Thank you VA

[Isabelj28]

I just wanted to provide some good feedback on VA Velocity. I’ve seen quite a few ‘issues’ raised on the forum, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to highlight some ‘good news’.

I am currently SG. My account is due for review in early June and I am short of the required status credits, quite a bit short actually. However, I’m flying to LHR with Singapore in early July with my husband (who family pools with me) business class and crediting the SCs to my Velocity account.

So I wrote to them and asked them if there was anything which could be done as I was concerned they would review my account, bust me down to silver, send me all new documents and then 4 weeks later review again and send more documents for gold!

Anyhow, I emailed, they wrote back within 2 days and said they would extend my membership for a further 12 months from review date (early June) in light of my pending travel plans. How lovely of them to show some common sense and flexibility!! So kudos to Velocity.

 

[Happy Dude]

That's a good break for you but seeing as you'll be in J there's not a lot gain.

When, in a similar situation, I asked for such common sense and flexibility I received a very rigid and illogical "Nein!! That wouldn't be fair to other members." I was only 7 SC short to platinum and then they comped me up anyway.

The best thing for you to do now, if a little cheeky, is credit to KF.

 

[Isabelj28]

Not a lot of benefit to me, but nice of them anyway. And no, I wouldn’t credit the points to KF, that’s just me...

 

[Ains]

They renewed my gold membership when I was pregnant as I couldn’t fly much. That was a few years ago. Same thing, I wrote a letter to VA and they kindly kept me Gold.

 

[clipped_wings]

What lovely news! Well done for reaching out to them, I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday in July. Don't forget to leave a trip report!

 

[Stitchit]

I can only applaud VA, I was impacted with substantial health issues last year stopping any chance of flying and potentially busting my almost platinum status. They held over till this year and renewed my gold status this month. They have been excellent.

 

[Budbrian]

I just wanted to provide some good feedback on VA Velocity. I’ve seen quite a few ‘issues’ raised on the forum, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to highlight some ‘good news’.

I am currently SG. My account is due for review in early June and I am short of the required status credits, quite a bit short actually. However, I’m flying to LHR with Singapore in early July with my husband (who family pools with me) business class and crediting the SCs to my Velocity account.

So I wrote to them and asked them if there was anything which could be done as I was concerned they would review my account, bust me down to silver, send me all new documents and then 4 weeks later review again and send more documents for gold!

Anyhow, I emailed, they wrote back within 2 days and said they would extend my membership for a further 12 months from review date (early June) in light of my pending travel plans. How lovely of them to show some common sense and flexibility!! So kudos to Velocity.

I just wanted to provide some good feedback on VA Velocity. I’ve seen quite a few ‘issues’ raised on the forum, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to highlight some ‘good news’.

I am currently SG. My account is due for review in early June and I am short of the required status credits, quite a bit short actually. However, I’m flying to LHR with Singapore in early July with my husband (who family pools with me) business class and crediting the SCs to my Velocity account.

So I wrote to them and asked them if there was anything which could be done as I was concerned they would review my account, bust me down to silver, send me all new documents and then 4 weeks later review again and send more documents for gold!

Anyhow, I emailed, they wrote back within 2 days and said they would extend my membership for a further 12 months from review date (early June) in light of my pending travel plans. How lovely of them to show some common sense and flexibility!! So kudos to Velocity.

Yes same thing happened for me 2 years ago. We were travelling PER SYD LAX J class, rang them requesting a extension of my Gold status rather than losing it before we flew. And came back a Platinium. Velocity are very accommodating.

 

[Amanda38]

I just wanted to provide some good feedback on VA Velocity. I’ve seen quite a few ‘issues’ raised on the forum, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to highlight some ‘good news’.

I am currently SG. My account is due for review in early June and I am short of the required status credits, quite a bit short actually. However, I’m flying to LHR with Singapore in early July with my husband (who family pools with me) business class and crediting the SCs to my Velocity account.

So I wrote to them and asked them if there was anything which could be done as I was concerned they would review my account, bust me down to silver, send me all new documents and then 4 weeks later review again and send more documents for gold!

Anyhow, I emailed, they wrote back within 2 days and said they would extend my membership for a further 12 months from review date (early June) in light of my pending travel plans. How lovely of them to show some common sense and flexibility!! So kudos to Velocity.

I just wanted to provide some good feedback on VA Velocity. I’ve seen quite a few ‘issues’ raised on the forum, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to highlight some ‘good news’.

I am currently SG. My account is due for review in early June and I am short of the required status credits, quite a bit short actually. However, I’m flying to LHR with Singapore in early July with my husband (who family pools with me) business class and crediting the SCs to my Velocity account.

So I wrote to them and asked them if there was anything which could be done as I was concerned they would review my account, bust me down to silver, send me all new documents and then 4 weeks later review again and send more documents for gold!

Anyhow, I emailed, they wrote back within 2 days and said they would extend my membership for a further 12 months from review date (early June) in light of my pending travel plans. How lovely of them to show some common sense and flexibility!! So kudos to Velocity.

That is nice of them. I asked Thai to extend my gold status because my Mum was about to die and I had to cancel a trip, and they said no. They will now loose two 10 year plus loyal customers!

 

[Aussiesue2001]

Congratulations & lucky you. I asked for a month’s extension on my gold status even though I had 3 domestic flights booked within the month after my review date. I couldn’t fly because of an eye operation where they’d put gas in my eye & was under strict instructions not to fly. No luck from Virgin. On the other hand Silver status is better than blindness.

 

[HotKgon]

I just wanted to provide some good feedback on VA Velocity. I’ve seen quite a few ‘issues’ raised on the forum, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to highlight some ‘good news’.

I am currently SG. My account is due for review in early June and I am short of the required status credits, quite a bit short actually. However, I’m flying to LHR with Singapore in early July with my husband (who family pools with me) business class and crediting the SCs to my Velocity account.

So I wrote to them and asked them if there was anything which could be done as I was concerned they would review my account, bust me down to silver, send me all new documents and then 4 weeks later review again and send more documents for gold!

Anyhow, I emailed, they wrote back within 2 days and said they would extend my membership for a further 12 months from review date (early June) in light of my pending travel plans. How lovely of them to show some common sense and flexibility!! So kudos to Velocity.

It is fantastic when you hear of companies doing good for their loyal customers. That is what brand loyalty should be all about. Kudos to them.

Congratulations & lucky you. I asked for a month’s extension on my gold status even though I had 3 domestic flights booked within the month after my review date. I couldn’t fly because of an eye operation where they’d put gas in my eye & was under strict instructions not to fly. No luck from Virgin. On the other hand Silver status is better than blindness.

Hope you have recovered well! I’ll take eyesight over gold any day!

 

[baldman]

Seems to be a consistent message that VA actually use common sense in these matters as distinct from what I often read about QF.
I had a first hand experience recently with VA customer service where they were very understanding of exceptional circumstances and made the required ticketing changes as painless as possible and at no charge. Just reinforces my commitment of some years ago to never fly Qantas again.

 

[urbancowboy]

Pleased for you, but I certainly did not have that experience last year. My Velocity Gold Status review date was 2 weeks prior to travelling to Europe in November 2018 via SQ partner. When I called them they tersely told me that 'them was the rules' so I dropped back to Silver for 2 weeks - they showed no flexibility at all. They sent me my replacement Silver Card and tags, only to send me replacement Gold Card and tags 3 weeks later while I was still in Europe. Very disappointed. At least I had lounge access on the way home.

 

[serfty]

Pleased for you, but I certainly did not have that experience last year. My Velocity Gold Status review date was 2 weeks prior to travelling to Europe in November 2018 via SQ partner. When I called them they tersely told me that 'them was the rules' so I dropped back to Silver for 2 weeks - they showed no flexibility at all.

While I understand the YMMV of it all, you do retain status for a month after your review date, even if you were going to 'drop'. It says so in the T&C's and on the membership card.

 

[Isabelj28]

Pleased for you, but I certainly did not have that experience last year. My Velocity Gold Status review date was 2 weeks prior to travelling to Europe in November 2018 via SQ partner. When I called them they tersely told me that 'them was the rules' so I dropped back to Silver for 2 weeks - they showed no flexibility at all. They sent me my replacement Silver Card and tags, only to send me replacement Gold Card and tags 3 weeks later while I was still in Europe. Very disappointed. At least I had lounge access on the way home.

It may not be the case, but perhaps it’s because you called them? I initially called them and they said they couldn’t do anything to help but suggested I should email... which I did with the proof of my SQ flights and then they were able to be more flexible. May or may not be the issue?

 

[jasecao]

I just wanted to provide some good feedback on VA Velocity. I’ve seen quite a few ‘issues’ raised on the forum, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to highlight some ‘good news’.

I am currently SG. My account is due for review in early June and I am short of the required status credits, quite a bit short actually. However, I’m flying to LHR with Singapore in early July with my husband (who family pools with me) business class and crediting the SCs to my Velocity account.

So I wrote to them and asked them if there was anything which could be done as I was concerned they would review my account, bust me down to silver, send me all new documents and then 4 weeks later review again and send more documents for gold!

Anyhow, I emailed, they wrote back within 2 days and said they would extend my membership for a further 12 months from review date (early June) in light of my pending travel plans. How lovely of them to show some common sense and flexibility!! So kudos to Velocity.

My work mate finished on 785 status for his Platinum year, and that was after he realised a LV to LAX leg not being credited (apparently outside the window when he did a retro claim), he called up and no leeway asked to get a manager and was just put on hold for over 30 mins, I have showed him your post and asked him to email them on this, I hope he gets some love via email as his boss has been pressuring him to change to QF.

 

[Pleb Status]

My work mate finished on 785 status for his Platinum year, and that was after he realised a LV to LAX leg not being credited (apparently outside the window when he did a retro claim), he called up and no leeway asked to get a manager and was just put on hold for over 30 mins, I have showed him your post and asked him to email them on this, I hope he gets some love via email as his boss has been pressuring him to change to QF.

Last year, it was easier to get free VA SG status (through Flybuys, Coles Mastercard etc) than a free Uber Eats voucher. So giving away a few SG comps is probably not a big deal when VFF are giving SG away to less 'loyal' customers at the same time.

VFF have (so far) been far more cautious in giving away VA WP status and comps. DSC promotions do create fake WP however...

I am a fan of a zero tolerance earn policy, as the negative effects of some leniency in earn have already arisen in this thread. You may make one customer happy by comping them, but once this is public knowledge, you may make three other customers very unhappy because they did not get comped. You comp them and then everyone wants to get comped.

 

[jasecao]

Last year, it was easier to get free VA SG status (through Flybuys, Coles Mastercard etc) than a free Uber Eats voucher. So giving away a few SG comps is probably not a big deal when VFF are giving SG away to less 'loyal' customers at the same time.

VFF have (so far) been more far cautious in giving away VA WP status and comps. DSC promotions do create fake WP however...

I am a fan of a zero tolerance earn policy, as the negative effects of some leniency in earn have already arisen in this thread. You may make one customer happy by comping them, but once this is public knowledge, you may make three other customers very unhappy because they did not get comped. You comp them and then everyone wants to get comped.

I can totally understand the zero earn policy, if you didn't do the qualifying flights and status earn then you should not retain.

I showed him this thread after he told me about his situation esp with the phone call he had, and I also think its his fault not realising the missing flight and doing a retro claim to late,

i personally finished on 1801 for the year and gifted to a status to a family member (i was keeping an eye on the status total all the way through and did successful retro claims, definitely a lesson learnt for my work college)

 

[Denali]

Just wanted to tack onto this thread with a VA/Velocity thanks as well.

Made a booking via Melb with less than a 2hr transit (domestic to International) but that meant stressing about what if late departure, transferring and security, no time in the lounge ect so phoned helpdesk and moved to an earlier domestic flight at no cost (was originally told $120pp but put on hold and then advised no cost).

Very happy as I rather spend extra time relaxing at the airport than doing the 1klm dash & security while stressed.