge as good as my own at home

Sounds like a lounge run is in order. Do you serve chips?

I hope you have salt and pepper squid, and some Taittinger. Oh, and some De Bortoli Noble One would be nice. Do you also offer spa services? Better not answer that, actually... :mrgreen:



More seriously back on topic, I haven't got an email yet to the effect of the change. Nothing except for the update on the Virgin Australia website comes from Virgin Australia about the change. Nothing on Twitter (unless I blinked), or their blog. Even AusBT broke the news earlier. (And no, we do not count as "public").

No real impact on me, but for some it may feel a bit like a rug pull the way things are going. Unless the delay is because they may be reconsidering.....

 

[awilcockson]

Sounds like a lounge run is in order. Do you serve chips?

Forget the chips. What about PFPPs?

Thats Princess Fiona Party Pies for anyone who couldn't work it out

 

[jazza1971]

Gold still has a bit of value though, how far did you get towards retaining it?

Only to 120, but had considered the one time J return to maintain until they took off the ATA...dont see myself doing that much flying in the next 12 months and only $300 for lounge as ill be a silver....if i want to take that up....