Family Pooling update

[kaz]

Reading info about family pooling on Virgin's website it says "You may pool Points or Points and Status Credits with a total of 6 family members including up to 4 children under the age of 18 and two adults 18 years or over."

I'm trying to have my wife and my mother pool into my account (both over 18 and both live with me), but upon trying to do the second one it says that limit is reached (or something to that affect)
Do the two adults over 18 years also include the beneficiary who is receiving the points and SC ?? If that is the case only 1 adult over 18 can pool to my adult account
Is that correct ??

 

[Princess Fiona]

Yes that is correct. Up to 6 family members can pool SC's to one account. Of the 6 members only 2 can be 18 years or over.
My family accounts have 4 children and 2 adults ( myself and Shrek) and all of the SC's currently go onto my account

 

[kaz]

Yes that is correct. Up to 6 family members can pool SC's to one account. Of the 6 members only 2 can be 18 years or over.
My family accounts have 4 children and 2 adults ( myself and Shrek) and all of the SC's currently go onto my account

Thanks for the clarification, I was hoping I was interpreting it that 2 adults + myself can pool to my account...sadly not the case.

 

[Tooner]

This is a really great feature on VA. With double SCs and the Virgin Money offer I'm at 450SC. The family is off to Europe in June and all 5 Velocity cards pool to my account. As we are flying SQ, and the flights break in SIN, my read of the SC earn is that the flight over should requal me to Platinum, and the flights back would have Mrs Tooner qualify Gold.

Or have I got this wrong?

 

[straitman]

Reading info about family pooling on Virgin's website it says "You may pool Points or Points and Status Credits with a total of 6 family members including up to 4 children under the age of 18 and two adults 18 years or over."

I'm trying to have my wife and my mother pool into my account (both over 18 and both live with me), but upon trying to do the second one it says that limit is reached (or something to that affect)
Do the two adults over 18 years also include the beneficiary who is receiving the points and SC ?? If that is the case only 1 adult over 18 can pool to my adult account
Is that correct ??

So long as they are not travelling together you could just swap them in and out of your pool as required. (assuming they both live at your address)

 

[kaz]

So long as they are not travelling together you could just swap them in and out of your pool as required. (assuming they both live at your address)

Yes, I've just did that for my mothers upcoming flight interstate. Is there a limit on the number of times family members living at same address can be swapped in and out of my pool ?

 

[straitman]

Yes, I've just did that for my mothers upcoming flight interstate. Is there a limit on the number of times family members living at same address can be swapped in and out of my pool ?

I don't know of one.

 

[smit0847]

Has anyone tried same-sex family pooling? I have been living with my defacto same-sex partner for many years (both on lease, drivers licenses etc) and it's looking like I'm going to fall painfully short of requalifying for silver (looks like I'll have 185 of the 200 status credits needed to stay at silver).

Is it worth attempting to pool a same-sex partner to keep silver or should I be doing the cheapest status run out of MEL I can find (CBR?) to ensure I keep my silver?

Is it likely Virgin will just allow me to keep my silver given I'm so painfully close (I have a pretty active velocity account!). Should I be ringing up and begging?

 

[oz_mark]

Has anyone tried same-sex family pooling? I have been living with my defacto same-sex partner for many years (both on lease, drivers licenses etc) and it's looking like I'm going to fall painfully short of requalifying for silver (looks like I'll have 185 of the 200 status credits needed to stay at silver).

From my reading of the rules, the definition of a family is only related to living at a single address. So I wouldn't think that same-sex relationships would be a problem.

 

[Fruitcake]

Has anyone tried same-sex family pooling? I have been living with my defacto same-sex partner for many years (both on lease, drivers licenses etc) and it's looking like I'm going to fall painfully short of requalifying for silver (looks like I'll have 185 of the 200 status credits needed to stay at silver).

Is it worth attempting to pool a same-sex partner to keep silver or should I be doing the cheapest status run out of MEL I can find (CBR?) to ensure I keep my silver?

Is it likely Virgin will just allow me to keep my silver given I'm so painfully close (I have a pretty active velocity account!). Should I be ringing up and begging?

There's no gender limitations on family pools. You can family pool with your dog if you want, as long as your dog's Velocity account is registered to your address (might be difficult for a dog to earn points via flying, but you could probably find a bank willing to issue a credit card to a dog).

Bear in mind that you can't retrospectively pool - so unless your partner has some flying planned before your requal date, one of you will need to start plan a status run.

 

[smit0847]

Thanks for your prompt responses. I cant imagine from a PR perspective they would never deny a partner because they were of the same sex (I can imagine two screaming queens calling Today Tonight faster than you can say 'discrimination').

I'm currently on 165/200 re-qual SCs and we both have a MEL-ADL Saver return this weekend which I believe will net 20 SCs for us each. That takes me to 185. I have until 19 July to re-qual but have no trips after this one until the big Europe trip in Sept.

I could do yet another MEL-ADL day trip at some stage (my Grandmother is very not well at the moment) to get there but has anyone 'almost' made the requal and been given it anyway? Im so close but yet so far!

I know silver doesnt come with that many benefits but we use the free checked baggage prob 5 times a year and the lounge passes are always nice for a treat.

If I have to spend $150 - $200 on a status run just to keep silver is this a waste of money?

 

[GeeZed]

Yes, I've just did that for my mothers upcoming flight interstate. Is there a limit on the number of times family members living at same address can be swapped in and out of my pool ?

Up to 4x times per year according to the T&C's

 

[samh004]

If I have to spend $150 - $200 on a status run just to keep silver is this a waste of money?

If you expect to get more than $150 - $200 of value out of your Silver membership then it can’t possibly be a waste, though if you’re looking at the price of baggage 5 times a year, that might be below that figure. There are other benefits though. The lounge passes are worth about $65 each now?

 

[pshepvic]

Thanks for your prompt responses. I cant imagine from a PR perspective they would never deny a partner because they were of the same sex (I can imagine two screaming queens calling Today Tonight faster than you can say 'discrimination').

ROFL!

The only thing that is matched is the address - as long as that is the same between the two people pooling, the system doesn't look at anything else. Even then I think it is an "approximate match" because my partner & I have the same address, but in the Velocity system they are captured slightly differently.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Has anyone tried same-sex family pooling?

Yes definitely. My son is the same sex as me and his is pooled into mine, as is my wifes and youngest daughters!

Really, same sex couples have long been seen in marketing circles to be the holy grail of disposable income awaiting relocation. No business (short of religion and politics) would be foolhardy enough to shun the potential earn.

As for silver, if you both normally fly together, the discounted lounge membership would come close to making it worthwhile on it's own (depending on No. of sectors flown each year).

 

[pat25d]

Up to 4x times per year according to the T&C's

Thats for point transfers. I can't see anything in the T&Cs about a lot for pooling members.

 

[GeeZed]

Thats for point transfers. I can't see anything in the T&Cs about a lot for pooling members.

I think using the term "pooling" has give an erroneous view of the arrangements perhaps. It could be argued that it more closely resembles an auto transfer of points/SCs from one or several accounts into the nominated beneficiary account. It seems that transfers outside of the auto "pooling" transfers are subject to the max 4x per year rule.

 

[pat25d]

I think using the term "pooling" has give an erroneous view of the arrangements perhaps. It could be argued that it more closely resembles an auto transfer of points/SCs from one or several accounts into the nominated beneficiary account. It seems that transfers outside of the auto "pooling" transfers are subject to the max 4x per year rule.

It isn't that complicated.

There is transfers and there is pooling. Different processes, different rules.

 

[day-heg]

I'm currently on 165/200 re-qual SCs and we both have a MEL-ADL Saver return this weekend which I believe will net 20 SCs for us each. That takes me to 185. I have until 19 July to re-qual but have no trips after this one until the big Europe trip in Sept.

I think it's been established that you'll have no problem in setting up the family pool (in fact, I suspect it's all done electronically without human intervention, so if the address matches and you're bnot exceeding the number of people pooling to one account, you're in).

As you say, MEL - ADL rtn for you both will net a total of 40SCs between you, sending you over the edge to retain Silver.

Therefore discussion around whether it's value to do a status run is irrelevant!

Good luck, and I hope you're Grandmother's health improves.

Cheers,
DH

 

[FrankC]

I have some questions about family pooling
I have set up family pooling with points & SCs going from member A to member B

1 - what is the best way to get the points already in member A's account to member B? (<5000)
2 - would member A's account become inactivated as there will be no activity in member A's account any more? (family pooling automatically transferring any new points & SCs)

Cheers