Early status upgrade to VFF Gold - what should I do?

[airly]

Recently got upgraded early to VFF Gold without meeting the 500 status credits criteria (I had around 495 status credits)
Usually I would appreciate it but I have been planning my travel strategically so that I will get to Gold in Sep 2022 and can enjoy the benefits until Sep 2023 (planning to travel overseas in Sep 2023)
But now my review date is Jun 2023
I have reached out to VFF and they refused to downgrade me to Silver nor extend my Gold status until Sep 2023.
Anyone has similar experience and any idea what else I can do?

 

[MooTime]

I've heard on various airlines programs they have very occasionally upgraded / retained qualification on very near enough good enough basis.

In your case this sucks eggs, I'd think at your request they'd have to peg you back down to silver on the sole basis you didn't qualify under the T&C's status tier program, Velocity in this case. It's their own T&C's that state 500 SC. I'd call again & insist.

 

[klymen]

I had similar earlier this year. Upgraded to PLT on 980SC (with a few forward bookings). Will cost me a month of status & time to requalify.

 

[SYD]

Any chance you can go for Platinum now? A grander strategy, you’d obviously have a much later review date once achieved. Plus a soft landing to Gold if you don’t requalify.

 

[airly]

Any chance you can go for Platinum now? A grander strategy, you’d obviously have a much later review date once achieved. Plus a soft landing to Gold if you don’t requalify.

Unfortunately not able to get to Platinum
It is very annoying that VFF didn't even ask whether I would accept the early status upgrade.

 

[Human]

Virgin routinely upgrades people’s status when they almost, but not quite, meet the criteria. It happened to me 5 years ago when they gave me Silver on 247 SCs, and earlier this year when they gave me Platinum on 986 SCs. I think they see it as being a bit of a pleasant surprise and for most customers (including me) it is, as we can start using the status benefits earlier than expected.

I can see your point, but I do believe that Virgin see it as a pleasant little thank you gift, and you know what they say about looking a gift horse in the mouth…

My advice is to be patient: there’ll probably be a double-SC promotion at some stage over the next 12 months, and you may well also find yourself travelling unexpectedly? Re-qualifying may well be easier than you think.

 

[Mattg]

I agree that for most people this would be a pleasant surprise.

But I actually also agree with the OP that it's not fair for Velocity to do this without asking the member, and then refuse to downgrade again when this is requested. Surely this goes against the published program T&Cs which state you need to earn 500 status credits within 12 months to upgrade to Gold?

 

[SYD]

I agree that for most people this would be a pleasant surprise.

But I actually also agree with the OP that it's not fair for Velocity to do this without asking the member, and then refuse to downgrade again when this is requested. Surely this goes against the published program T&Cs which state you need to earn 500 status credits within 12 months to upgrade to Gold?

One of the unintended(?) consequences of VAs rolling membership years. Most programs, you’d get the early bump up for the remainder of your current year and *then* a full year at the new level.

 

[hydrabyss]

The thing I find annoying is they don't give you the extra sc's when you are short on requalifying.

 

[airly]

I think this is a very great hidden policy for VFF to do early upgrade.
However, I am disappointed that VFF didn't do anything when the early upgrade actually disrupted my plan. Especially they could see my future booking in Sep 2022 that would give me the status credit to get to Gold.

 

[bladeau1981]

This is one of my main gripes with velocity, the rolling year. Qantas I have January til December and if I qualify in March I have gold until December the following year. Virgin it's like a roller coaster and I'm never quite sure when my credits will disappear. I think I'll be platinum by October with Virgin but I can't be bothered scrolling through pages of earn to work out when status expires and how many.

 

[klymen]

This is one of my main gripes with velocity, the rolling year. Qantas I have January til December and if I qualify in March I have gold until December the following year. Virgin it's like a roller coaster and I'm never quite sure when my credits will disappear. I think I'll be platinum by October with Virgin but I can't be bothered scrolling through pages of earn to work out when status expires and how many.

OTOH the rolling year can be really helpful if you have 'lumpy' travel patterns. With QF (and others with fixed years), you're out of luck if you have a big earning trip but it's split over two accrual years. With VA, right up to GLD or PLT you go (assuming you have the sectors - not having the sectors is the guaranteed way not to be upgraded).

Sure, in this instance I lost a month of PLT when I didn't fly, but it also means (for me) 20 less SCs to retain PLT, plus the SCs from what would otherwise have been my qualifying flight being added to my requal SC balance.

So "what you lose on the swings, you pick up on the roundabouts"

But I do feel sorry for the OP. For international travel there's little difference between GLD and PLT but there's a big difference between Silver and Gold.

 

[TheEqualiser]

I hit VA Gold on 490 SCs recently and I was grateful because it gave me the associated benefits on my SQ leg back home. I have however now hit 980 SCs but luckily (as I have no flights planned in the near future) I have not been given Platinum, as I am still short on the eligible sectors. At least I can hopefully plan when to boost myself to Platinum now.

 

[Mattg]

I hit VA Gold on 490 SCs recently and I was grateful because it gave me the associated benefits on my SQ leg back home. I have however now hit 980 SCs but luckily (as I have no flights planned in the near future) I have not been given Platinum, as I am still short on the eligible sectors. At least I can hopefully plan when to boost myself to Platinum now.

Yep, they generally won't upgrade you if short on sectors

 

[stm1sydney]

GLD and PLT

Please note that on this forum we use the abbreviations SG and WP! All good fun.

 

[MattA]

Grr. Just hit this issue with my wife's account. Some recent SCs pooled to her took her up to 986, with 8 sectors flown. She doesn't have any travel plans for the next few months so I had been planning to use the monthly Coles shopping SCs to carefully time it so her account would hit WP just before the first of those accrued SCs were due to expire at the end of Jan.

They status reviewed her to WP overnight, despite being 14 SCs short.

Not the end of the world but bit annoying to effectively lose ~ 3 months of WP status benefits during a period when she won't be travelling.

 

[pangwen]

So… not sure if they’re still doing this. My SCs from a Friday flight just showed up.

 

[AIRwin]

So… not sure if they’re still doing this. My SCs from a Friday flight just showed up.
View attachment 308239

Any more flights before May 2023?

 

[pangwen]

Any more flights before May 2023?

I do, but it’ll be handy to have upgraded prior to those flights so those SCs can count towards requal (and I can earn some more points on them).

 

[Must...Fly!]

Spend $200 at Coles before the end of November if you want to be sure.