Welcome to another year of Velocity Platinum membership

[markis10]

Once you take away the ego and exclusivity - fact is you have to fly to take advantage of the status, and if you're not flying - you're not impacting on anyone else's benefits. Period.

Agree totally with that statement, and while we are now seeing crowded lounges, at least it's indicative of business being directed at the airline, which means they are likely to be around longer to provide the benefits status passengers enjoy and the competition to keep the others on the ball.

Not if it turns off *actual* high value frequent flyers.

In my case, I can state for a fact that I will be flying Virgin less this year, directly as a result of;

1. Removal of ATA, and
2. The constant freebies thrown around by Virgin to those that have *proven by their actions already* that they are not particularly loyal to Virgin

They have done enough since your status match (http://www.australianfrequentflyer....vations-virgin-platinum-34443.html#post516184) to make you retain platinum with DJ, I would say that mission accomplished for DJ, anything more in terms of flights is just a bonus for them .

 

[trippin_the_rift]

The right thing for DJ to do now is reward those who did the hard yards and re-qualified at their tier...

I honestly like the approach DJ is taking, except that it will backfire because you've got 36,000 frequent flyers here who will now tell their friends and workmates. We're in a social age where information is shared freely. You only need to go to the credit card forums to see how almost everyone is sharing their tips for annual fee waivers/extra points/free gifts from the banks. You feel like a sucker if you're paying full price these days!! So by giving everyone free gold/plat (again), it significantly devalues the sense of achievement and entitlement for those who actually made the grade. Slippery slope for DJ IMO.

 

[Solid]

I would be curious to hear from those that were comped and not comped what sort of information they have in their profile on Virgin. Since you can put in what level you are on other programs are Virgin comping those on high levels on other programs as they know they fly a bit.

 

[medhead]

Not if it turns off *actual* high value frequent flyers.

In my case, I can state for a fact that I will be flying Virgin less this year, directly as a result of;

1. Removal of ATA, and
2. The constant freebies thrown around by Virgin to those that have *proven by their actions already* that they are not particularly loyal to Virgin

My mum always warns me about cutting your nose off to spite your face.


Sent from the Throne

 

[wadebosse]

The right thing for DJ to do now is reward those who did the hard yards and re-qualified at their tier...

I honestly like the approach DJ is taking, except that it will backfire because you've got 36,000 frequent flyers here who will now tell their friends and workmates. We're in a social age where information is shared freely. You only need to go to the credit card forums to see how almost everyone is sharing their tips for annual fee waivers/extra points/free gifts from the banks. You feel like a sucker if you're paying full price these days!! So by giving everyone free gold/plat (again), it significantly devalues the sense of achievement and entitlement for those who actually made the grade. Slippery slope for DJ IMO.

I understand exactly how you feel. VA needs a higher level than Plat IMO. I have 1,800 SC (200 more SC's booked ahead already) with VA already since May and after my ‘companion’ is upgraded to Plat in a couple of weeks, I have nothing to work toward now.

On the flipside, I was originally a status match from QF Gold and since switching over to VA, I have spent 30K on flights with them and have earned plat in my own right twice over.

It does annoy me that I share the exact same status and privileges as those who fly far less frequently than I do. I like VA and I’m happy with service etc, just think there is room for another level in the mix for poor buggers that live on planes.

 

[koonyaflyer]

I agree with you Wadebosse. I am a BIS platinum, with just under 3000 SC this year. Once I got Platinum for my Husband there is not a lot to shoot for, and this really highlights the need for a Lifetime recognition programme.

Whilst I agree with others comments that comped Platinum does not impact Service Levels unless the card member actually uses the benefits, I have to say that Priority boarding, particularly in Sydney now has almost 1/3 of the plane eligible on some flights. If only a couple of these people are there to "milk" the benefits but not change their loyalty it does impact the service levels .... But does not necessarily provide Virgin with the long term loyalty they are looking for.

Having said that Virgin will have a solid business plan behind these initiatives ..... And we will see further depth to their FF programme over time.

 

[pauly7]

I understand exactly how you feel. VA needs a higher level than Plat IMO. I have 1,800 SC (200 more SC's booked ahead already) with VA already since May and after my ‘companion’ is upgraded to Plat in a couple of weeks, I have nothing to work toward now.

On the flipside, I was originally a status match from QF Gold and since switching over to VA, I have spent 30K on flights with them and have earned plat in my own right twice over.

It does annoy me that I share the exact same status and privileges as those who fly far less frequently than I do.

Another tier above Plat could be part of a solution to this devaluation problem - and perhaps DJ make a rule that they will not comp people to it! They could call it.... Ummm P1 haha since they love a bit of copy and paste.

Although I was dropped down, a colleague was just retained at Plat with 90SC...... Sorry DJ BIS Plats!!

 

[777]

I am starting to think i might screw this.

I am 190 SCs short of retaining Plat -- my review date was 25th of August so that's 610 SCs. I should requal in the next few weeks. Then i might go and see how the other half live for a bit and see if I can hedge my bets. Shame QF don't status match!

 

[LiamR]

I am starting to think i might screw this.

I am 190 SCs short of retaining Plat -- my review date was 25th of August so that's 610 SCs. I should requal in the next few weeks. Then i might go and see how the other half live for a bit and see if I can hedge my bets. Shame QF don't status match!

I've been thinking about that too, especially since QF fly to the Gold Coast now.

 

[medhead]

Before they go making extra levels it would be much better if there was actually a meaningful difference between gold and platinum.


Sent from the Throne

 

[pshepvic]

Shame QF don't status match!

Not exactly - for one of the corporate accounts they recently won QF are status matching Gold & Plat. For the other corporate account they have not made this offer, although I know of at least two people from that company who have still asked QF for a status match and received it.


Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly app

 

[Jane-Doe]

How many people are being comped :?:

I don't see many just a few of the same stories being repeated.

Maybe I'm wrong so someone put me out of my misery either way.

I've just been comped with 1160 SC and 4 DJ sectors flown (Staying at Platinum).

I agree that Gold is very similar to Platinum, and I wouldn't have worried too much if I'd been downgraded

 

[serfty]

Off the top of my head, Platinum has 7 additional real differences over Gold that I found useful:

• 2 Additional Guests in Lounge,
• 1 Additional year of lounge access via Soft Landing through Gold (comps notwithstanding) &
• 4 Additional Upgrade credits.

 

[markis10]

Off the top of my head, Platinum has 7 additional real differences over Gold that I found useful:

• 2 Additional Guests in Lounge,
• 1 Additional year of lounge access via Soft Landing through Gold (comps notwithstanding) &
• 4 Additional Upgrade credits.

25% Bonus points across a variety of partners is handy as well when compared to Gold.

 

[medhead]

Off the top of my head, Platinum has 7 additional real differences over Gold that I found useful:

• 2 Additional Guests in Lounge,
• 1 Additional year of lounge access via Soft Landing through Gold (comps notwithstanding) &
• 4 Additional Upgrade credits.

Yes there are real differences however the operative word I used was meaningful. That applies to 25% bonus points at partners as well.

In any case the point about lounge access via a soft landing is a laughable inclusion in the list of differences.


Sent from the Throne

 

[serfty]

Yes there are real differences however the operative word I used was meaningful. That applies to 25% bonus points at partners as well.

In any case the point about lounge access via a soft landing is a laughable inclusion in the list of differences.


Sent from the Throne

The words "I found Useful" were employed.

The soft landing is hardly laughable going forward - As one who has been downgraded to Gold with the 100 SC's the soft landing was more than meaningful to me -YMMV.

I used the multi guest facility several times - quite useful to me - YMMV.

The Upgrades were quite a nice facet and I used them all - you may not have used yours, but I used mine - YMMV.

(The 25% difference in points earn will be something of a loss - didn't feel it as much with only the 4 earning segments this year - but should feel it a bit more in the next year.)

 

[wadebosse]

The words "I found Useful" were employed.


The Upgrades were quite a nice facet and I used them all - you may not have used yours, but I used mine - YMMV.

QUOTE]

I used 2 of my upgrade credits when my wife and I flew together recently from ADL to BNE. It was a nice touch, even on a relatively new Embraer 190. Glad they would give them to someone other than me too. I thought they may say no.

 

[medhead]

The words "I found Useful" were employed.

The soft landing is hardly laughable going forward - As one who has been downgraded to Gold with the 100 SC's the soft landing was more than meaningful to me -YMMV.

I used the multi guest facility several times - quite useful to me - YMMV.

The Upgrades were quite a nice facet and I used them all - you may not have used yours, but I used mine - YMMV.

(The 25% difference in points earn will be something of a loss - didn't feel it as much with only the 4 earning segments this year - but should feel it a bit more in the next year.)

I would infer from the numbers you've presented that most of your flights were in J, certainly a bit chunk if not all of your 100 SC, I would assume were in J. A fare class that comes with lounge access already. That just leaves the award bookings, I think it is safe to assume that you're savvy enough to have most of those in J as well. Hence, I'm just not sure when or how the soft landing to gold made the lounge access useful.

With about 40 DJ flights this year, the chance to upgrade 10% of my flights if I pay extra on the base fare is not a meaningful difference to me. Even if I did use the upgrades, they are only a fading blur in my memory.

 

[markis10]

Perhaps those loyal DJ flyers who have felt left out should look elsewhere????

I am from the gold coast and have been upgraded from silver to platinum, whats more it does not expire until june 2014,


i am stoked, something for nothing from Qantas.

 

[dfcatch]

So by giving everyone free gold/plat (again), it significantly devalues the sense of achievement and entitlement for those who actually made the grade.

Yes!

But....

It doesn't impact benefits if they don't fly.

Sense of entitlement, and real impact on benefit availability are two very separate things.

These are the two facts of the matter.

And status comped FFs who aren't flying - aren't using Priority Boarding as they're NOT FLYING

The reason the Priority Boarding lane is full is because everyone gets to use it (except for NB Saver Fares).

Personally - I would drop Flexi from the entitlement.