Beware - issue redeeming 'Bonus Confirmed Complimentary Upgrade'

[tingcr]

hi, not sure if others have encountered this issue but I had booked a flight for early next year to find that as a virgin gold member I was entitled to a "'Bonus Confirmed Complimentary Upgrade" to business class if I called the customer support number.

The web page I was directed to mentioned no conditions yet upon calling the specified number I am only getting the run-around and told there are conditions attached yet these are not mentioned on the page. The customer 'service' representatives are unable to give a consistent message re conditions and after wasting the last few days corresponding with the call center my days flying VB are done and I've now sent screen shots and web links to Vic office of Fair Trading.

The lesson learnt - Virgin really don't care about business/regular travelers and are just a version of telstra/foxtel/vodafail, pretending to want your business with the occasional inducement but so hard, or impossible to redeem it is comical and provide only negative PR.

I have flown ~15 Virgin, ~ 60 Qantas and 1 Jestar leg this year and apart from the one upcoming Virgin trip I will never fly the V again after this customer 'service' experience and will simply swap to Jetstar when QF are not available.

Sorry about the rant but offering something and not delivering is paramount to fraud if not simply cutting one's own throat!!

Hope you don't encounter such issues if you tempt fate in flying with the JQ alternate.

Happy travels everyone.
Craig

 

[Stone]

I've never received a complimentary one, but the process has always worked ok for me.

The most important thing is to have booked a flexi fare. I then usually check availability via a dummy rewards booking (I know that the availability is not exactly the same, but use it as a rough guide.)

Then call the Guest Centre. Without Gold or Platinum status you get put through to the Phillipines, and the process is more time consuming as they seem to have to get a supervisor to authorise it. Since reaching Gold, it's a breeze - Kiwi call centre have the transaction completed in under a minute.

Hope this helps for you next time.

 

[serfty]

Welcome to AFF.

What specifically was your problem in relation to the "conditions" you mention.

 

[Travel Guru]

Wow that's a fairly big assumption to make about a company based on one bad customer service experience.

I've also never had an issue redeeming, always found the Virgin staff to be great.

TG

 

[mella2007]

As far as I remember when the email came through for the comp upgrade, the conditions were indeed that it needed to be an upgrade from a Flexi fare and on a VA operated flight domestic. If you stick to the rules they set, then there should be no issue. If you have flown business regularly as you've stated, you should be clear on the ticket conditions and what you are/aren't entitled to as Gold.

I don't think Virgin have done anything wrong here and also think the call centre are fantastic with any rewards or general enquiries (inc the international awards line which is based OS)

Hope you continue to enjoy the forums and that it isn't just a 2 post rant.

 

[medhead]

I like to know the conditions as well. I have one of these upgrades to use.

 

[Fruitcake]

The bonus upgrades have the same T&C as the platinum upgrades.

Complimentary Fare Upgrades
13.14 In each Total Benefit Period, Platinum Members are entitled to redeem a Complimentary Fare Upgrade from a Flexi Fare to a Premium Economy Class or Business Class fare on four Virgin Australia domestic Sectors (Complimentary Fare Upgrade).
13.15 Complimentary Fare Upgrades can be redeemed by calling the Velocity Frequent Flyer Membership Contact Centre, either at the time of booking or to upgrade an existing booking. Complimentary Fare Upgrade requests may be made anytime up to 4 hours prior to the departure of the nominated flight.
13.16 Complimentary Fare Upgrades will expire if not redeemed (by making a booking in accordance with clause 13.15) before your next Review Date. The travel dates for Complimentary Fare Upgrade flights are not required to be within the current Total Benefit Period.
13.17 Platinum Members may choose to redeem a Complimentary Fare Upgrades for a guest who is travelling with them.
13.18 Complimentary Fare Upgrades are subject to the availability of seats assigned for upgrades by Virgin Australia. Some flights may have no upgrades available.

My experience is that it's too easy to redeem the bonus upgrade - I called on Friday to use my last two platinum upgrades for the year, but instead my bonus upgrade (August 2013 expiry) and one platinum upgrade (January 2013 expiry) were used. This left me with one upgrade (as expected) expiring in January (certainly not expected!). However I lodged feedback online and after talking to a phone agent on another matter this week they said there are notes on my file indicating that the bonus upgrade will be reinstated.

 

[dfcatch]

You had a bad experience and yes - VA need to improve their lot.

However if your beef is airlines advertising one thing and not providing it - Qantas and Jetstar invented that practice - so you won't make yourself happy there.

At least you've indicated that you'll knowingly choose to fly Jetstar.

That's better than the folks who pay a premium to fly Qantas and find they've been dudded.


Sent from AFF Mobile Edition

 

[DrAndyC]

Yes, it would be nice to know what "conditions" you had a problem with. You have spoken a lot of your disappointment yet failed to give us the full details. The conditions (that we know of) are generally well advertised with an email or on the web (unless you speak of something else). I think you are being a harsh in calling VA a jetstar alternative. Hopefully your frustration will subside.

 

[DeKa]

My tip is to always call before you book the flights to check the upgrade availability. I then book and upgrade in one call.

 

[bullerdude]

The web page I was directed to mentioned no conditions yet upon calling the specified number I am only getting the run-around and told there are conditions attached yet these are not mentioned on the page. The customer 'service' representatives are unable to give a consistent message re conditions and after wasting the last few days corresponding with the call center my days flying VB are done and I've now sent screen shots and web links to Vic office of Fair Trading.

Can you please indicate what these unlisted terms and conditions are? Did you book a flexi fare?

 

[Mwenenzi]

...... The customer 'service' representatives are unable to give a consistent message re conditions and after wasting the last few days corresponding with the call center my days flying VB are done and I've now sent screen shots and web links to Vic office of Fair Trading....

Try the Government agency Airline Advocate if you think you have a case.

 

[markis10]

Try the Government agency Airline Advocate if you think you have a case.

Agree, or the Queensland Fair Trading, Vic has no jurisdiction.

 

[oz_mark]

I'm not sure that the bonus upgrade came with any pointer toward what the T&Cs were. I just assumed that the normal platinum T&Cs were used for it, but there was nothing that specifically said that.

 

[markis10]

I'm not sure that the bonus upgrade came with any pointer toward what the T&Cs were. I just assumed that the normal platinum T&Cs were used for it, but there was nothing that specifically said that.

They were in the letter sent from memory.

Edit - Letter/Postcards, the Terms and Conditions were on them!

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....complimentary-upgrade-42391-9.html#post666739

Also heavily discussed in that thread were the conditions.

 

[lovestotravel]

Try the Government agency Airline Advocate if you think you have a case.

They are a total waste of time for the simple fact that

"The ACA does not have independent power to make decisions that affect the participating airline’s response to your complaint"

 

[Kolo]

No problems here. Booked the flexi fare and phoned for the upgrade. Done it twice now with no hassles.

 

[tuapekastar]

My tip is to always call before you book the flights to check the upgrade availability. I then book and upgrade in one call.

Sage advice. I basically do the same. Make the booking online without 'pulling the trigger' on it, then ring, check the availability, if it is there I complete the booking while the agent waits on the phone, get the PNR and give to the agent who then processes the upgrade.

With regard to the OP I have used my 'bonus' upgrade and 4 x Plat upgrades this way without any issues. Would be interested to know exactly what the problem was.

 

[n17]

Never had a problem, I always phone the service centre to book the flexi at the same time as upgrading this always works and you get the flight you want. The Plat service staff are first class and bend over backwards to help, I doubt your problems emanated from them


I think its probably the that wrong service centre was contacted and they did not have access to the correct info. The T&C are quite clearly stated, I'm only assuming that a saver was booked instead of a fexi and that the issue- cant be done

 

[alister]

I had a similar issue. 5 upgrades to use by 13th April 2013 so thought I would book a flight from Rocky to Sydney via Brisbane. I booked fully flexi so I could upgrade the Brisbane to Sydney sector as the Rocky to Brisbane sector is in the fokker and no upgrade available. I rang the customer service centre to get the Bris-Sydney upgrade only to be told that as the first sector was flying skywest I could not apply the upgrade. I pointed out the T&C's state that you can apply an upgrade to a sector. The guy told me NO. I called again to be told the same thing. I asked them to show me where it says that and they couldn't. They said I could cancel the flights and book each leg separate but then I had to pay a cancellation fee and my bags would not be checked through. There is another direct Rocky to Sydney flight but there are no PE or Business on it either. So basically I cannot use my upgrades as the majority of my flights are to or from rocky which means I have to either use VA with no available PE or Business or skywest and then I am not eligible for my other sectors. So unless you fly in and out of a city/town serviced by larger aircraft your bonus upgrades are almost worthless. I have complained to Virgin Australia about this so will wait to see what they say.