Eligible sectors when Family Pooling is used

[pshepvic]

Apologies if this has been discussed before, but I don't remember seeing it ... we may also need Velocity Rewards to provide an answer seeing this hasn't kicked in yet for anyone to test.

I was wondering how eligible sectors will be treated when this becomes part of the calculations for status re-qualification as of August, when Family Pooling is active.

Reading the T&C's, they state: https://www.velocityrewards.com.au/content/ProgramBenefits/TermsConditions/index.htm#29

6.20 To upgrade to, or maintain, a Silver, Gold or Platinum Membership, you need to fly the required number of Eligible Sectors each year and earn the number of Status Credits set out in clause 7.14 each year. The required number of Eligible Sectors you need to fly before your Review Date to upgrade to, or maintain Membership Levels are:

6.20.1 Silver Membership - two Eligible Sectors;
6.20.2 Gold Membership - four Eligible Sectors; and

​

6.20.3 Platinum Membership - eight Eligible Sectors.

I'm making the assumption that by saying "you need to fly the required number of eligible sectors each year", that means that flights that are pooled to you from someone else will still go towards their eligible sector count, and not yours. Therefore for everyone busily pooling to someone else to get them status, might be important to be aware that unless they requalify/attain that status before eligible sectors start in August, the pooling may have all been in vain if the person being pooled to has not flown the required sectors as per the above.

Not sure if anyone has a more definitive answer from Virgin at all?

 

[day-heg]

I think you are right... I requal'ed for Plat over Christmas and since have been pooling to my wife. She's now platinum but I'm continuing to pool to her to boost her SC balance as they are of no benefit to me before August.

Her eligible sector count is still showing nil, and I've prob flown a dozen sectors since she hit Plat.

Hope that makes sense and helps!

Cheers,
D-H

 

[pshepvic]

The system doesn't seem to be counting eligible sectors at all - I've flown about 50 since going Plat last August and it still says I need 8 to requalify! I think that field is just a dummy/placeholder for now and will update in August. But I do think that pooled flights will count towards the person that flew them rather than the person they were pooled to.


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[777]

It does point to a potential flaw in the family pooling approach to getting your other half to Gold/ Plat as opposed to the (more expensive in SCs) partner Gold/ Partner platinum approach: Theoretically any person who gets plat through having SCs pooled to them still needs to fly at least 8 BIS sectors to get to plat after August - whereas someone who gets Partner Gold/ Partner Plat does not have to meet that requirement. It is something for people to keep in mind if they are using pooling in this way.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

The other way of looking at it is why would a partner need/want status if they don't fly? Everyone will have different circumstances I'm sure, but surely gold @ 4 sectors is not too onerous?

 

[777]

The other way of looking at it is why would a partner need/want status if they don't fly? Everyone will have different circumstances I'm sure, but surely gold @ 4 sectors is not too onerous?

True that. Platinum at 8 sectors is a bit trickier though.

Although do the 8 sectors need to be on VA metal? There would be quite a few around who don't do a lot of domestic flying but make a few trips on international partners each year?

 

[pshepvic]

The other way of looking at it is why would a partner need/want status if they don't fly? Everyone will have different circumstances I'm sure, but surely gold @ 4 sectors is not too onerous?

What 777 said!

Status might be quite beneficial if a few flights with international partners are planned that may not involve any domestic flying (the member may, for example, have status with QF, got the status match for a few planned flights with Etihad or Delta or Air NZ etc, but have no hope of maintaining status due to domestic flying being with QF - quite possible as the status was originally obtained via QF).


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[pshepvic]

True that. Platinum at 8 sectors is a bit trickier though.

Although do the 8 sectors need to be on VA metal? There would be quite a few around who don't do a lot of domestic flying but make a few trips on international partners each year?

The eligible sectors I think need to be on DJ or VA.


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[Gremlin]

The eligible sectors I think need to be on DJ or VA.


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They need to be on DJ or VA marketed flights, not necessarily DJ or VA metal.

 

[Gremlin]

It does point to a potential flaw in the family pooling approach to getting your other half to Gold/ Plat as opposed to the (more expensive in SCs) partner Gold/ Partner platinum approach: Theoretically any person who gets plat through having SCs pooled to them still needs to fly at least 8 BIS sectors to get to plat after August - whereas someone who gets Partner Gold/ Partner Plat does not have to meet that requirement. It is something for people to keep in mind if they are using pooling in this way.

I don't think this is a flaw per se. I actually feel like a lot of thought has gone into it and that this provides an incentive (or golden handcuffs, depending on your perspective) for directing the family's leisure travel to VA over other alternatives. I think it's a very clever initiative indeed. Alternatively, you have a choice to go for PG or PP instead but it comes at a much higher SC cost.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

for example, have status with QF, got the status match for a few planned flights with Etihad or Delta or Air NZ etc, but have no hope of maintaining status due to domestic flying being with QF

So where is the issue? This thread is about family pooled SCs achieving status, not status matching. If someone can't or won't fly VA, they aren't eligible for status (post August). VA might come back and say that eligible flights will be pooled as well, but if they don't, I really don't think anyone can complain about this requirement.

 

[rockplat]

I agre with the eligible sector requirement, if you dont fly you dont need status!

 

[777]

I agre with the eligible sector requirement, if you dont fly you dont need status!

Well, let me give you an obvious example...

Mrs 777 is currently partner gold and will likely be partner plat (using the partner status approach although she is pooling to me). She would probably fly four flights a year on VA domestically but i would doubt she flies 8 - so she wouldn't meet the BIS threshold test for plat if i was pooling to her. However she would earn quite a few VA SC's on flights on VA partners - with two international trips per year sometimes with me and sometimes without. Does she *need* status? No, but for the half dozen times she flies each year without me (particularly with young .777 in tow) the lounge access in particular is appreciated.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know whether reward seats count as eligible sectors? I can't imagine i'm the only one who tends to buy tix for myself/ for work and spend the points on the family?

 

[oz_mark]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know whether reward seats count as eligible sectors?

As far as I can tell from my sector count, reward seats aren't counted. Similarly, the 'free' Amex return flight is not counted.

 

[pshepvic]

So where is the issue? This thread is about family pooled SCs achieving status, not status matching. If someone can't or won't fly VA, they aren't eligible for status (post August). VA might come back and say that eligible flights will be pooled as well, but if they don't, I really don't think anyone can complain about this requirement.

I started the thread so I think I've got a fair idea about what we're talking about! The Status Match scenario was given as an example only. You asked why achieving the eligible flights would be difficult and I've simply provided an example of how that might be.

I'm not complaining about the rule either - I'm simply asking if anyone has confirmed information of who gets a pooled flight counted towards their eligible flight segments, and I think Virgin may need to confirm it 100% (the T&Cs appear that way but seeing that nobody can see eligible flights when they login yet, nobody knows for sure).

I think it is perfectly reasonable that you have to do some flights and not get status just through flying, however there may be some (probably quite a few) people who haven't factored this in when they started madly pooling away!


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[pshepvic]

As far as I can tell from my sector count, reward seats aren't counted. Similarly, the 'free' Amex return flight is not counted.

How can you tell? I've taken 50+ eligible flights but it still says I need 8 to requalify - but under the SCs required it says "achieved".


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[Deleted member 29185]

Does she *need* status? No, but for the half dozen times she flies each year without me (particularly with young .777 in tow) the lounge access in particular is appreciated.

I guess plat does give a bit more to FFers, but in Mrs 777s case, wouldn't gold suit her down to the ground? Still gives lounge access for her and young +1, still gives priority check-in, some luggage, priority boarding, SCs and bonus points, in fact as much as I'd like the 4 upgrades that plat gives, I myself am happy with the level of service gold affords me, however the DYKWIA in me would dearly love a plat card to flash about the place , but most importantly the gold reqirement of 4 eligible sectors would be met by Mrs 777. Problem solvered??

 

[oz_mark]

How can you tell? I've taken 50+ eligible flights but it still says I need 8 to requalify - but under the SCs required it says "achieved".

Being Gold, I have a section in my summary called 'Upgrade to Platinum'. In that section there is a line 'Eligible Sectors Flown'. The number on that goes up when I fly an earning flight.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I started the thread so I think I've got a fair idea about what we're talking about!

Oops.....terribly sorry ....I misunderstood your post.

 

[pshepvic]

Being Gold, I have a section in my summary called 'Upgrade to Platinum'. In that section there is a line 'Eligible Sectors Flown'. The number on that goes up when I fly an earning flight.

Interesting - I wonder why the section to Maintain is not counting then...


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