Status credit review date - I am confused

[hroebuck79]

Hi

Can anyone explain, in simple terms, how the status review date is created?

I have a situation where it has taken over two months for some status credits to hit my account - this a flight from London to Sydney (plus pooling from my husband and sons accounts for the same flight). One of these flights pushed me over 1000 scs - but then the remaining 145 credits (for my sons flight and my flight) have been 'lost'. They show in my balance, but have not been deducted from my 'number of points required to maintain platinum'.

When I phoned velocity - they say that because my review date is 1st june 2014 (1st June is the day after I hit platinum) that any status credits earned before this date do not count towards my re-qualification?

Is this correct - seems a bit of a rip off to me - as means I have lost 145 status credits (which for me is teh equivalent of 7 return saver flights from Sydney to Melbourne - which is my most common route!).

Is anyone able to help explain this to me? Am I right, or is velocity right?!

THanks!

 

[quick_dry]

I wish you were right, but based on my own experience with SC's when going gold and platinum (and what i have read in other threads), those points are lost in the blackhole. I have the same issue with flights from the 15th putting me at 1000, the review date showing up as the 17th, and then the flights from the 16th show up on the 18th but because the review date is the 17th they don't count towards requalification.

I fail to see why an automated system has to pretend as if this all requires manual processing and checking.

 

[robd]

It's a problem that many of us have encountered.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....nt-flyer/vff-sc-black-hole-between-49376.html

It was resolved for me with an email to the Platinum Velocity team.

 

[hroebuck79]

So after a call to velocity they say that any points earned prior to your review date do not roll over...thus meaning that if you do multiple flights on the day that you hit the next level of status, or in my case were pooling family points...you are going to lose these points. In most cases, it might only result in the loss of ten or twenty points, be many.but unfortunately...I hit platinum during a trip to the uk, resulting in me losing 145 scs! In my mind...I should have hit platinum and then the remainder of the status credits that were obtained on that day should count to maintaining plat. For example, if I hadn't hit platinum on that day...all scs would have counted towards me obtaining platinum...so why in this circumstance should I 'lose' scs.

I have asked velocity to send me the ts &cs that stipulate this-but they keep ignoring my request. My feeling is that is is an automate process that they are unwilling to manually correct.

anyway, I guess I have platinum now, and will probably requal anyway through work travel alone....but just a warning to others!

 

[Bolthead]

Hi

Can anyone explain, in simple terms, how the status review date is created?

I have a situation where it has taken over two months for some status credits to hit my account - this a flight from London to Sydney (plus pooling from my husband and sons accounts for the same flight). One of these flights pushed me over 1000 scs - but then the remaining 145 credits (for my sons flight and my flight) have been 'lost'. They show in my balance, but have not been deducted from my 'number of points required to maintain platinum'.

When I phoned velocity - they say that because my review date is 1st june 2014 (1st June is the day after I hit platinum) that any status credits earned before this date do not count towards my re-qualification?

Is this correct - seems a bit of a rip off to me - as means I have lost 145 status credits (which for me is teh equivalent of 7 return saver flights from Sydney to Melbourne - which is my most common route!).

Is anyone able to help explain this to me? Am I right, or is velocity right?!

THanks!

So after a call to velocity they say that any points earned prior to your review date do not roll over...thus meaning that if you do multiple flights on the day that you hit the next level of status, or in my case were pooling family points...you are going to lose these points. In most cases, it might only result in the loss of ten or twenty points, be many.but unfortunately...I hit platinum during a trip to the uk, resulting in me losing 145 scs! In my mind...I should have hit platinum and then the remainder of the status credits that were obtained on that day should count to maintaining plat. For example, if I hadn't hit platinum on that day...all scs would have counted towards me obtaining platinum...so why in this circumstance should I 'lose' scs.

I have asked velocity to send me the ts &cs that stipulate this-but they keep ignoring my request. My feeling is that is is an automate process that they are unwilling to manually correct.

anyway, I guess I have platinum now, and will probably requal anyway through work travel alone....but just a warning to others!

In a nutshell when it comes to earning VFF points there is an art and a system that you must use to ensure that you are getting the bang for your buck. You are right in saying that any points you earn after re-qualification fall into the 'black hole' however you need to come up with a simple solution to ensure that you are controlling your VFF account and not Velocity (Virgin). I run a simple spreadsheet that has all family members (including the Mother in Law - who lives with us) This spreadsheet shows all future and past flights and also includes the anniversary dates for all family members. In my case however all family members are adults so we are restricted to only being able to Family Pool between 2 family members on any one day. By putting all the flights on the spreadsheet you get a much clearer picture of how many points you need to obtain the goal you are trying to reach. (be it Gold or Platinum - or Silver for that matter) We often will change Family Pooling options half way through a trip if it strategically makes sense to do it.

eg... I recently had a return trip with my wife to RAR (via AKL) in Y+. In total this netted us 440 status credit. Both our anniversary dates are in October this year. Because I do most of the flying I took the points from the first half of the trip including her pooled points. That got me to 785 points. (still 15 short of re-qualifying) While we were over there in RAR we changed the family pooling back to her and she got the return leg. Now I only need 15 points to re-qualify so our efforts are now aimed at her to get her points up so she re-qualifies. So as a family we all work together (including the VFF points ) to make the most out of what I think is a very good system. Of course if they put in a higher level than Platinum then our strategy will have to change...LOL

All FF programmes have their flaws and advantages over other programmes. No two programmes are the same. That's what makes them interesting. It's how you use them that makes the difference.

 

[hroebuck79]

Thanks for the advice Bolthead. Unfortunately, in this case - if i had been more aware of this issue, I would have simply switched the family pooling around - i.e. pooled my sons points to my husband to get him up the status ladder a bit! But moving forward, I will take your strategies on board!

Perhaps I should have paid more attention to this forum before I ended up in this situation. I guess the only good thing is that those points in the black hole do go towards companion gold status...so it may be that I earn enough to give my hubby gold status anyway....especially with the added benefit of the 6 mth maternity leave break that I will be taking this year....like you say, there are advantages and disadvantages to all FF programs...and the family pooling is a major advantage that for the main part I have managed to capitalize on!

 

[Bolthead]

Thanks for the advice Bolthead. Unfortunately, in this case - if i had been more aware of this issue, I would have simply switched the family pooling around - i.e. pooled my sons points to my husband to get him up the status ladder a bit! But moving forward, I will take your strategies on board!

Perhaps I should have paid more attention to this forum before I ended up in this situation. I guess the only good thing is that those points in the black hole do go towards companion gold status...so it may be that I earn enough to give my hubby gold status anyway....especially with the added benefit of the 6 mth maternity leave break that I will be taking this year....like you say, there are advantages and disadvantages to all FF programs...and the family pooling is a major advantage that for the main part I have managed to capitalize on!

I was going to mention the companion gold status but forgot... I too like the family pooling however the company I work for insists we fly Virgin so at the end of the day that is the main reason I choose Velocity (Virgin). Good luck...

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I guess the only good thing is that those points in the black hole do go towards companion gold status...so it may be that I earn enough to give my hubby gold status anyway....

I'm not even sure that's correct. Companion status "officially" works off requal SCs not the rolling balance, however there are plenty of anecdotes that the rolling balance does work (maybe that's their unofficial trade-off for the "black hole". For the record, I lost 195 SCs to the black hole, but then managed to secure a few wins that more than offset them! Good luck with your goals!