Parter Gold tardiness.

[777]

I hit partner gold a few days after i clocked over platinum. I had to ring the call centre (they didn't ring me after a couple of days and i was a little impatient) and was advised that it would take 2 weeks for partner gold to appear in my wife's account. Two weeks expired monday and still no sign of it. I have to say i'm a bit unimpressed. I understand that things are probably crazy there with all the status matches but if you advertise a time period then stick to it. I assume there's a relatively small number of people who qualify for PG and that they are some of the airline's most valued customers - surely getting stuff like this dealt with as promised should be a no brainer.

 

[firefox]

i would say it's maybe got lost or delayed. My wife was given partner platinum from me and they processed it within 48 hours.. She actually received her Platinum pack the same time i got mine, so i am betting it's just maybe got lost somewhere?

I'd give the call centre another call.

 

[TEAL]

Gentlemen, whoppie freakin do about a partner card, if that's all you good people have worry about in life, then i have yours ... Given the airline a break, they adjusting to change, getting a benefit for zero cost to you so don't be pickie.

 

[777]

Gentlemen, whoppie freakin do about a partner card, if that's all you good people have worry about in life, then i have yours ... Given the airline a break, they adjusting to change, getting a benefit for zero cost to you so don't be pickie.

Hmm. Well...

1. it's not all i have to worry about it in life but it is a bit disappointing. It's also practically inconvenient because i'd arranged to meet my wife and baby son at the MEL Lounge on tuesday night while i was in transit awaiting an international connection. Originally she was supposed to get there whenever was convenient to her and meet me there when my flight came it but we had to rearrange our plans because her gold status had not come through so she couldn't go to the airport until after my flight landed to let her in rather than meet me off the plane. Yes, there are children dying in Africa but we had planned around her having her own lounge access as promised and it had not come through - a pain in the cough and a loss of an hour or so quality family time in my stupidly tight schedule.

2. The benefit is not "zero cost" to me. I am not talking about a status match freebie, i am talking about a perk that came with earning 1500 SCs - TRIPLE the threshold to become gold. I have spent many tens of thousands of dollars with Virgin Australia and if i hadn't i wouldn't be getting this. Yes, it's a relatively recent innovation and i wasn't assuming it but all i am trying to do is hold them to what they told me ... which brings me to ...

3. My basic problem is this: Don't say it's going to take two weeks if it isn't. I made plans in good faith to meet my wife at the ariport based on the timeframe they told me. If they said 4 weeks, i would have planned for that. But they said 2 and i made a plan around it. Again, it's not the end of the world but its not good form.

If it sounds like i'm whinging, go and look at the status match thread which advertises a 28 day response. The thread is full of people (many of whom have spent next to nothing on VA) complaining that they haven't received a status match answer in 5 - 10 - 15 days all of which are well inside the advertised period. My post here came a full two days after the promised period expired and I am a long standing loyal customer and supporter of the airline. I don't think it's poor form to point out room for improvement here.

 

[leemin]

Gentlemen, whoppie freakin do about a partner card, if that's all you good people have worry about in life, then i have yours ...

Teal, I don't know you from a bar of soap, but I'm not sure you quite understand AFF. This is a frequent flyer forum (albeit inhabited by many not-so-frequent flyers, such as myself) to discuss matters of flying. Members aren't going to post on here asking for advice on how to deal with their second-cousin's uncle's drinking problem. That would be an AA forum. Also, you may notice that many of the comments here have somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek tone - DYKWIA?!

So if it appears people are whinging, they probably are. But if it appears like they're petty, (in 98% of cases) they are highlighting a niche issue in a niche forum.

Please, participate nicely and stop insulting people. I for one have learnt a lot from the AFF 'whingers' and want to continue to learn through their continued participation.

Cheers,
jlm

 

[TonyHancock]

That would be an AA forum. Also, you may notice that many of the comments here have somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek tone - DYKWIA?!

American Airlines has a forum forum about drinking problems? :shock: this could push me to finally split my points earning!

To get me back on topic, a difficult task at the best of times, I suspect DJ/VA might be having a few issues keeping up with status matches and changes to the new program. Has anyone else had experience of PG come through successfully?

 

[777]

To get me back on topic, a difficult task at the best of times, I suspect DJ/VA might be having a few issues keeping up with status matches and changes to the new program. Has anyone else had experience of PG come through successfully?

I'd be interested to know the same thing and if others have spoken to them were they advised the same time frame as me (2 weeks).

I would argue (perhaps because it suits me - but hey) delivering the promised benefits to flyers who have already earned enough SCs to warrant partner gold should be right up there as a priority.

 

[LiamR]

I'd be interested to know the same thing and if others have spoken to them were they advised the same time frame as me (2 weeks).

I would argue (perhaps because it suits me - but hey) delivering the promised benefits to flyers who have already earned enough SCs to warrant partner gold should be right up there as a priority.

I haven't hit PG just yet, but speaking to others that have. They have seen their Partner's account show up as Gold within 48hrs.

The two weeks you were advised sounds like the time taken to send out membership packs? Is it possible somebody at Virgin got their wires crossed? Either way, I'd give them a call and explain the situation.

 

[simongr]

American Airlines has a forum forum about drinking problems? :shock: this could push me to finally split my points earning!

Flying with them can drive you to drink...

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

I hit partner gold a few days after i clocked over platinum. I had to ring the call centre (they didn't ring me after a couple of days and i was a little impatient) and was advised that it would take 2 weeks for partner gold to appear in my wife's account. Two weeks expired monday and still no sign of it. I have to say i'm a bit unimpressed. I understand that things are probably crazy there with all the status matches but if you advertise a time period then stick to it. I assume there's a relatively small number of people who qualify for PG and that they are some of the airline's most valued customers - surely getting stuff like this dealt with as promised should be a no brainer.

Hi 777, We're looking into your query now.
No excuses. Agree that if we say two weeks then we should deliver.

 

[777]

I haven't hit PG just yet, but speaking to others that have. They have seen their Partner's account show up as Gold within 48hrs.

The two weeks you were advised sounds like the time taken to send out membership packs? Is it possible somebody at Virgin got their wires crossed? Either way, I'd give them a call and explain the situation.

I was assuming it was two weeks til it showed up in her account not til the membership pack arrived but it hadn't happened either way when i last looked. It is well possible that it just got lost in the system and it's also possible that it's a teething problem - the lady on the Platinum phone line did say this was they first time she had dealt with a PG case and that she couldnt make the change herself - she said it would be passed on to the right people and dealt with within two weeks though. May have gone missing or got lost in the pile of status match requests.

Anyhow, hopefully the feedback will help in tweaking the system.

 

[777]

Hi 777, We're looking into your query now.
No excuses. Agree that if we say two weeks then we should deliver.

Appreciated as always!

Apologies if half the company is working on this this morning - i got a reply from the platinum email address, a response fro Twitter and help from you here - all looking into it. That's service! Apologies to everyone else if there are major flight delays because the entire organisation is dealing with my better half's partner gold status

 

[simongr]

Apologies if half the company is working on this this morning - i got a reply from the platinum email address, a response fro Twitter and help from you here - all looking into it. That's service! Apologies to everyone else if there are major flight delays because the entire organisation is dealing with my better half's partner gold status

Probably explains why I havent had a call back re HHonors status...

 

[777]

I should add the one other reason this is a big deal for me... i've been a FF'er on the road for most of the last 3 or 4 years off and on. My wife is gorgeous, brilliant and very understanding but she has never shown the faintest enthusiasm for anything FF related. When the partner gold came up she got genuinely excited - i was 10 SCs short (1490) on the day they announced Plat and I clocked over while we were away together - i even rang VA straight away when my account showed 1500+ to see if it might come through before we flew back.

My better half and son often come to meet me when i'm away for work - due to the timing of our respective jobs that usually means they fly without me and without the perks. Anyhow, suffice to say i've spent much of the last couple of weeks building up my wife's enthusiasm and stringing along her keenness for the whole thing. I've been excitedly asking her to check her account and see if it had come through yet. Suffice to say i look like a bit of a doofus when i wake up every second morning and ask her to check her account but nothing happens.

Anyhow, my wife and I are in different time zones so i'm not sure if it's gone through yet but i'm very appreciative of the response from the VA reps via various channels and i'm sure the kinks are getting ironed out.

 

[simongr]

777 - You have no reason to justify why you want PG and why you want it now. I think there are some elements of the program that VA/DJ thought were great ideas but weren't in a position to roll out smoothly and efficiently as soon as announced.