Revolio
Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2013
- Posts
- 233
Greetings fellow frequent flyers, I'm looking for answers,
(This is my maiden post so please make an allowance for the War & Peace volume it has ended up)
I flew Bris-Melb last Monday morning. Booths 1, 2 & 3 ofPriority Check-in were engaged; I was next, but only one in the queue.
(*something occurred at this time that may shed light onthis matter but insufficient space to capture it all in this post).
Booth 4 waved me over. Presented my Gold Card, answeredcorrectly re destination, answered correctly re time of flight.
What happened next simply took me by surprise. In over ahundred flights over the past few Virgin years, I have NEVER been asked for mydriver’s licence. (maybe I had an oblivious dream run?). But I was asked for it. I protested, arguing the Gold Card was myprimary id source and with the responses I gave I thought I was ok to “breezeon through” as the Travel Benefits section of the online Gold summary states.
3 reasons were offered by the self-identified contractor:
“I’ve spent the last 10 years in Washington.” I am still yetto grasp the significance of this.
“We get lots of Smith’s and their luggage gets muddled”. Ihave a unique surname and possibly the only one to have flown this year.
“Someone could have picked up your card”. My Gold Card was aperfect match for my identical luggage tag so they must have stolen my luggage too!
(What was also running through my mind was my last trip toBrisbane: I certainly wasn’t driving, wasn’t hiring a car, wasn’t making anylarge purchases, was staying at hotel that knew me well, and I travelled with a stripped down wallet with no DL. I wastotally unaware the airline had the right to deny me ccarrying a DL or Passport).
She re-stated a number of times that as a contractor Virgin had instructed her to check Id of every flyer, every flight, who dropped baggage.
If she is telling the truth, the general queues will get much longer and thewhole system will slow.
All the way through I just felt like a naughty schoolboybeing reprimanded by the school headmistress.
During this tussle, I observed the 3 Priority Check-inbooths. All Gold and Platinum holders were seamlessly moving through without DLrequests. Consistency? But I relented and surrendered my Licence. An apologywas made but the damage had been done; questions were firing within me left,right and centre.
Why was I singled out? A character judgement must have beenmade because with my card and correct answers I had satisfied my identitybeyond doubt to 99.99% of staff. Why was I flying Virgin at all? Did mylifestyle need an overhaul and a review of travel requirements? As a person 20months away from a Seniors Card was this the sort of ageism rubbish I’d betterstart getting used to?
Lounge time was consumed with a written complaint. Staff inthere were great (as usual) and made a phone call or two on my behalf to helpclarify. I could think of 20 positive helpful interactions with Virgin staffbefore this and half a dozen since. But which will I always remember?
I never got the usual friendliness. Just a clinical, stern and robotic process that just looked like the operator was on a power trip waiting for a victim. I have flownMelb-Syd-Canb since; I have watched the Priority Check-ins avidly; yet to see aDrivers Licence request in 64 observations to date.
The reply to my complaint was courteous and apologetic butnever once mentioned Gold status or Gold card which was central issue.(lookedmore like a cut and paste job). So I am left to deduce from other sources thequestion of “why I was singled out that morning”.
We live in an information society. Statistics, bothqualitative and quantitative, provide insight and answers. So I’ve beensurveying the Priority Check-In process and fellow travellers in the Lounges ,and elsewhere on-line (this forum included).
But to attempt to turn a very negative experience into apositive one, I have created 4 changes (that generally refer to the {14 page} Conditionsof Carriage that I think most flyers simply don’t read. (but I now carry withme in case I’m into contractor battle mode again).
Changes
1. Define whether Gold Card/ Platinum Card is positive,valid satisfactory identification under 6.4c of theC of C. (with a definitionof “identity” under the introductory terms glossary).
2. Visually display at Airport check-in the “noDL/no Passport- no fly” rule as per 3.4
3. Incorporate photo id into Gold and Platinumcards.
4. Establish a Gold/Platinum Customer Service pointwith a National Co-ordinator to address member concerns.
Notes: 3. Voluntary for those content to tender DL/Passportto any Virgin staff member, contractor and permanent alike. Assuming it is onlythe visual confirmation Virgin require, if this suggestion is infeasible, thenissue licence templates to requesting staff, that masks other personalinformation (home address, licence number, dob etc.) that the flyer doesn’twant contract staff viewing. Re point 4, this measure may expand Gold/Platinum membership.Re point 2, written in plain English rather than terms such as the ejusdemgeneris Rule as per Terms of Use. (not many would be aware of what thisactually is, I think.)
Thank you for reading, any feedback (positive or negative)more than welcome.
(and just to put things in perspective: I flew Mel-Syd 2days later. 1300hrs flight. Cancelled. Got on next flight, hour later. Myself,another Goldie and a Plattie the only ones in a "no luggage arrival" situation.Turned up at hotel 2117hrs. Missed meetings (materials in luggage), had tore-schedule, paid for unnecessary overnight accom. But I can write it all of asan unfortunate incident. There is an explanation.Tennis ball size compared to this “experience” whichis comparatively the volume of the Sun. Too many questions about self,direction, image have arisen. And I think there are wider implications for theflying Virgin customer if this is the new recruitment, training and attitudestance).
Revolio
(This is my maiden post so please make an allowance for the War & Peace volume it has ended up)
I flew Bris-Melb last Monday morning. Booths 1, 2 & 3 ofPriority Check-in were engaged; I was next, but only one in the queue.
(*something occurred at this time that may shed light onthis matter but insufficient space to capture it all in this post).
Booth 4 waved me over. Presented my Gold Card, answeredcorrectly re destination, answered correctly re time of flight.
What happened next simply took me by surprise. In over ahundred flights over the past few Virgin years, I have NEVER been asked for mydriver’s licence. (maybe I had an oblivious dream run?). But I was asked for it. I protested, arguing the Gold Card was myprimary id source and with the responses I gave I thought I was ok to “breezeon through” as the Travel Benefits section of the online Gold summary states.
3 reasons were offered by the self-identified contractor:
“I’ve spent the last 10 years in Washington.” I am still yetto grasp the significance of this.
“We get lots of Smith’s and their luggage gets muddled”. Ihave a unique surname and possibly the only one to have flown this year.
“Someone could have picked up your card”. My Gold Card was aperfect match for my identical luggage tag so they must have stolen my luggage too!
(What was also running through my mind was my last trip toBrisbane: I certainly wasn’t driving, wasn’t hiring a car, wasn’t making anylarge purchases, was staying at hotel that knew me well, and I travelled with a stripped down wallet with no DL. I wastotally unaware the airline had the right to deny me ccarrying a DL or Passport).
She re-stated a number of times that as a contractor Virgin had instructed her to check Id of every flyer, every flight, who dropped baggage.
If she is telling the truth, the general queues will get much longer and thewhole system will slow.
All the way through I just felt like a naughty schoolboybeing reprimanded by the school headmistress.
During this tussle, I observed the 3 Priority Check-inbooths. All Gold and Platinum holders were seamlessly moving through without DLrequests. Consistency? But I relented and surrendered my Licence. An apologywas made but the damage had been done; questions were firing within me left,right and centre.
Why was I singled out? A character judgement must have beenmade because with my card and correct answers I had satisfied my identitybeyond doubt to 99.99% of staff. Why was I flying Virgin at all? Did mylifestyle need an overhaul and a review of travel requirements? As a person 20months away from a Seniors Card was this the sort of ageism rubbish I’d betterstart getting used to?
Lounge time was consumed with a written complaint. Staff inthere were great (as usual) and made a phone call or two on my behalf to helpclarify. I could think of 20 positive helpful interactions with Virgin staffbefore this and half a dozen since. But which will I always remember?
I never got the usual friendliness. Just a clinical, stern and robotic process that just looked like the operator was on a power trip waiting for a victim. I have flownMelb-Syd-Canb since; I have watched the Priority Check-ins avidly; yet to see aDrivers Licence request in 64 observations to date.
The reply to my complaint was courteous and apologetic butnever once mentioned Gold status or Gold card which was central issue.(lookedmore like a cut and paste job). So I am left to deduce from other sources thequestion of “why I was singled out that morning”.
We live in an information society. Statistics, bothqualitative and quantitative, provide insight and answers. So I’ve beensurveying the Priority Check-In process and fellow travellers in the Lounges ,and elsewhere on-line (this forum included).
But to attempt to turn a very negative experience into apositive one, I have created 4 changes (that generally refer to the {14 page} Conditionsof Carriage that I think most flyers simply don’t read. (but I now carry withme in case I’m into contractor battle mode again).
Changes
1. Define whether Gold Card/ Platinum Card is positive,valid satisfactory identification under 6.4c of theC of C. (with a definitionof “identity” under the introductory terms glossary).
2. Visually display at Airport check-in the “noDL/no Passport- no fly” rule as per 3.4
3. Incorporate photo id into Gold and Platinumcards.
4. Establish a Gold/Platinum Customer Service pointwith a National Co-ordinator to address member concerns.
Notes: 3. Voluntary for those content to tender DL/Passportto any Virgin staff member, contractor and permanent alike. Assuming it is onlythe visual confirmation Virgin require, if this suggestion is infeasible, thenissue licence templates to requesting staff, that masks other personalinformation (home address, licence number, dob etc.) that the flyer doesn’twant contract staff viewing. Re point 4, this measure may expand Gold/Platinum membership.Re point 2, written in plain English rather than terms such as the ejusdemgeneris Rule as per Terms of Use. (not many would be aware of what thisactually is, I think.)
Thank you for reading, any feedback (positive or negative)more than welcome.
(and just to put things in perspective: I flew Mel-Syd 2days later. 1300hrs flight. Cancelled. Got on next flight, hour later. Myself,another Goldie and a Plattie the only ones in a "no luggage arrival" situation.Turned up at hotel 2117hrs. Missed meetings (materials in luggage), had tore-schedule, paid for unnecessary overnight accom. But I can write it all of asan unfortunate incident. There is an explanation.Tennis ball size compared to this “experience” whichis comparatively the volume of the Sun. Too many questions about self,direction, image have arisen. And I think there are wider implications for theflying Virgin customer if this is the new recruitment, training and attitudestance).
Revolio
