Ok, I was *REALLY* unhappy at Velocity (re: Partner Gold issues)

[awilcockson]

According to the rules as explained by Velocity in order to get partner gold or partner platinum you need to earn an *additional* 1500 SCs *after* you have turned platinum and not simply 1500 SCs in 12 months or 1500 SCs in what was my 12 month qualifying period (which would have ended at the end of October if it had been allowed to run its course). (This is the second thing he was told)

2. It is not what i was told (see earlier thread). I was told very clearly by the call centre that not only was i eligible but that it was being processed. (This is the first thing he was told)

What has happened in 777s case, has been compounded by the phone advice that was initially provided regarding Companion Gold Membership eligibility has turned out to be incorrect.

We've offered our apologies to 777 and will honour the mistake in this instance.

Further, to avoid a repeat of such an incident, we will be reinforcing to all staff as to the correct operation of this benefit.

As some of you have rightly pointed out, Platinum members will be eligible for Companion Gold or Platinum membership upon earning an additional 1500 or 2000 Status Credits respectively after achieving or maintaining Platinum status.

All bolding is my own for emphasis.

I really don't think it can be any clearer than that. You need an extra 1500 SCs after earning (for a total of 2700) or retaining (for a total of 2300) to get PG.

 

[connieguy]

I really don't think it can be any clearer than that. You need an extra 1500 SCs after earning (for a total of 2700) or retaining (for a total of 2300) to get PG.

Yup that is what I read from VFF's statements as well. Amazing that someone in VA thinks PG is worth ~three times what VA WP is worth. Deeply disappointing is all I can say. I mean to earn 1,500 more SC above 800 to retain WP to obtain PG is a big ask. But then you only need to earn another 500 SCs to obtain WP.

So it stacks up like this:

1) WP at 800 / 1,000 SCs

2) PG at 2,300 / 2,500 SCs (+1,500 SCs above WP)

3) PP at 2,800 / 3,000 SCs (+500 SCs above PG)

PP for 500 SCs above PG and PG at 1,500 SCs above WP? Sorry but this make no sense.


However what we thought would happen:

1) WP at 800 / 1,000 SCs

2) PG at 1,500 SCs (500 SCs above the 1,000 WP earn rate which is the normal Gold earn rate)

3) PP at 2,000 SCs (1,000 SCs above the 1,000 WP earn rate which is the normal Platinum earn rate)

Made sense as it fits the normal VA SG and VA WP earn rates.

 

[777]

I believe that it IS TTMPCWEDOD!

I'm just pleased that everyone has embraced my nice, simple, easy to remember and easy to follow acronyms.

I really don't think it can be any clearer than that. You need an extra 1500 SCs after earning (for a total of 2700) or retaining (for a total of 2300) to get PG.

Actually, i'm not sure it is as simple as that based on my conversations - but i emphasise that i don't know! I think the confusion is, in part, due to the fact that this is a transitional period. It would be entirely consistent with what VA told me to have TTMPC system except the one off anomaly created by the fact that they've given everyone the exact same starting date regardless of how many SCs they had earned to that point.

[this bit is a summary of what i hope/ assume not a fact] If i had turned platinum a year ago, i would have renewed it when i passed 800 SCs back in June or whenever that was and i would indeed have just clocked over the 1500 SCs for partner gold except that i was never platinum in the first place. No one was and i couldn't have been. That (coincidentally) happened on the 25th August which also happened to be the same day that i passed 1500 SCs. In my enthusiasm i picked up the phone and rang the platinum desk, the lady looked at the fact i had 1510 SCs and said (to paraphrase) "right, we'll make your partner gold, i havent done this before but it will happen in two weeks ..." In hindsight she was making the same mistake as i was about when they counted the credits from but i'm glad she did.

I really don't think the issue is that you need more than 1500 or 2000 SCs. The issue is that you need to be platinum before they start counting. Some people did get partner gold and partner platinum already and i assume this is because they grandfathered people who already had 1500 (or 2000) SCs in when they started the program but they gave no thought to people who had 1499 (from memory it was 1493 in my case) or 1999.

For me the issue is not the system (i prefer the TRS model but perhaps that makes it too easy) it's the issue of the "orphaned" SCs that never counted towards anything. If they can find some way of recognising these during the transition, that would be ideal - but if not some clarification would help.

Oh and all of the above could be totally wrong and wildly optimistic of me BUT it is not inconsistent with what has been said/ published.

 

[oz_mark]

Total Benefit Period (TBP) means the 12 month period from the Review Date.

So the TBP is the period 12 to 24 months from the upgrade or maintain event date? Sorry VA but this make no sense. Here I assume the TBP should run for 12 months from the RD(a) or RD(b) event date above and not the stated 12 months from the RD? Maybe make the TBP period to be the 12 months BEFORE the Review date?

Not being critical, just trying to help sort out confusion in your T&Cs.

I noticed this, and was going to come back to it. But it certainly doesn't seem to make sense.

 

[oz_mark]

All bolding is my own for emphasis.

I really don't think it can be any clearer than that. You need an extra 1500 SCs after earning (for a total of 2700) or retaining (for a total of 2300) to get PG.

I don't quite interpret it that way. The way I interpet it is that once you have attained platinum, you then need to get 1500 SC additional to get the Partner Gold. But within that 1500, will be the 800 to renew at platinum.

Still we could argue about this all weekend, and maybe should wait for VFF to describe it.

 

[nlagalle]

VFF, with all respect and I do mean that, fully understand that if to get VA PG, a VA WP needs to earn 2,300 VA SC in their tier year or 3 times what a VA WP needs to retain VA WP, you will lose, IMHO, a lot of credibility and business. Just like QF when they coughked / took for granted their WP and we voted with our spend and moved to VA, we may do the same and move again.

And move back to no priority boarding???

It does not say those PG SC are additional to those needed to retain WP. Change it if you will but you will break the contract you have enter into with ALL your WPs. Do you really want to PI$$ off your new WPs and face possible legal challenges for loss of benefits?

I think that is a slight over-reaction.. Legal challenges??? That is a grasp at the best..

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Do you really want to PI$$ off your new WPs and face possible legal challenges for loss of benefits?

Velocity rewards are not a contract and the T&Cs can be altered at any time. PI$$ off customers, yes possibly......face legal challenges, no.

 

[connieguy]

Velocity rewards are not a contract and the T&Cs can be altered at any time. PI$$ off customers, yes possibly......face legal challenges, no.

Not a contract? :shock:

2.3 If you apply to become a Member of Velocity Frequent Flyer, you are taken to have agreed to:
2.3.1 be bound by the terms and conditions in these Terms and Conditions (as they are amended from time to time);

As the T&Cs currently stand, there is no way a VA WP can ever obtain PG as their Review Date (+12 months from their event (b) below date) and Total Benefits Period (which is the 12 months from the Review Date!!!), will reset every time they earn 800 SCs and thus they will never be able to earn 1,500 SCs post their WP retain date.
Terms & Conditions | Velocity Frequent Flyer

Review Date means the date 12 months after the date on which you earn sufficient Status Credits to:

(a) be upgraded to a new Membership Level;
or
(b) maintain your current Membership Level.​

Total Benefit Period means the 12 month period from the Review Date

Earn 800 SCs date
v
v
Start a new 12 month Tier Status period.
v
v
+12 months
v
v
Review Date / Start of Total Benefits Period
v
v
+12 months
v
v
End of Total Benefits Period

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Not a contract? :shock:

Maybe I'm wrong here (has happened once or twice in my life) and I don't have time to trawl through the T&Cs but I am sure I've seen it written in there somewhere that Velocity can change their T&Cs at any time and they, and the scheme in general, is non contractural and non-binding (on them).

 

[samiam]

Since VA's Post #35 on 16th September, there has been a whole lot of hoo-ha (35 posts and counting) regarding the possibilities, probabilities and likely legal challenges regarding this situation...

... wouldn't it be just simpler to await VA's reply, as promised, rather than wildly speculating and lunging at conclusions..

Oh wait, I forgot, we're on AFF

 

[Reggie]

Since VA's Post #35 on 16th September, there has been a whole lot of hoo-ha (35 posts and counting) regarding the possibilities, probabilities and likely legal challenges regarding this situation...

... wouldn't it be just simpler to await VA's reply, as promised, rather than wildly speculating and lunging at conclusions.

Amen to that

Oh wait, I forgot, we're on AFF

How could you have forgotten.

 

[straitman]

samiam,

Thanks for bringing back a moment of sanity to the discussion :!:

 

[oz_mark]

Since VA's Post #35 on 16th September, there has been a whole lot of hoo-ha (35 posts and counting) regarding the possibilities, probabilities and likely legal challenges regarding this situation...

Given that there were only 2 posts in the 24 hours prior to your post, I guess most people are sitting waiting

 

[777]

Given that there were only 2 posts in the 24 hours prior to your post, I guess most people are sitting waiting

Yes, i thought it had gone kind of quiet. Luckily someone commented so as to provide an excuse for comments about the comment about the comments or i may not have said anything again until tomorrow!

 

[notzac]

Earn 800 SCs date
v
v
Start a new 12 month Tier Status period.
v
v
+12 months
v
v
Review Date / Start of Total Benefits Period
v
v
+12 months
v
v
End of Total Benefits Period

As I understand it, your review date only changes when you go up a status tier - it doesn't change if you maintain or go down status tiers.

The wording of the T&C's could stand to be revised to make this clearer.

 

[connieguy]

As I understand it, your review date only changes when you go up a status tier - it doesn't change if you maintain or go down status tiers.

The wording of the T&C's could stand to be revised to make this clearer.

As it stands:

"Review Date means the date 12 months after the date on which you earn sufficient Status Credits to:

(a) be upgraded to a new Membership Level;
or
(b) maintain your current Membership Level."
​

Reading (b) in-line is then:

Review Date means the date 12 months after the date on which you earn sufficient Status Credits to maintain your current Member Level.

Using this definition, the Review Date resets to +12 months from the date you earn 800 SCs to retain WP.

What is just as bad is that the 12 months of the Total Benefit Period which is:

"Total Benefit Period means the 12 month period from the Review Date." (This period is when you earn the SCs to obtain the PG or PP benefit.)

starts from your Review Date and not from the date you triggered the Review Date event.

I'm sure VA will fix the T&Cs up as soon as they can, so we can see how this was intended to work.

 

[leemin]

Bump.

Any official response yet VFF?

 

[medhead]

i dare say someone left out a "previous"

Total Benefit Period (TBP) means the 12 month period from the [previous] Review Date.

So the TBP is the period 12 to 24 months from the upgrade or maintain event date? Sorry VA but this make no sense. Here I assume the TBP should run for 12 months from the RD(a) or RD(b) event date above and not the stated 12 months from the RD? Maybe make the TBP period to be the 12 months BEFORE the Review date?

Not being critical, just trying to help sort out confusion in your T&Cs.

 

[QF WP]

Gee I'm glad I just read the whole thread over lunch...pity I burnt my toastie

I think we should all wait for VFF to come back with a response. Continuing postulation will get us nowhere...okay, it might get me more confused .

I can sympathise as well, but feel lucky that I won't be having that trouble anytime...

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Everyone,
Thanks for your patience waiting for clarification on Companion membership information.
We think it is a great benefit of the Velocity program but clearly some of the wording has made it difficult to grasp especially around its introduction (in a years time it will be very easy to understand!).

With that said, we have taken into consideration all of your feedback and confusion regarding the T&C’s, and we will be updating these as soon as possible in the next few days.

To clarify to the AFF collective:

Total Benefit Period means the 12 month period from the date a member upgrades, downgrades, or maintains their membership level.

Review Date means the date 12 months after the date on which you:
(a) are upgraded to a new Membership Level; or
(b) maintain your current Membership Level.

2) How to earn Companion Gold / Platinum Memberships

The Companion Gold and Companion Platinum benefits are available once you have upgraded to or maintained at Platinum membership level. You have 12 months from the day of your upgrade or maintain to Platinum (i.e. your member benefit period or your Total Benefit Period) to earn an additional 1,500 Status Credits at which point you will achieve Companion Gold. If you then go on to reach 2,000 Status Credits (i.e. an extra 500 Status Credits once Companion Gold has been achieved) you will automatically achieve Companion Platinum.

The best way to monitor your progress to achieving this benefit is to keep an eye on the 'Status Credits earned since' field found under 'Maintain Platinum' in your Account. As soon as this reaches 1,500 you are eligible for Companion Gold and can expect a call from our friendly Priority Phone Service team.



3) How to Maintain

The only relevant date for maintaining status is your Review Date which can be found under the ‘Maintain Platinum’ section in your Account.



Once your "Status Credits earned since" count reaches or exceeds 800 Status Credits, you can be assured you will maintain your existing level of membership on your Review Date.
Please note, you will also need to satisfy the Eligible Sector requirement to maintain.

Your ‘Status Credits earned since' count will continue to accrue until your Review Date. As per above, you will achieve Companion Gold or Platinum memberships once this balance reaches 1,500 or 2,000 Status Credits respectively.

When we relaunched the program there were a small number of members who, due to some of our team misinterpreting the terms, were given Companion memberships.
Clearly the discussion here has shown that the initial wording was confusing.

Hopefully this helps clarify what we think is a great benefit to the program.

Once again, thanks for your patience.