Learning the ropes - chasing GOLD

[blingy90]

Hi Guys,

I'm in my mid 20s based in NTL. I travel domestically between to BNE & MEL prob 3/4x a year with my partner and we also usually do a long haul international each year. We often fly VA but its only of late that I've paid attention to pts/status etc. I have read the website TCs pretty well and read a fare few posts here so I think I'm relatively clued up. I guess I just wanted to ask some questions to confirm a few things before putting my efforts into chasing Gold status and flying with VA all the time.

I guess my goal of getting to Gold is for two reasons
1) the lounge access both domestically and internationally
2) the ability to upgrade VA metal international long haul.

We have been fortunate to travel on reward VA premium & business to LAX a few times and am keen to be able to continue this (but of my own doing). I have a virgin 2-4-1 card and Im going to get my partner to make sure she gets her own card. And we are utilising the family pooling to help the process along.

Currently we are both red members. However my SC balance is at 150 and will drop back to 40 in 12 months time. So with this in mind, to qualify for Gold i need 350SCs between here & now. We have a far few services booked and between travelling in flexi and utilising family pooling I should reach gold. So a question, the date if and when I reach gold - does this become your review date? And then you have 12 months to maintain the 400SC threshold?

Following on from this, I think I will be able to reach & maintain gold, however my partner - I doubt she will be able to, maybe only silver. With this in mind, will this restrict any gold privileges when we travel together? From my reading, you wont lose lounge access as you are allowed a guest. So that is good as it is what I want out of Gold. However is there anything that say I would be eligible to as a gold member but given she isn't and we are travelling together, we wont receive? Following on from this, upgrading long haul international VA in this same situation, am I able to upgrade both our tickets even though she wont be gold?

I think thats all I wanted to ask. If those things check out - its full steam ahead for chasing gold! Thank you for taking the time to read (and if you have time respond).

Cheers,

Ps..... row 3. I have read a bit about it, why is it so sought after? Simply because it is the 1st row in the main cabin? Or something else?

 

[Flywithd]

Welcome to the forums,

once you get enough SC for gold, the day that your account is upgraded will be your review date the following year, you have one year to collect and retain the minimum SC of 400 as well as flying 4 sectors on VA metal, keep in mind Family pooling only pools points and SC not sectors.

My best advice would be to keep pooling SC and points from your partner, She will receive the exact same benefits as you when travelling together, VA Platinums can gift Gold and Platinum once you earn an additional 500 SC over the requirements to retain Platinum. The only thing that comes to mind that my partner didn't receive was extra baggage allowance.

Row 3 has plenty of legroom to stretch as well as being the first row in Y, allowing you to de plane faster than the other seats in general, there's plenty of room to breath and move around and more room for the window pax to get out without interfering with whatever your doing, a bonus is that no one reclines onto you, plus you can feel a bit DYKWIA as its know as a row for platinums as well as you will be surrounded with experienced flyers.

Regarding the upgrades, ill leave it up to another one of the guru's to answer that!

Heres more info from the Velocity site.
http://www.velocityrewards.com.au/content/Status/GoldStatus/index.htm


Safe journeys.

Hi Guys,

I'm in my mid 20s based in NTL. I travel domestically between to BNE & MEL prob 3/4x a year with my partner and we also usually do a long haul international each year. We often fly VA but its only of late that I've paid attention to pts/status etc. I have read the website TCs pretty well and read a fare few posts here so I think I'm relatively clued up. I guess I just wanted to ask some questions to confirm a few things before putting my efforts into chasing Gold status and flying with VA all the time.

I guess my goal of getting to Gold is for two reasons
1) the lounge access both domestically and internationally
2) the ability to upgrade VA metal international long haul.

We have been fortunate to travel on reward VA premium & business to LAX a few times and am keen to be able to continue this (but of my own doing). I have a virgin 2-4-1 card and Im going to get my partner to make sure she gets her own card. And we are utilising the family pooling to help the process along.

Currently we are both red members. However my SC balance is at 150 and will drop back to 40 in 12 months time. So with this in mind, to qualify for Gold i need 350SCs between here & now. We have a far few services booked and between travelling in flexi and utilising family pooling I should reach gold. So a question, the date if and when I reach gold - does this become your review date? And then you have 12 months to maintain the 400SC threshold?

Following on from this, I think I will be able to reach & maintain gold, however my partner - I doubt she will be able to, maybe only silver. With this in mind, will this restrict any gold privileges when we travel together? From my reading, you wont lose lounge access as you are allowed a guest. So that is good as it is what I want out of Gold. However is there anything that say I would be eligible to as a gold member but given she isn't and we are travelling together, we wont receive? Following on from this, upgrading long haul international VA in this same situation, am I able to upgrade both our tickets even though she wont be gold?

I think thats all I wanted to ask. If those things check out - its full steam ahead for chasing gold! Thank you for taking the time to read (and if you have time respond).

Cheers,

Ps..... row 3. I have read a bit about it, why is it so sought after? Simply because it is the 1st row in the main cabin? Or something else?

 

[Intra]

Ps..... row 3. I have read a bit about it, why is it so sought after? Simply because it is the 1st row in the main cabin? Or something else?

Closest to the front of the plane in Y (Economy), as you mentioned, but extra leg space is the big reason compared to every other seat in Y; Others include first being served with food (If on a Flexi fare... Not that it sometimes matters anyway, depending on what they given you...), and as I've found, your with people that know what there doing most of the time... Not with people that can't read the seat numbers correctly, or want your Window seat because "Its there first flight", "Don't like flying" blah blah blah...
Sadly though, unless your lucky and they allow you to walk into the "Holy Grail" of Business to get to the Bathroom, its a hike all the way to the back... Doesn't matter anyway on the short flights, I don't know, something to keep in mind.

All the best on your hunt for Gold I'll let the more expirenced here answer your above questions, I'm about to hit Silver for the first time next month, then I'll figure out how quickly I can obtain Gold status later in the year...

 

[smit0847]

Closest to the front of the plane in Y (Economy), as you mentioned, but extra leg space is the big reason compared to every other seat in Y; Others include first being served with food (If on a Flexi fare... Not that it sometimes matters anyway, depending on what they given you...), and as I've found, your with people that know what there doing most of the time... Not with people that can't read the seat numbers correctly, or want your Window seat because "Its there first flight", "Don't like flying" blah blah blah...
Sadly though, unless your lucky and they allow you to walk into the "Holy Grail" of Business to get to the Bathroom, its a hike all the way to the back... Doesn't matter anyway on the short flights, I don't know, something to keep in mind.

All the best on your hunt for Gold I'll let the more expirenced here answer your above questions, I'm about to hit Silver for the first time next month, then I'll figure out how quickly I can obtain Gold status later in the year...

All this.

I didn't see what the big fuss about row 3 was until I made SG and now I totally get it. Exit row legroom, no-one in front of you, first off the plane, shortest distance to walk onto the plane, and you will be surrounded by experienced fliers who are respectful and know the process making the whole process far more enjoyable. CSM may occasionally offer things like newspapers or galaxy tablets to Row 3 if J don't want them or J is empty. Only downside is the long walk back to the bathroom (go in the lounge before you board).

Row 3 is technically a WP benefit but available at on-line check-in for SG. I set a reminder for when online check-in opens and check-in on the dot and usually score Row 3 as a SG (admittedly I fly outside peak times - I wouldnt expect to get this on a 7am MEL-SYD flight). MEL-NTL and BNE-NTL have few status pax (i've seen rows 3 and 4 completely empty) so you have a good chance on these routes. The lounge staff (particularly in MEL) can also sometimes work some magic if you get stuck with a bad seat.

After years of being Silver I made Gold about 8 months ago and it's been totally worth it. There is an ENORMOUS increase in benefits from PS-SG (far more than from SG-WP). It makes flying much more enjoyable.

Family Pooling is a god-send.

PM me if you want status run ideas - you live in a advantageous location

 

[blingy90]

Thanks all of the above for the helpful replies. While it wont take much more effort or time to achieve this, I just wanted to clarify those few things before putting that time and effort into chasing gold and maintaing.

re smit0847 - ill shoot you a pm

 

[blingy90]

All this.

I didn't see what the big fuss about row 3 was until I made SG and now I totally get it. Exit row legroom, no-one in front of you, first off the plane, shortest distance to walk onto the plane, and you will be surrounded by experienced fliers who are respectful and know the process making the whole process far more enjoyable. CSM may occasionally offer things like newspapers or galaxy tablets to Row 3 if J don't want them or J is empty. Only downside is the long walk back to the bathroom (go in the lounge before you board).

Row 3 is technically a WP benefit but available at on-line check-in for SG. I set a reminder for when online check-in opens and check-in on the dot and usually score Row 3 as a SG (admittedly I fly outside peak times - I wouldnt expect to get this on a 7am MEL-SYD flight). MEL-NTL and BNE-NTL have few status pax (i've seen rows 3 and 4 completely empty) so you have a good chance on these routes. The lounge staff (particularly in MEL) can also sometimes work some magic if you get stuck with a bad seat.

After years of being Silver I made Gold about 8 months ago and it's been totally worth it. There is an ENORMOUS increase in benefits from PS-SG (far more than from SG-WP). It makes flying much more enjoyable.

Family Pooling is a god-send.

PM me if you want status run ideas - you live in a advantageous location

I tried sending you a PM, not sure if it sent or not?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

The only thing that comes to mind that my partner didn't receive was extra baggage allowance.

dzinh, are you saying your partner didn't receive extra luggage after recieving companion gold/plat?

blingy90, the others have clarified row 3 nicely for you but the issue of walking to the back for the loo, is not really an issue at all (IMHO). On short flights, unless you have drunk 15 cups of coffee in the lounge (nice coffee in the lounge, but one normally does me), or you have a Chinese bladder, you shouldn't normally need to go and on long flights, the extra leg room is worth so much more than the few extra steps to the loo (given the line for the loo on long flights is extensive on a 73W regardless of where you sit).

Enjoy the chase for gold!

 

[blingy90]

yeah I agree on the toilet issue. Especially on the services I'll be taking, there is generally no need to use the loo. I def think the pro's of row 3 outweigh this. Question regarding this...when you book, are you able to select row 3 at this time? Or is it only available come check-in (if availability)?

 

[Flywithd]

dzinh, are you saying your partner didn't receive extra luggage after recieving companion gold/plat?

Sorry, That comment should of been on a new line, I was SG at the time and partner was red so Only I receive the extra baggage allowance. If my other half was SG and didn't get the allowances and benefits then I would of called the angels supervisor over for a nice chat