Email received from VA - Share your thoughts, and lunch with our Velocity CEO

[antycbr]

I went to the Sydney session today. About a dozen of us, wide variety of topics covered and very similar range of issues raised as mentioned in this thread. VA very aware of our ideas and suggestions.

Can’t mention anything more with a NDA in place.

Bring on more of this kind of engagement.

 

[QF WP]

@antycbr, I presume you registered your interest to be involved in future events

 

[eastwest101]

Can whomever talks to VA management please tell them its not 1994 anymore and that people would like to select and pay for Economy X seating without using the call centre? Don't they want the revenue?




Normal revenue fare example here. Do they really think paying an outsourced call centre say $10-$15 for a $29 Economy X transaction is a smart way to do business? Australian customer trying to select a seat and pay a fee for an Australian domestic flight, of course we should consult with someone in the Philippines about that!

 

[QF WP]

I've been subsequently contacted by Virgin to be involved in a 20 minute Zoom session this week about an option they are looking at for Platinum members. Stayed tuned for hopefully a release soon.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've been subsequently contacted by Virgin to be involved in a 20 minute Zoom session this week about an option they are looking at for Platinum members. Stayed tuned for hopefully a release soon.

given they’re having a launch event for the new cabin divider… can’t wait to see what could possibly be coming out of a 20 minute zoom call!!

New napkins?

 

[HS-TQE]

Insert that square table with "New Divider" listed in every square, except maybe 2 squares with one saying "Star Alliance" and the other square next it saying "SQ will taek ovah VA!!!11!!!"

 

[oz_mark]

I've been subsequently contacted by Virgin to be involved in a 20 minute Zoom session this week about an option they are looking at for Platinum members. Stayed tuned for hopefully a release soon.

I listened to an interview with Nick Rorlach the other day, and it seems their tier review process is nearing an end. While not giving anything away, it did sound as though they had a few things up their sleeves.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[serfty]

I listened to an interview with Nick Rorlach the other day, and it seems their tier review process is nearing an end. While not giving anything away, it did sound as though they had a few things up their sleeves.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

It would be great if that could be cleared up. I'm one of those multitudes who's 2022 status expired 28th February 2023.

My WP card states on the front:

"Review Date 13 Mar 2024"

Fine print on the back of the card states:

"Card valid for one month after review date."

The app display.of membership states:

"Card expiry 13 Mar 2024" and

"Review Date 28 Feb 2023".

 

[QF WP]

I've been subsequently contacted by Virgin to be involved in a 20 minute Zoom session this week about an option they are looking at for Platinum members. Stayed tuned for hopefully a release soon.

Had the Teams interview this morning with 2 VA's employees. They had a particular Platinum benefit that they are looking to tweak. We went through some options they had on a shared screen and I advised which I liked and why. Importantly, I came up with a development of one of their thoughts and they were blown away (obviously hadn't thought of it). They were a bit surprised by my industry knowledge (they asked so I let them know of my history with setting up the initial focus group when Brett Godfrey was developing the Velocity FF program) - some of those participants are members on AFF.

To put it in their words "Our project is currently in the discovery phase. Because we are just in testing, and it's in no way indicative of what might be released in the future. At this stage, we are actively testing various ideas and concepts to gather insights and refine our direction."

 

[MooTime]

I love VA approach to future offerings to engage it's members, more so WPs which is fair enough.
Frequent flyers often know more than the rule makers.

Maybe that other mob should take note, who make all decisions in the boardroom, no idea what frequent flyers want / need / think.

Appreciate your input @QF WP.

 

[QF WP]

They did stress that whilst I could share information, it needed to be general in nature. I respect that golden goose. As you say, if only QF would engage with its FF’s - the ivory tower is sometimes above the clouds and they get fed mis-information from those underneath.

 

[QF WP]

Well all Platinum members have received (or will) an email from Velocity this morning - the subject of which was one of many parst of the discussions we had with the focus group, as well as my recent one-on-one interaction. Wasn't our suggested outcome, so I'm disappointed, but can understand that VA is running a business.

The issue is that not all Platinum members fly Flex. Small businesses, or even SME's, try to save $ and Choice fares give enough flexibility - why pay the uplift for the chance to use the complimentary upgrade. I've only done that twice in the last 12 months, and am 1/2 on being able to access the upgrade. The cost differential on both fares was les than $80, so worth the opportunity.

I'm much less likely to spend double (or quadruple) the upgrade credits to access the upgrade seat if I'm buying Choice. I'll go back to looking at loads. But it is handy if you're nearing the end of your membership year and they're going to be lost.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks for the feedback. I wondered if that had something to do with the focus group!

Expensive upgrades, but if they were otherwise to go unused I suppose it will be of benefit to some.

Interesting experience the other day with a friend who I gifted platinum to… they wanted to fly to Bali but were told they couldn’t invoke the guarantee because there were award seats (lowest price) available within three days of intended travel.

I would have at least hoped that they would have taken the request for a specific flight and referred it to yield management. My friend wanted to fly on the Thursday. But had to settle for Tuesday.

So it’s not really worth much as a benefit. The chances of a single award seat being available in a six day window, six months in advance, out of dozens of flights, is probably fairly high.

 

[Katy]

But it is handy if you're nearing the end of your membership year and they're going to be lost.

Exactly my situation; I was only able to use one on an upcoming booking but better than nowt as they say.