On board recognition - who gets any?

[medhead]

What the hell? Publish and be damned. I've just submitted the following feedback to VA. Doing so has made me wonder if anyone here gets on board recognition as per my final questions or otherwise?

I guess I'd welcome any other feedback you might have.

This is not a compliant, just a question. I travel with VA a fair bit, I'm a platinum velocity member. I have never had any on board recognition from cabin crew. They don't address me by name during service (something that your main competitor does sometimes), they offer me nothing "extra" on board, and rarely is there an empty seat next to me (again in contrast to another domestic airline). I totally understand that I get exactly what I have paid to have.
But last night on this flight, the guy in 5F in the row behind me was treated like a king. He had at least 3 rum and cokes provided for free, he had a meal (I did think he was not on a flex fare) and was offered extra food, the CSS fawned over him, and made sure he had a drink available during the landing. I say he didn't pay because I clearly heard the FA tell him something like don't worry about that, shortly after he ordered the first drink and food. The FA also approached him immediately at the top of ascent, after talking briefly the to one business passenger. Given the empty business seats, I don't think he could be a bumped business passenger or mythical club member.
So what's the deal. How does a bog standard platinum get that sort of recognition? Or even just a smile and hello?

 

[anat0l]

What's wrong? Feeling inadequate? Not getting any?

:mrgreen:







Sorry, couldn't help myself. Just kidding, of course!

 

[ataline]

Haven't received recognition as a plat when flying VA, but when I was gold and flew Air NZ I was given noise cancelling headset, paper and drinks, plus addressed by name and feedback re: progress of flight etc. I thought it was well done. Having said that, I don't mind not being recognized either - not a big deal to me.

 

[medhead]

The thing I disliked most wasn't mentioned. The guy staggering around in the aisle on disembarkation pushing into me smelling strongly of bundy.

Not to mention that I was driving and couldn't have a bundy, even if it was offered.

Haven't received recognition as a plat when flying VA, but when I was gold and flew Air NZ I was given noise cancelling headset, paper and drinks, plus addressed by name and feedback re: progress of flight etc. I thought it was well done. Having said that, I don't mind not being recognized either - not a big deal to me.

Yes, I do mostly like be left alone. Maybe they have that in their notes. But I do remember the platinum introduction and watching people get moved up to PE seats and given water and other drinks, only to later find out that my pre-existing bookings were showing me at gold level.

 

[Plutonus]

I'm only a lowly gold but I don't really get recognition, whether flying J or Y. Your experience reminds me of one I had a few weeks back, was only J passenger, CSS goes and asks someone in row 3/4 if they would like anything before offering meal service to me. I probably should have passed on feedback at the time but forgot...

 

[Neverlate]

Don't expect and you will receive !!

 

[medhead]

I'm only a lowly gold but I don't really get recognition, whether flying J or Y. Your experience reminds me of one I had a few weeks back, was only J passenger, CSS goes and asks someone in row 3/4 if they would like anything before offering meal service to me. I probably should have passed on feedback at the time but forgot...

That might have been the only difference here, they talked to the J passenger first then rushed over to 5F. Then it took forever for the Y service to commence. But at least 5F had his drink and food.

 

[BrentH]

Was speaking with a friend who is a VA FA (intl) a few weeks ago about this. They're apparently trained to do this.

Words along the lines of: "These days we're supposed to look out for Platinums and offer them things like spare newspapers from Business Class... We used to do this for Golds, but now just Platinums."

 

[drewbles]

Good thread. Whilst I don't expect the crew to be fawning over me, some kind of occasional unofficial thing would be nice, like QF do.

That said, on long haul I get a special 'welcome back' and an offer of something from J (like QF do).

The odd bump up to J would be nice. I have had the upgrade to J then downgrade to gate (And allocated a middle seat down the back instead) happen to me. An email to CS outlining the issue had an amazing response that was more than satisfactory to me; I simply outlined failures in the system in the hope it would be rectified in future, and they went above and beyond to help.

 

[medhead]

Bit of poetic licence I guess, I have had one or two newspapers. But even those have dried up.

 

[tuapekastar]

Re the OP, I don't expect more than what I have paid for, any more is nice, but a bonus and not to be expected.

As for what others around me receive, none of my beeswax, I have no idea who they may be, nor do I care (well, maybe a tad jealous, but really, not something for me to worry about).

 

[medhead]

Not sure where I said anything about expectation.

At its heart my question is about judging my place in the pecking order. That is a personal question related to me, even if I have used an example of someone else. Maybe it's confusing that I focussed my question by comparison to what someone else got on one occasion. But I can assure you my question is entirely about my relationship with VA. They've already apologised for the experience on Facebook. The problem is I don't need an apology, as I said in my post - I got what I paid for; what I'm interested in is my relationship with VA as a platinum. What they are offering to me to gain my loyalty.

I'm sorry if that is a complex question that is not fully explained by the OP. The fact is I expect VA to reply with platitudes and apologies, if they reply at all. That's why I've ask what others here experience.

 

[Anna]

I really like it on QF when the flight attendants call me by name. Costs QF absolutely nothing to do, but really makes me feel like a valued passenger and not just another piece of SLC.

 

[flyingfan]

I used to be treated like a star with platinum on DJ. More recently, and now VA, for the most part I'm just like any other passenger and getting what I paid for. I felt it was akin to fatigue setting in amongst the crew.

 

[MandM]

I travel primarily long haul and it is a bit of a lottery on this front (as SG). If I complete a domestic leg first I don't receive any 'special' treatment. On the Aus-LAX (or return) sector I almost always get 'welcome back' as I board. I've had two Y-Y+ upgrades in the last 8 or so sectors. Once was welcomed in my seat by CSM with newspaper and noise cancelling head phones. Once received express pass for customs. Most recent couple of flights was priority meal choice and service. All of this in Y. I never expect it and just think it is a nice touch if I do get some recognition. Its looking like I might hit plat later in the year, so it will be interesting to see if there is any difference in this side of things.

 

[DGW]

I used to be treated like a star with platinum on DJ. More recently, and now VA, for the most part I'm just like any other passenger and getting what I paid for. I felt it was akin to fatigue setting in amongst the crew.

And the fact there are now likely a hell of a lot more Plats than there were 12-18 months ago (thanks in part to the status match with QF). I think we've gone from being big fish in a small pond, to big fish in a much bigger pond (in much the same way I would think QF WPs feel).

 

[medhead]

And the fact there are now likely a hell of a lot more Plats than there were 12-18 months ago (thanks in part to the status match with QF). I think we've gone from being big fish in a small pond, to big fish in a much bigger pond (in much the same way I would think QF WPs feel).

It's worth remembering that a little over 18 months ago there were no platinum members, it was introduced in August 2011. The thing is that on most flights qantas will manage to do a little something extra for me as a platinum. By comparison VA is a wasteland.

 

[MadFairlane]

I get nothing, ever...I think its because I am young though...

But thats an arguement for another thread

Edit: Correction - once on VA intl to LAX I was greeted with express passes etc etc... but that was as SG... Nothing since as WP

 

[grubbidok]

In terms of the special treatment - was the passenger in 5F some kind of (even B or C grade) celebrity. I've seen even second-grade footballers be fawned over on both airlines if they have a small level of recognisability. Special treatment could also be because they're a crew-members mate, it's the 'distant and professional' way of looking out for them and I've seen this on both QF and VA.

At any rate, I would imagine the WP treatment comes down to a corporate culture thing and it will most likely change as they move forward. VA has been a LCC far longer than it has been in it s current form, I would imagine they're still getting the hang of this status thing.

 

[wallacej]

I am plat, and the recognition I get normally is as follows:
* When boarding, always greeted with " welcome back Mr Wallace" both at the gate and when boarding
* On only a small percentage of my many flights I have been offered a newspaperbefore others and the conversation has included the words, we noticed you are a platinum member
*On a flight Mel to LAX, I was sought out by the cabin manager while sitting in premium economy. Advised he was chatting with me as I am a plat member, and we must have had small talk for five or six minutes.

Unfortunately, this type of recognition is far and few between. Yes, this makes me feel better, a bit of an ego boost in front of other pax and travelling companions.

Training staff to complete this kind of gesture every time would go a very long way. Not only does it make some existing plats feel good, but maybe inspire other frequent travelling pax to keep flying with VA so they too can get the some type of service/notoriety