Family Pooling update

[lovestotravel]

My partner has just moved in with me, so I should update her address then I can pool the account right ?

Considering I am flying with her first thing in the morning... :shock:

 

[QF WP]

Yes and yes

BTW, congratulations - that's getting serious

 

[Bolthead]

OK Family Pooling still confuses me.

This is my situation:

I am Plat with 1385 SC Review date: 6 Oct 2012

Wife: Silver with 202 SC Review Date: 31 Jan 2013 (she just re-qualified last weekend by 2 days and 2 points)

3 x Children: all over 18 years old (so I assume they can't be included as children)

Eldest Child is Silver with 410 SC Review Date: 2 Aug 2012
Because I am already Plat should I get eldest child to sign up to family pooling with her mother and she should then I think qualify for Gold before her Review date.

I should requal Plat no problems with my travel alone.

Any suggestions???

Thanks in advance

 

[lovestotravel]

Yes and yes

BTW, congratulations - that's getting serious

Indeed it is

 

[leemin]

OK Family Pooling still confuses me.

This is my situation:

I am Plat with 1385 SC Review date: 6 Oct 2012

Wife: Silver with 202 SC Review Date: 31 Jan 2013 (she just re-qualified last weekend by 2 days and 2 points)

3 x Children: all over 18 years old (so I assume they can't be included as children)

Eldest Child is Silver with 410 SC Review Date: 2 Aug 2012
Because I am already Plat should I get eldest child to sign up to family pooling with her mother and she should then I think qualify for Gold before her Review date.

I should requal Plat no problems with my travel alone.

Any suggestions???

Thanks in advance

Seeing as you can swap and change people in and out of pooling quite a bit; this is what I would do:
1. Wife to Child until child gets Gold
2. Wife to you until you requal for Plat
3. You to wife to get her as high as possible before your platinum renewal year starts again.
4. Repeat steps 2-3. Step 1 optional.

This way, your child gets gold, you requalify for platinum sooner which means both you and your wife's SC can then work at getting her status in her own right before your next membership year rolls around. In the future, this will prevent the 'wasted' 385 SC you currently have, for example.

 

[Bolthead]

Seeing as you can swap and change people in and out of pooling quite a bit; this is what I would do:
1. Wife to Child until child gets Gold
2. Wife to you until you requal for Plat
3. You to wife to get her as high as possible before your platinum renewal year starts again.
4. Repeat steps 2-3. Step 1 optional.

This way, your child gets gold, you requalify for platinum sooner which means both you and your wife's SC can then work at getting her status in her own right before your next membership year rolls around. In the future, this will prevent the 'wasted' 385 SC you currently have, for example.

Thanks jlm, just as I thought. Yes, I thought the 385 points is wasted (sort of). Will get onto it straight away.

Thanks again

 

[Jama]

Seeing as you can swap and change people in and out of pooling quite a bit; this is what I would do:
1. Wife to Child until child gets Gold
2. Wife to you until you requal for Plat
3. You to wife to get her as high as possible before your platinum renewal year starts again.
4. Repeat steps 2-3. Step 1 optional.

This way, your child gets gold, you requalify for platinum sooner which means both you and your wife's SC can then work at getting her status in her own right before your next membership year rolls around. In the future, this will prevent the 'wasted' 385 SC you currently have, for example.

So, at the review date the credits exprire and an additional credits over those required to qualify are lost rather than contributing to requalifying ? I thought now that we work on the previous 12 months not a set cut-off date that ALL credits would be valuable ?

 

[Bolthead]

So, at the review date the credits exprire and an additional credits over those required to qualify are lost rather than contributing to requalifying ? I thought now that we work on the previous 12 months not a set cut-off date that ALL credits would be valuable ?

Sorry, not sure what you mean..... Are you saying that at the review date all the status credits are lost? Aren't the status credits treated the same way as if you where not in family pooling as compared with you opting to be in family pooling. Eg. My daughter has 90 points to go until she hits gold. She has until May and then the dates change and the gap gets bigger until her review date. Now in 2 weeks my wife is traveling "J" to Adelaide and with the double points promo all her points will go to my daughter giving her gold. We will then change my the family pooling from wife to daughter..... to wife to me. As soon as I requalify we then have decide the next change. I don't think (hopefully) we will be wasting points. Your comments are welcome.

 

[leemin]

So, at the review date the credits exprire and an additional credits over those required to qualify are lost rather than contributing to requalifying ? I thought now that we work on the previous 12 months not a set cut-off date that ALL credits would be valuable ?

It's a bit different once you hit platinum. When you first hit platinum (and are in a position that will enable you to retain it) then you effectively get a 'set' review date.

E.g.
1 Feb 11 - 920 SC. Gold.
1 March 11 - 1050 SC. Platinum achieved. Must achieve 800Sc within 12 months to requalify.
1 Jan 12 - 830 SC. Platinum retained two months before 12-month status expiry.

Therefore, any status credits earned between 1 Jan 12 and 1 March 12 only go towards partner gold.

In this example and in my advise, Bolthead is better family pooling them offer directly into his wife's account because it takes less SC to get status in her own right than it does to get her 'partner status' through Bolthead's account

I hope this explains it better..

 

[Bolthead]

It's a bit different once you hit platinum. When you first hit platinum (and are in a position that will enable you to retain it) then you effectively get a 'set' review date.

E.g.
1 Feb 11 - 920 SC. Gold.
1 March 11 - 1050 SC. Platinum achieved. Must achieve 800Sc within 12 months to requalify.
1 Jan 12 - 830 SC. Platinum retained two months before 12-month status expiry.

Therefore, any status credits earned between 1 Jan 12 and 1 March 12 only go towards partner gold.

In this example and in my advise, Bolthead is better family pooling them offer directly into his wife's account because it takes less SC to get status in her own right than it does to get her 'partner status' through Bolthead's account

I hope this explains it better..

Yes, thanks for this .... I understand now and agree. I should have been more focused on understanding the whole family pooling thing... However the majority of points I earned over the 1000 points where earned before family pooling started. (I think) Thanks for comments.

 

[leemin]

Yes, thanks for this .... I understand now and agree. I should have been more focused on understanding the whole family pooling thing... However the majority of points I earned over the 1000 points where earned before family pooling started. (I think) Thanks for comments.

No worries. It is a bit confusing once you hit Platinum (not that I have yet!). In essence once you hit the magic 1000SC it takes another 1500 to get 'Companion Gold' as Virgin call it through your account. This is enough (exactly) to get your wife to Plat and your daughter to Gold through family pooling your SC to them. It's a bit odd in this respect. Not complaining though

That's why I have recommended what I have. I hope you all enjoy becoming DYKWIA's!

 

[QF WP]

Yes, I'm confused and lucky I don't have the problem of trying to understand the logistics...none of my family would ever get close to Silver status and have no need for the points, so everything goes to me and will help me to try and retain Gold

 

[Bolthead]

No worries. It is a bit confusing once you hit Platinum (not that I have yet!). In essence once you hit the magic 1000SC it takes another 1500 to get 'Companion Gold' as Virgin call it through your account. This is enough (exactly) to get your wife to Plat and your daughter to Gold through family pooling your SC to them. It's a bit odd in this respect. Not complaining though

That's why I have recommended what I have. I hope you all enjoy becoming DYKWIA's!

I had to look up what DYKWIA meant although I have seen it before many times. All the abbreviations (acronyms) are a bit much for my feeble mind. In fact I had to ask my daughter how to spell acronyms. Anyway its funny with becoming a platinum because it only took 2 x work trips to Europe in Y+ plus a some Y travel in Australia to reach Plat. I visit my parents a fair bit in OOL.

All the best!!

 

[dandandan]

No worries. It is a bit confusing once you hit Platinum (not that I have yet!). In essence once you hit the magic 1000SC it takes another 1500 to get 'Companion Gold' as Virgin call it through your account. This is enough (exactly) to get your wife to Plat and your daughter to Gold through family pooling your SC to them. It's a bit odd in this respect. Not complaining though

That's why I have recommended what I have. I hope you all enjoy becoming DYKWIA's!

Hi, I just want to run a family pooling query past the guru's for a second opinion. I have Gold velocity with 961 SC, so 39 SC off reaching platinum first time. My first lot of status credits that start to expire in the lead up to Platinum is 15 APR 2012. We have some return flights booked SYD-OOL in a couple of weeks 23-26FEB. The SYD-OOL is discount economy and OOL-SYD is business. We usually like to cap of a weekend away flying home in PE or now Business. We have 3 saver economy fares fares booked for SYD-OOL, one is an extra infant seat, so that will be 10 SC x 3 = 30SC and we have booked 2 Business seats for the return leg home which will be 40 SC x 2 =80 SC x Double Status Credits =160 SC. Just in case you think we are ditching our son in OOL, he is 21 months so we will carry him on our lap with the extra room offered in Business for the return leg!

So after SYD-OOL I will be on 991 SC and 9 short of Platinum. My partner is a silver member with 261 points to go to reach Gold by 15APR 2012. These were accrued before family pooling started. I am thinking it is best to keep her SC crediting to me once I reach Platinum so I can aim to re-qualify for Platinum. All our travel is leisure so don't think we will be flying the rate where one can earn Platinum and then get the other to Silver, Gold or Platinum. We fly together so my thinking is that it is better keeping me in Platinum, as at least the 69KG baggage will cover her not getting 23kg once she loses silver, which was the only real benefit of her being silver when I was gold, so once I hit Platinum there should really be no reason for us to keep her in silver. Am I on the right track with strategy? any input would be appreciated.

 

[Bolthead]

Hi, I just want to run a family pooling query past the guru's for a second opinion. I have Gold velocity with 961 SC, so 39 SC off reaching platinum first time. My first lot of status credits that start to expire in the lead up to Platinum is 15 APR 2012. We have some return flights booked SYD-OOL in a couple of weeks 23-26FEB. The SYD-OOL is discount economy and OOL-SYD is business. We usually like to cap of a weekend away flying home in PE or now Business. We have 3 saver economy fares fares booked for SYD-OOL, one is an extra infant seat, so that will be 10 SC x 3 = 30SC and we have booked 2 Business seats for the return leg home which will be 40 SC x 2 =80 SC x Double Status Credits =160 SC. Just in case you think we are ditching our son in OOL, he is 21 months so we will carry him on our lap with the extra room offered in Business for the return leg!

So after SYD-OOL I will be on 991 SC and 9 short of Platinum. My partner is a silver member with 261 points to go to reach Gold by 15APR 2012. These were accrued before family pooling started. I am thinking it is best to keep her SC crediting to me once I reach Platinum so I can aim to re-qualify for Platinum. All our travel is leisure so don't think we will be flying the rate where one can earn Platinum and then get the other to Silver, Gold or Platinum. We fly together so my thinking is that it is better keeping me in Platinum, as at least the 69KG baggage will cover her not getting 23kg once she loses silver, which was the only real benefit of her being silver when I was gold, so once I hit Platinum there should really be no reason for us to keep her in silver. Am I on the right track with strategy? any input would be appreciated.

I am certainly no guru but I think you are on the correct path, however have you considered this:

You both have the same anniversary date: Correct??? 15th April 2012

Your points - 961, 39 to reach Plat
Wife Points - 239, 261 to reach Gold

OOL return trip gives you 190

If you give the 190 to your wife she will have 429 being 71 short for Gold.

This means that between 26th Feb and 15th April you have to find 39 points for you and 71 points for her. The million dollar question is can you do it in that time frame. Flexi return to OOL will give you 40 points. 1 way x J OOL will give your wife 80 points (if double status still in place) and then return fly saver. After this you both hit Plat and Gold and then you can then swap to have all future points go to you help you re-qualify for Plat.

Just a thought and hopefully I have not confused you. I would welcome other comments.

 

[dandandan]

I am certainly no guru but I think you are on the correct path, however have you considered this:

You both have the same anniversary date: Correct??? 15th April 2012

Your points - 961, 39 to reach Plat
Wife Points - 239, 261 to reach Gold

OOL return trip gives you 190

If you give the 190 to your wife she will have 429 being 71 short for Gold.

This means that between 26th Feb and 15th April you have to find 39 points for you and 71 points for her. The million dollar question is can you do it in that time frame. Flexi return to OOL will give you 40 points. 1 way x J OOL will give your wife 80 points (if double status still in place) and then return fly saver. After this you both hit Plat and Gold and then you can then swap to have all future points go to you help you re-qualify for Plat.

Just a thought and hopefully I have not confused you. I would welcome other comments.

Thanks for your input Bolthead. I have a review date of 14 Dec 12 on my Gold and my partner has a review date of 21 June 12 on her Silver. The 15 Apr 12 date is when our first lot of SC start to expire if we do not reach the next level of membership, which is Platinum for me with 39 SC to go and Gold for her with 261 SC to go.

I did consider the strategy of getting her to Gold as we will have flights to Brisbane in March and OOL and MEL in April but thought it might be possibly better to work on gaining the 800 points for me to maintain the Platinum membership as we fly together. I thought giving up the 261 SC to her might affect me getting the Platinum 800 re-qualify and the Platinum would be more beneficial to us.

I suppose getting into the technicalities of it. The return Business flight on 26FEB will move me into Platinum, however the question is will the 160SC I get for this flight count towards the Platinum re-qualify or will 151 of them be in limbo and I will have to earn another 800 for Platinum re-qualify. Hope I explained that part clearly enough.

 

[Jude Starr]

Quick family pooling question - I have only just set it up with husband's points & SCs going to me. How long does it take after the flight for his points to come to my account? Mine for the same flight are already credited...his seem to still be sitting up as pending. I would assume it may take a bit longer for them to come to me from him, but any ideas how long? Just curious.

 

[dandandan]

Quick family pooling question - I have only just set it up with husband's points & SCs going to me. How long does it take after the flight for his points to come to my account? Mine for the same flight are already credited...his seem to still be sitting up as pending. I would assume it may take a bit longer for them to come to me from him, but any ideas how long? Just curious.

Mine come from my partner at same time, usually within a couple of days of the flight.

 

[leemin]

I suppose getting into the technicalities of it. The return Business flight on 26FEB will move me into Platinum, however the question is will the 160SC I get for this flight count towards the Platinum re-qualify or will 151 of them be in limbo and I will have to earn another 800 for Platinum re-qualify. Hope I explained that part clearly enough.

My understanding is any balance from a single sector over a qualifying amount does not count towards re-qualification. It would be in 'limbo' as you say. I'm not sure about whether you wife's pooled SC would count towards re-qualification or not, sorry.

In the circumstances and given the fact that you seem a little 'worried' about your ability to retain Plat, I would seriously consider taking a quick status run on a saver before this trip. A return saver SYD-OOL can be had for $160. This would give you 20 SC. That would give you 981 before the actual trip to OOL. Then, the three saver fares SYD-OOL would get you over the Platinum line (at 1011 SC). Then, your double SC J trip home would net you the 160 SC which would definitely go towards your re-qualification for Platinum. You'd then be sitting on 1171 with 640 SC to go to retain Platinum.

 

[dandandan]

My understanding is any balance from a single sector over a qualifying amount does not count towards re-qualification. It would be in 'limbo' as you say. I'm not sure about whether you wife's pooled SC would count towards re-qualification or not, sorry.

In the circumstances and given the fact that you seem a little 'worried' about your ability to retain Plat, I would seriously consider taking a quick status run on a saver before this trip. A return saver SYD-OOL can be had for $160. This would give you 20 SC. That would give you 981 before the actual trip to OOL. Then, the three saver fares SYD-OOL would get you over the Platinum line (at 1011 SC). Then, your double SC J trip home would net you the 160 SC which would definitely go towards your re-qualification for Platinum. You'd then be sitting on 1171 with 640 SC to go to retain Platinum.

Thanks very much jlm, I was thinking this could be the case. If I can't fit in a status run, I will change one of the fares on the 23rd Feb to a flexi, which will get me another 10 SC and get my over the line by 1 SC before the return Business leg. It will cost me a little more than a Status run but it will get me there all the same.