Zuji booking "Not valid for earn"

[CeeJayOz]

Just received a phone call from Shanka (??) saying that as I booked through a travel agent the zuji flights weren't eligible, period. He said third party travel agent flights weren't eligible!*

So they're saying that any flights booked through a travel agent aren't eligible for status credits?

 

[grubbidok]

So they're saying that any flights booked through a travel agent aren't eligible for status credits?

You forgot to look at the asterisk. Based on my experience and the other threads the new call centre staff have no idea about VA policy (combined with the fact that two calls will give you three different answeres), so anything they say should be taken with a grain of salt.

I assume that there are some deeply discounted codes that aren't eligible (some charters on package holidays, for example), and this is probably what they were referring to. I think they were trying to find why I mightn't have been credited, rather than look into whether I should have or not.

 

[haydensydney]

Happened to me too... Zuji booking showing as 'not valid for earn'. Overseas call centre thick as batsh!t, didn't know what I was on about, said they would call me back but no call. Grr.

 

[CeeJayOz]

Annoying, as Zuji seems the only way to book a Premium Saver fare to London atm, but it seems to be more drama than it's worth. I sent an enquiry via the website asking if Premium Saver fares would be available at some point (you can book them as far as Abu Dhabi, but only Premium is available if you book Mel-LHR). The response was that they only fly as far as Abu Dhabi, and Etihad doesn't offer Premium Economy - didn't quite answer the question. It's cheaper to fly VS (PE all the way) than book through the VA site atm. I think there are some Business fares with other airlines around the same price.

 

[Jurahn]

Late last year, we had call centre staff AND the staff who dealt with Silver Velocity email enquiries insisting that some Skywest flights we took (booked through the Skywest website as better SC earn for those particular fares) were charter flights and therefore not eligible for SC earn - these were flights that would push me over the line to Gold. In vain, I pointed out that those exact same flights were offered for sale on the Virgin website, and therefore couldn't possibly be charter flights. Hubby had hit SG by then, so rang the Gold call centre - and was initially told the same thing!! A lot of to-ing and fro-ing and then thankfully some very welcome assistance from the VA rep who was on this forum at the time (and to whom I will be eternally grateful) and we finally got the SCs and my upgrade to Gold.

 

[grubbidok]

Late last year, we had call centre staff AND the staff who dealt with Silver Velocity email enquiries insisting that some Skywest flights we took (booked through the Skywest website as better SC earn for those particular fares) were charter flights and therefore not eligible for SC earn - these were flights that would push me over the line to Gold. In vain, I pointed out that those exact same flights were offered for sale on the Virgin website, and therefore couldn't possibly be charter flights. Hubby had hit SG by then, so rang the Gold call centre - and was initially told the same thing!! A lot of to-ing and fro-ing and then thankfully some very welcome assistance from the VA rep who was on this forum at the time (and to whom I will be eternally grateful) and we finally got the SCs and my upgrade to Gold.

As a Silver I've noticed the same thing (with these flights being the ones that will be bumping me into Gold - or the other ones that are still missing. My official qualification date should have been Jan 21). The Golds and Plats on this thread seem to be having this particular issue resolved quite quickly, but the Silver service seem to be about as useful as cough on a bull. I've asked for it to be escalated but they won't do it, even though they acknowledge they don't know what they're doing.

I also miss the VA rep that used to frequent this forum. They were invaluable in resolving a number of issues I had last year. It seems that a lot of support was changed with the Sabre implementation, and not for the better. I'm trying to tell myself it's a temporary arrangement due to the transition, but I fear it may be a permanent 'enhancement'. It's a real pity too, because the VA customer service used to be second to none, and at the moment it seems woeful.

 

[Jurahn]

As a Silver I've noticed the same thing (with these flights being the ones that will be bumping me into Gold - or the other ones that are still missing. My official qualification date should have been Jan 21). The Golds and Plats on this thread seem to be having this particular issue resolved quite quickly, but the Silver service seem to be about as useful as cough on a bull. I've asked for it to be escalated but they won't do it, even though they acknowledge they don't know what they're doing.

I also miss the VA rep that used to frequent this forum. They were invaluable in resolving a number of issues I had last year. It seems that a lot of support was changed with the Sabre implementation, and not for the better. I'm trying to tell myself it's a temporary arrangement due to the transition, but I fear it may be a permanent 'enhancement'. It's a real pity too, because the VA customer service used to be second to none, and at the moment it seems woeful.

I know exactly what you mean - as Silver, I was just going in endless circles trying to get my situation sorted out and was getting absolutely nowhere, enormously frustrating especially when (like you) the SCs were enough to bump me to Gold. Adding to the stress was that we took the flights almost a month before my first lot of SCs was due to expire in November, so that the SCs would credit in time but of course that didn't happen - and the call centre staff just kept repeating that my balance would be such-and-such after that date, then a lower figure again after the next expiry date and so on, and I would have to "earn more status credits" to qualify for Gold. They simply wouldn't (or couldn't) get their heads around the fact that I had already EARNED the required number of SCs within the necessary timeframe, the problem I needed sorted out was the delay in the SCs crediting to my account.

The VA rep was an absolute godsend, and maybe they're still working behind the scenes and will be "public" again once all the transition problems are sorted.

 

[grubbidok]

I know exactly what you mean - as Silver, I was just going in endless circles trying to get my situation sorted out and was getting absolutely nowhere, enormously frustrating especially when (like you) the SCs were enough to bump me to Gold. Adding to the stress was that we took the flights almost a month before my first lot of SCs was due to expire in November, so that the SCs would credit in time but of course that didn't happen - and the call centre staff just kept repeating that my balance would be such-and-such after that date, then a lower figure again after the next expiry date and so on, and I would have to "earn more status credits" to qualify for Gold. They simply wouldn't (or couldn't) get their heads around the fact that I had already EARNED the required number of SCs within the necessary timeframe, the problem I needed sorted out was the delay in the SCs crediting to my account.

The VA rep was an absolute godsend, and maybe they're still working behind the scenes and will be "public" again once all the transition problems are sorted.

I lose 200SCs tomorrow from a SQ trip to Bangalore last Feb. If these SCs aren't resolved by then I expect I'll be given the same answer. At the very least it's going to make it even harder to try and resolve this issue.

I already have 480SCs of SQ flights to Europe booked up to July, have just received a 2-4-1 card (so will make some VA flights) and already had 80SCs of Y domestic flights over next two months (most of my domestic is currently with QF), so I'll definitely be Gold sometime this year. But as I'm already Gold at QF I've been booking my upcoming domestic trips with them for lounge access (about 100SCs worth so far since the two weeks wait for VA to acknowledge my status), and may even do my other Europe trip on QF/EK yet if I can't get this sorted. If it turns out that I 'have to wait' due to those SCs falling off and have to get more I'll just declare my VA experiment over, and transfer everything back to QF until the end of the year (so I can retain status there).

I agree it is frustrating particularly as I've been wanting to 'jump ship' for a while (I lived in the US during the status match phase so missed out), but had to get status at VA before I could. I feel as though as a Y BIS getting to to the Gold SC level in the required time (earned 530, account only showing 480 of those) I have already earned it (particularly as I only had lounge access twice!), and their stuff-ups during the transition shouldn't change that. I'm still hopeful, but TBH some part of me is expecting to be screwed over. The way customer service is handling this isn't inspiring me with optimism, and TBH is making me feel as though the customer service gap between QF and VA may even have switched.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'll PM you Phil Gunters email address.

 

[Jurahn]

I I feel as though as a Y BIS getting to to the Gold SC level in the required time (earned 530, account only showing 480 of those) I have already earned it (particularly as I only had lounge access twice!), and their stuff-ups during the transition shouldn't change that. I'm still hopeful, but TBH some part of me is expecting to be screwed over. The way customer service is handling this isn't inspiring me with optimism, and TBH is making me feel as though the customer service gap between QF and VA may even have switched.

Exactly - the issue is not with you, as you have earned the required SCs within the timeframe, the issue is with Virgin/Velocity and they have to be the ones to take responsibility and fix it ... in an ideal world. Unfortunately, when ringing the call centre (especially if not Gold or Platinum) that's often not what happens - for me as a lowly Silver at the time, the issue regarding the delay in crediting the SCs was effectively ignored and I was made to feel as if it was my problem, not theirs. I was just repeatedly told that I had not earned enough SCs and would not qualify for Gold status - it was as if they literally could not understand what the problem was, no matter how I tried to explain it.

 

[MandM]

Exactly - the issue is not with you, as you have earned the required SCs within the timeframe, the issue is with Virgin/Velocity and they have to be the ones to take responsibility and fix it ... in an ideal world. Unfortunately, when ringing the call centre (especially if not Gold or Platinum) that's often not what happens - for me as a lowly Silver at the time, the issue regarding the delay in crediting the SCs was effectively ignored and I was made to feel as if it was my problem, not theirs. I was just repeatedly told that I had not earned enough SCs and would not qualify for Gold status - it was as if they literally could not understand what the problem was, no matter how I tried to explain it.

The thing about this that totally baffles me is that when you get to your anniversary date (without upping status) they spend FOREVER 'assessing your activity'. Why don't they do the same thing when you are upping your status, rather than not understanding or dismissing the claims.

 

[grubbidok]

They still haven't posted my flights (10SCs even went missing for a day!), but they *have* given me Gold with a SC balance of 490, so the end game was reached. I assume the missing flights will still be going in but at least they've acknowledged that it has been earned, even if some SCs are still in limbo.

I can book some flights on VA again!