Lounge Member+Silver = 2 useless lounge passes??

[Boof1]

Having both re qualified as Silver last year and with the discussion about lounge pass expiring it got me thinking about our memberships with Velocity. With a renewed Silver membership for my partner and I we got 2 single entry passes to the lounge each.

I'm a Lounge member and we usually travel together so between the 2 of us we have 4 passes that are worthless to us. I can't see anywhere on the Velocity website to transfer them to a friend and with the passes expiring 3 months before my lounge membership I am at a loss as to what to do with them? When you qualify as Gold they refund the lounge fee (pro rata) yet when you are Silver and a lounge member it seems to be bad luck!

The thing that grinds my gears a little more is that I'm based in a city that doesn't have lounge access. We are self funded travellers and I pay the lounge fee each year as I like the use of the lounge when connecting and returning home. While I know it's my choice to pay the lounge fee, it is also my choice to fly VA over the other carriers.

Anyone in a similar boat and with thoughts on what we should/could do?

Thanks,

Boof

 

[RBC]

If you are both qualifying as Silver, and you say you both often travel together, then I would suggest using famiky pooling. That way one of you could qualify for Gold...then lounge fee refund and free lounge entry.

From a commercial standpoint, they would never refund lounge fees for Silvers, the attainment level is too acheivable especially if you take a long haul in the year.

There seems to be a bit of unrest over not being able to transfer lounge passes, however, it does allow you to take extra guests in, something I have done often when travelling with friends and work.
The free passes received when making Silver, are there for to give Silvers a taster - something to aspire to, either to buy lounge access or aspire to attain Gold. Its pure marketing 101.
I guess if someone attaining Silver does not use them in 3 months, from VA's perspective, they are unlikely to be customers that are going to push a lot of spend VA's way.

Agree in your situation, as a requal and a lounge member they serve little purpose, so I think pooling one of youto get to Gold would be the best solution.

 

[leemin]

Sorry, a little OT

When you qualify as Gold they refund the lounge fee (pro rata)

Do you? I achieved Gold and haven't heard about the balance of my Lounge membership.

 

[RBC]

Sorry, a little OT

Do you? I achieved Gold and haven't heard about the balance of my Lounge membership.

They definately do refund the remaining balance. Although my refund slipped through the cracks when I went to Gold. Quickest resolution was an email to [email protected]. It was then back in my bank account within 5 days.

 

[leemin]

They definately do refund the remaining balance. Although my refund slipped through the cracks when I went to Gold. Quickest resolution was an email to [email protected]. It was then back in my bank account within 5 days.

Thanks. Will follow up.


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Sorry, a little OT

Do you? I achieved Gold and haven't heard about the balance of my Lounge membership.

It's a pro-rata refund so if you turned gold just before your membership expired, maybe there was none to refund.

 

[leemin]

It's a pro-rata refund so if you turned gold just before your membership expired, maybe there was none to refund.

I got gold with a good 6 months or more left on my lounge membership.


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[Boof1]

Thanks RBC for the suggestion of Family Pooling, it wasn't available when we travelled together last year but I am on to it this year. Gold here I come!!

Look don't get me wrong this isn't so much a complaint, and in the big scheme of things doesn't bother me that much, it just seems odd that a song and dance is made of the lounge passes when you hit Silver yet you can't do anything with them if you are a lounge member. I would just like to be able to put them to use but seems I can't even offer them to the forum as a give away...

Oh well not to worry!

Cheers,

Boof

 

[Deleted member 29185]

a song and dance is made of the lounge passes when you hit Silver yet you can't do anything with them if you are a lounge member.

I support the sentiment that 3 months is a bit short, but this above comment is certainly generalised and wrong for many of us. The lounge passes can be used for friends, colleagues and family. I'm looking forward to the 100Sc passes to use for my 18YO daughter and her boyfriend when we all travel together as my complementary lounge access for being gold only allows my wife, myself and my two younger kids. Perhaps your comment should have been that they are not much use to you personally, but to say that nothing can be done with them is incorrect.

I do hope the 100SC passes will have a longer validity then 3 months though!

 

[pythonisman]

I have a semi related question wrt Silver + lounge membership:
I'm silver (was last year from status match, and have requalified this year about 4 months early). I'm probably not going to get gold in the next 12 months unless there's a decent double SCs promotion again, but anyway.
I'm flying enough to want the lounge, but not enough to get gold, so I'm going to buy a membership. But:
- When are the silver bonus lounge passes 'credited'? When you re-attain Silver, or after your anniversary date? I've got a couple of flights coming up in a couple of weeks and want to use the lounge in Sydney.

Assuming I won't get them until my anniversary date (late Sep):
- How long does it take to "get" membership? I obviously don't want to waste days of lounge membership until I'm going to fly

I guess it's kindof on-topic as I'm going to be in the above situation, but I thought I'd ask here rather than creating another thread...

 

[leemin]

How long does it take to "get" membership? I obviously don't want to waste days of lounge membership until I'm going to fly

IIRC, almost immediately. At most it was a 24 hour delay.