Retro Claims - what's reasonable?

[scottff]

Recently flew F to Syd->Paris on Etihad, Velocity FF on booking - one leg credited to Velocity, the other one is missing. Also, the Bonus Points on the credited leg doesn't seem to have calculated correctly with my status at time of flying.

I waited 6 weeks for the points to credit for the missing leg, nothing appeared. So I've followed the website and shot an e-mail off to [email protected]. An additional month has passed, no response to my email whatsoever.

Is this considered reasonable and/or normal for Velocity? Or am I doing it wrong?

I was hoping as a Platinum member there would be some care given or at least a response by now, but my personal experience has been a poor one thus far...

 

[Mogul]

Give the Platnum desk a ring.

 

[notzac]

Recently flew F to Syd->Paris on Etihad, Velocity FF on booking - one leg credited to Velocity, the other one is missing. Also, the Bonus Points on the credited leg doesn't seem to have calculated correctly with my status at time of flying.

Note that bonus points are a percentage of miles flown, not a percentage of base points earnt - easy to confuse this one. You don't mention which segment credited, but for CDG-AUH on the EY code - a Gold/Platinum Velocity member would earn 1626 bonus points.

 

[JohnK]

I sent off an email for retro claim a few weeks ago. Received a call a few days later and sorted out the retro claim.

 

[CJEMNMAC]

Agreed..I would be giving the plat desk a call and follow up.

 

[OzEire]

For what its worth I did an online retro for missing SC and points from a dom VA sector about a month prior. After another month I sent a scan of BPs etc to retro@velocity... A week later retro wrote back with what could be read as a snarky worded email to say the points had ALREADY been credited (y'know so leave us alone).

When I checked online the retro had been processed *on the same day* as the snippy email, 9 wks after the flight, after two retro claims.

Thanks VA, you really get customer service.

 

[scottff]

Thanks, the Platinum desk were slightly more helpful in that they could confirm the email had been received and was being processed. Unfortunately it will be another month until I can call back and check how it's progressing! The joys of Frequent Flyer points...

notzac - I think you've saved me some embarassment regarding the bonus points vs. miles issue, that makes sense - thanks.

 

[Formal Hall]

A week later retro wrote back with what could be read as a snarky worded email to say the points had ALREADY been credited (y'know so leave us alone).

When I checked online the retro had been processed *on the same day* as the snippy email, 9 wks after the flight, after two retro claims.

They have a bad habit of this. They also always include the somewhat patronising blurb about ensuring your Velocity number is in the booking beforehand, when though most times it is printed on the boarding pass I have sent them and has still failed to credit.

 

[JohnPhelan]

It seems that partner airline points almost never credit automatically - you always have to put in a claim, and then it can take months for the points to appear.

 

[notzac]

It seems that partner airline points almost never credit automatically - you always have to put in a claim, and then it can take months for the points to appear.

Quite the contrary - recent flights with NZ, DL and VX have all credited automatically within a reasonable timeframe for me. Perhaps the difference in my case is that they were all "regular" bookings - placed directly with the airline in question, no codeshares and no ticket changes or upgrades, which is where things seem to fall apart for VA.

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Hi Scott.
Could you P.M. me with your membership number and flight details and I'll get this investigated.

Regards,

 

[serfty]

It seems that partner airline points almost never credit automatically - you always have to put in a claim, and then it can take months for the points to appear.

In me experience generally, DL and NZ have credited without fuss - although I did have a long running issue with R class on NZ ... ;p

 

[SeaWolf]

I've found both DL and SQ to credit almost perfectly. But every now and then I'll get one that gets missed. I've got a retro claim in at the moment for a DL flight DAL-ATL. The weird thing is that the onward connection of ATL-DCA on the same itinerary credited with no issues within a few days of taking it. Sometimes the system is just quirky.
I have noticed that the online claims process for missing SQ flights (which I've only had to use once) is very easy and very quick. It's a shame that it isn't available for all partners, but I suspect it's a backend connection thing that prevents that.

 

[Formal Hall]

Quite the contrary - recent flights with NZ, DL and VX have all credited automatically within a reasonable timeframe for me. Perhaps the difference in my case is that they were all "regular" bookings - placed directly with the airline in question, no codeshares and no ticket changes or upgrades, which is where things seem to fall apart for VA.

Yes, the problem is when you need to add the number at check-in. I've almost had rows with etihad check-in agents when asking them to add my Velocity number, most notably in Singapore when I got a little speech: "Etihad is an independent airline! We belong to no alliance and have no partners! No, I will not add any frequent flyer number for you!'

Cue retro claim to velocity which took three months.

 

[uanthony]

Two family members and I flew Brisbane – Singapore return with Etihad in business class at the beginning of January. At the time of the booking all velocity numbers were recorded.


After a week no points or status credits were posted, I rang the platinum desk and was advised I had to wait four weeks for everything to be credited, I called last week as they were still not showing and was advised that I had to do a retro claim of which we did.


As at today still nothing, I spoke to a supervisor after waiting 20 minutes on hold as was advised that it would take up to six weeks. I informed her I was perplexed by the time frames and that I had my velocity number on the booking when it was made. She sarcastically referred me to the company line that within the terms and conditions that it takes up to six weeks.


So that is up to 12 weeks to have Status Credits and points credited. When travelling on Air New Zealand my status credits and points only take around two days to credit.

 

[notzac]

Two family members and I flew Brisbane – Singapore return with Etihad in business class at the beginning of January. At the time of the booking all velocity numbers were recorded.

EY can be difficult getting to credit. Did you buy it as a VA coded flight or an EY coded flight?

 

[uanthony]

EY can be difficult getting to credit. Did you buy it as a VA coded flight or an EY coded flight?

It was an EY coded flight.

 

[notzac]

It was an EY coded flight.

Interesting - I've mostly had problems with VA coded flights, which is why I asked.

Last time I took an EY flight that credited automatically, I remember that I used their online check in and made a point of putting my VFF number in during online check in. Basically every EY flight I've taken where I didn't use online check in (VFF # still in the booking - just not re-added at check in), the flight didn't credit properly.

It might be interesting to see if the automatic crediting happens more frequently if the FF number is specifically added during check in or not.

 

[williamsf1]

It was an EY coded flight.

Was it a full fare J booking or a upgrade bid to business?

 

[uanthony]

Was it a full fare J booking or a upgrade bid to business?

It was a full fare J booking, other 3 family members that I was travelling with have not been credited either.

Very poor service from Virgin, I would have thought they would have treated their Platinum tier members better.