Near enough good enough?

[carpenteria]

Just a random question, it seems my next trip will net me just enough points to fall just short of the 500SC Golden Line In The Sand - 5 points to be exact. As it is a work funded flight it is a saver fare (sometimes they book flexi if saver is close to flexi but nowhere near this time) and I don't have much choice in the matter to change it. Self-funding an upgrade to flexi once you add the change fee is an option, albeit a pricy one (about $300 - a lot when all I need is 5 points).

I was wondering though, does anyone know if there has been any occasion where Velocity has gone "Well, I can see what your trying to do there" and given you a nudge over the line when it is this close? Or will I have to wait for some cheap flight specials or another work trip to attain a much nicer card colour?

 

[clarkkent]

Yes it happens, when I was close to silver (< 10 SCs short) I received an email beginning: "As you are so close to achieving Velocity Silver, we have upgraded your membership." I think at the time I had future flights booked, not sure whether that plays a role.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

does anyone know if there has been any occasion where Velocity has gone "Well, I can see what your trying to do there" and given you a nudge over the line

There have been a number of AFFers confirm this has happened. Good luck.

 

[Reg Reagan]

Yes it's just happened to me this week. Same scenario 5 SC short & happily bumped up to Gold although I do have flights booked in the next month anyway. Hopefully lady luck is on your side too.

 

[leemin]

Failing luck being on your side, it sounds like the cheapest option would be to then keep an eye out and book the cheapest happy hour sale fare you can find.

 

[carpenteria]

Ah excellent, thanks everyone for the responses, here's hoping! As has been mentioned I'll keep an eye out for some cheap fares as a worst case scenario, though being based in Townsville "Cheap Fares" is somewhat relative

 

[KSyd]

Has it happened to anyone who was further short of the 'line' but had some trips booked?

I am hugely short of making my requal at the end of May but am looking at 2 international trips in June/July/Aug that will earn me enough to requalify (but maybe not enough to 'qualify').

Is it worth ringing them to ask?

Cheers!

 

[carpenteria]

For the record...

Dear Mr *snip*,

As you are so close to achieving Velocity Gold, we have upgraded your membership...

Happy camper am I! Now to research all these newfangled perks I hear about from time to time...

 

[Rdarby]

I'm in the same boat now. 495 status credits. I am hoping for that special email, as I am doing a trip again soon and really want to have the gold for it. Else I'll do it the hard way, I don't see less flying ahead!

 

[Rdarby]

Just got an email, a few hours after posting. But it says "you are so close" and one flexi fare trip will earn 20 SC's which will get gold.

So no luck for me. Quite annoying, I am only 5 short, and I have done enough flying with Virgin. I would have been happier to not get a marketing email at all reminding me I'm close but not there yet.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Just got an email, a few hours after posting. But it says "you are so close" and one flexi fare trip will earn 20 SC's which will get gold.

So no luck for me. Quite annoying, I am only 5 short, and I have done enough flying with Virgin. I would have been happier to not get a marketing email at all reminding me I'm close but not there yet.

Frustrating I'm sure but remember, if they didn't they'd get accusations that the FF wasn't warned. It's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. IMHO, DJ are right to show lateral thinking with SC balances for those who have worked hard (and spent money) to get oh so close when they've been absolutely throwing status at just about anyone with a shiny card that remotely resembles a FF status. To me, those who've put their money up and shown loyalty is a far better bet than those that jump on a SM bandwagon (no insult intended to those SMed, "new" DJ flyers).

I won't peddle my barrow of sour grapes right now, but if I were to, I'd make mention that this is the first of your frustrations with DJ "targeted marketing" schemes, where they'll ignore those actually spending money with them and shower the disloyal with not just WP SMs, but then rub them down with multiple double SC offers even though many of them are yet to spend a zac with DJ actually flying (but cost many zacs boozing up on ATA).........while loyal flyers wallow in the mud as doormats to be walked over!

Lucky I'm not peddling my barrow just now :evil:

 

[clarkkent]

Just got an email, a few hours after posting. But it says "you are so close" and one flexi fare trip will earn 20 SC's which will get gold.

So no luck for me. Quite annoying, I am only 5 short, and I have done enough flying with Virgin. I would have been happier to not get a marketing email at all reminding me I'm close but not there yet.

Be patient, I found that the status review happened a day after the SCs appeared (which I suppose could be longer over weekends), and the email telling me so was a further 4 days later - so maybe log into your account again and check.

 

[Rdarby]

I just logged on and it's happened, I am now Gold!

A lot of benefits are listed, I have some reading to do! It looks like this Gold has a lot more to it than the Gold I had back when they first brought the tiers out.

I am happy

 

[MH_fan]

I really like the gold benefits with VA. I'm going to try hard to requalify. At this stage, it looks like I might fall just short...

 

[KSyd]

I was quite short of making my Silver requal, but have been earning a huge stack of points with partners- luckily they decided to keep me on Silver for the year, very happy!

 

[smit0847]

Well thats not very fair

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-velocity-regarding-status-renewal-41303.html

 

[leemin]

I was quite short of making my Silver requal, but have been earning a huge stack of points with partners- luckily they decided to keep me on Silver for the year, very happy!

Are you able to quantify "quite short"? It helps build the picture for others..

 

[KSyd]

Sorry to be vague before! About 60SC's I think, as I was looking at a trip to HK that would have pushed me over the line... but it was going to happen just too late to fit within my membership year.

I have qualified for Silver for the past few years before this, I used to do a lot of international travel with them ( long haul mixed Y/Y+) that easily got me over... this year I still flew a fair amount but it was all short hops, so low SC's.

I had to do a lot of work travel this year that was to areas they do not service well, or I would have flown with them...

 

[Deleted member 29185]

About 60SC's I think, as I was looking at a trip to HK that would have pushed me over the line... but it was going to happen just too late to fit within my membership year.

So from that, we can possibly surmise that the HK trip would have reinstated silver so was in VAs best interest to do that even though 60SC is a huge amount short for silver requal (about 30% short). Did you already have the HK trip booked when they renewed silver?

 

[KSyd]

Might be -- I actually was posting on here when looking at the booking, wondering if there was any flexibility (as my year ended in May and I'd be flying in June).