Requalify for gold with only 110SC

[awilcockson]

Please dont take this the wrong way, but I believe you also got requal at way short of requirement. Wonder if you would feel the same if it wasnt the case. .

Yes I did and it wouldn't have made a difference if I hadn't.

I have my earned status (QF). I requaled DJ Gold but was comped plat, so I would have still been in the lounge even without the comped Plat. I don't care what status anyone else has (earned or comped).

 

[awilcockson]

Will it change my flying? no. Will I be ticked if you get an upgrade and I don't? yes

lol, I've had 1 op-up in 5 years and hundreds of sectors. So I doubt I'll be stealing any upgrades from anyone.

 

[anat0l]

OK fair enough. So let's follow that through and assume that the bribe doesn't work and they don't fly with Virgin. Cost to Virgin = cost of printing and mailing out a new card. Effect on existing "real" VFF members = zero because you will never see the comped person in the lounge or in a plane. So I really don't see why people are getting all upset.

If on the other hand the comped person decides to repay the free status by redirecting some flying to Virgin ... Cost to Viring is still the printing and mailing out of a new card plus the occasional pancakes and glass of beer, but with the return on investment being increased loads and income. Effect on "real" VFF members is that they might see one or two extra people in the lounge.

Fair argument, but you know that (ironically, for FFers more than any other kind of person) there is often a "value" put on membership (or "exclusivity" so to speak) that is highly argued in this forum.

It might settle down after this year (again, rather ironically) when new VFF gets a few years on the board and the depth of the loyalty base increases.

Needless to say, anyone who is enraged with Virgin about these gestures isn't really leaving Virgin, aren't they:?:


Oddly enough, Gold is merely a mid-tier level. So maybe VFF aren't too worried about "overcomping" on Golds compared to Platinums, since the latter is supposed to be more exclusive (also, comping a Gold has more potential as you can entice them to keep Gold or shoot for Platinum, and on top of that there are new benefits for Platinums - e.g. upgrades, dedicated lounges - upcoming, which can entice a Gold more than a Platinum).


Finally, it should probably be noted that so far on this forum we have only seen two cases of people coming under the mark (or well under the mark) and still being comped their given status. Some people have got back up due to a special promo (e.g. 1 x J return, etc.). The total number of people here who have benefited in any way to make a cheap requalification appears to be countable using fingers and toes. So to reinforce awilcockson.... real impact = what?

 

[Grooba]

I'm kind of eagerly awaiting the review of my status also. Matched to WP last year, did way under the requal amount of SC, and STILL under review (been 12 days now). Wont change my flying habits either way but am keen to see if I drop down or am comped.

 

[hydrabyss]

Was off work yesterday and noticed a segment on one of the morning shows mentioning how companys discount new customers at the expense of their loyal long term customers.
If it wasnt for discussion boards most of us would not have been none the wiser.

 

[straitman]

Please dont take this the wrong way, but I believe you also got requal at way short of requirement. I understand, yes you are more a QF person, and thats fine, but why does that make you more valuable to DJ? again, no disrespect intended, but, you didnt qualify, so why do you get the prize?
Wonder if you would feel the same if it wasnt the case. .
The main point being they have no reasoning in their donation of status to people. Bit disillusioned with the whole show at the moment to be honest, They really have lost their way, and need to start treating their Loyal customers better in their Loyalty program.
I dont hold anything against anyone who gets comp'd, Good luck to them, and they would be mad not to accept. its not the customer its Virgin that suck the big one, and they are doing their loyalty program more harm than good

To answer your question even though it was directed to awilcockson.

I am a requalified WP with both QF and DJ and quite frankly don't give two hoots if DJ (or QF) want to throw a few crumbs to a few people. Non of them (the airlines or hotel chains) make these offers to help you or me but to improve their own bottom line. If that means continually tweaking and adjusting them they will continue to do so If that peeves a few people off on the way then so be it. I'm quite sure there is a lot of reasoning in their donation of status to people, it's just that you and I don't know what it is :!:

 

[lovestotravel]

Well the result of all these "freebies" is me taking more flights back to QF

Plus they have a more consistent product, time after time after time

J on DJ is just hit and miss

Pre-Departure drinks, only given about 3/4 of the time, yep I can understand if the flight is late etc etc but a quick apology would fix it, and many other small issues

The fact that DJ has to continually give away "freebies" is concerning!

 

[MandM]

If you are giving it away, give it away to everyone.

 

[oz_mark]

Interesting. When Qantas extend people that haven't made it, it's good customer service. When Virgin do it, you get this thread.....

 

[lovestotravel]

Interesting. When Qantas extend people that haven't made it, it's good customer service. When Virgin do it, you get this thread.....

I think the Qantas requirements for Gold are a little less than a freebie status match and then 110SCs

 

[awilcockson]

It is interesting that this is a site that promotes ways to get status as cheap as possible, even to the point of taking part in promotions that people aren't technically eligible for, or milking promotions for all they are worth way beyond the intent of the promotion (I have no problem with any of this by the way). And yet as soon as an airline extends an offer of free status legitimately, people start crying foul? It all just seems a little contradictory to me.

 

[medhead]

All I see is a whole heap of posts that ignore the fact that someone not using the status freebie is not impacting on those BIS flyers. If they do use them that means their bring money to virgin.

I requalified my status match by forking out my cash. (I also got some free status that wasn't required). I'm pretty put out that the so called loyal customers are begrudging me the free status benefits I got while I was paying my way in. I'm happy to be pushed back to QF, kind of. I wonder how long the new DJ will last without people converting and bringing in extra cash. Would there be similar howls about moving firmly back to the old DJ. Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

If I wasn't on the AFF App I would paste in moderator approved opinions, which may or may not adequately express my feelings.


Sent from the Throne

 

[amaroo]

IMO VA's play is pretty simple. If you are going to spend money growing your customers base......you might as well get the ones that have coins in the pocket & a history of regular flying.

For the disappointed VA members. I took advantage of the status match, didn't step on a VA flight.....quite rightly, didn't get another freebie.

 

[markis10]

In the meantime there are those who took on the Etihad offer who have Gold till 2014, swings and roundabouts!

 

[lovestotravel]

Someone who has hardly flown gets lounge access! That is taking up space in already busy lounges.

Yes they are flying Virgin but they still don't really deserve to be in the lounge as they haven't flown much

 

[lovestotravel]

For the disappointed VA members. I took advantage of the status match, didn't step on a VA flight.....quite rightly, didn't get another freebie.

I have no issue with the once off status match, but all these other offers smack of desperation from VA

Please fly us once or twice and we'll make you Gold/Plat
Please fly us again as we gave you a freebie once, and hardly flew us, please fly us again, please!

All this being said, I want VA to do well, but just don't see it really happening the original shine has really worn off and they need another kick to keep people flying them

 

[straitman]

Someone who has hardly flown gets lounge access! That is taking up space in already busy lounges.

Yes they are flying Virgin but they still don't really deserve to be in the lounge as they haven't flown much

Which is how different to the Qantas person mentioned in post #20 :?:

 

[amaroo]

All this being said, I want VA to do well, but just don't see it really happening the original shine has really worn off and they need another kick to keep people flying them

The sands of time! Easy to give something away once.....it starts to get irritating after that:!:

 

[straitman]

If you are giving it away, give it away to everyone.

Why do that :?: Qantas does not so why should Virgin :?:

The sands of time! Easy to give something away once.....it starts to get irritating after that:!:

Let's remember that next time Qantas offers you double SCs. :shock:

 

[tuapekastar]

I think it is simply a case of VA being 'different' (again) and taking the traditional status match concept one step further by extending it beyond the traditional one year. i.e. "Let's not waste or lose any ground we may have made in year 1, and see if by giving those who show signs of 'crossing the floor' but are not quite there (i.e. may be wavering) a little extra incentive maybe we can nab them permanently". Just making a second, more targeted sweep of those who took up the initial match but did not do enough to retain their matched level. I would be very surprised if this went on into year 3.

For my part, I was matched platinum and had plans in place to requalify but they went pear-shaped. About 2 months out from renewal date (I was prepared to just soft land to Gold and reassess things the following year) I got the 2 x flexi return or 1 x J return offer to retain Platinum and took it up - 1 x J). That return flight actually genuinely requalified me for Gold. I had the "we are currently reassessing" message on my account for a week or two and was officially re-made Platinum again last week.

So I think it is not unreasonable for VA to have seen that I had been giving them business (enough potentially to requal Gold under my own steam, as I eventually did) and offer me Plat again (for a small price) in the hope of tipping me over (which may still happen). That said, I would not be complaining at all had I simply soft-landed to, or requalified as, Gold.

I can understand non-matched VA status flyers being a little peeved, but this sort of thing has been going on in business for a long time now, and I'm not sure it is something to get really peeved about. But I acknowledge that I am coming from the beneficiary's angle and everyone has the perfect right to feel peeved if they wish.