Claiming Velocity points VAustralia/Etihad Codeshare

[airtraveladdict]

The etihad staff also seem very unclear of what a Velocity FF is entitled to. I was silver on my last trip with them and was over the 23kg baggage limit. I had to argue and speak to several staff to get the extra 10kg entitled to me. This makes me think I should have claimed the points with them I would have made Gold a lot quicker than I did with Velocity. Virgin need to sort this out. The pre flight security check areas are also a nightmare in AUH everyone squashed in standing the toilets outside the area. Security staff all walked off with a massive queue and left one guy with one scanner behind to process everyone. Customer service zero. It's been that way every time I have transited through there.

Well we aren't alone in that department. I don't know whether it is customer service is just bad at Abu Dhabi airport or Etihad's management.
I don't know what Virgin can do to sort this out. But im guessing Virgin has their own staff at LAX handling their passengers?? whereas in Abu Dhabi, its all delegated to etihad.
And Etihad doesn't know how to treat Velocity FF, i guess its because we are not Etihad Gold LOL. The sooner Virgin joins Star Alliance the better, Velocity Gold and Platinum members will be able to obtain Star Alliance Gold Elite, which entitles them to business and first class lounges around the world much like the Oneworld alliance with Qantas Gold and Plat FF.
It is abit of a dog's breakfast. It is really a discouragement to fly Etihad and all the snazzy marketing its all a hype, when you get onboard its like "What the". Which is one the reasons why,I'm considering Velocity's other partners Virgin Atlantic, Singapore and Air NZ to go Europe next year, but it means not supporting V Australia and I like V Australia, I have not had any bad experiences with their Y+ at all.

 

[airtraveladdict]

The etihad staff also seem very unclear of what a Velocity FF is entitled to. I was silver on my last trip with them and was over the 23kg baggage limit. I had to argue and speak to several staff to get the extra 10kg entitled to me. This makes me think I should have claimed the points with them I would have made Gold a lot quicker than I did with Velocity. Virgin need to sort this out. The pre flight security check areas are also a nightmare in AUH everyone squashed in standing the toilets outside the area. Security staff all walked off with a massive queue and left one guy with one scanner behind to process everyone. Customer service zero. It's been that way every time I have transited through there.

It seems it is easier to obtain etihad status loyalty.

To obtain silver with etihad you need 25,000 miles to qualify and 20,000 to maintain, so you need just over 1 return discount economy airfare to london (approx 21,000 miles) business (approx 32,000miles) Diamond first class (approx 43,000).
Whereas with Velocity a discount return economy will get you 140 status credits (and after December 01 2011 you will need 250 SC to make silver).
To obtain Etihad Gold, you'll need 50,000 to qualify and 40,000 to maintain, so thats just over 2x discount economy fares to london and short 8,000 miles Asia trip, whereas as Velocity Gold 500 SC is 4x discount economy airfare to london to make Gold. To qualify for Gold, I flew premium economy on V Australia to London return and return premium economy London-New York on Virgin Atlantic (which took 3 weeks to appear on my Velocity account).
Etihad Gold Elite is 125,000 miles and 100,000 to maintain, so thats 6x return discount economy vs Velocity Platinum 7x discount economy and 1 domestic economy.
The difference also, Etihad Gold and Gold Elite have two years to earn the 40,000 and 100,000 miles needed to maintain their respective status level.
So to maintain Etihad Gold, you need to fly to Europe/USA in discount economy class twice in two years.