Should VA have a membership status for FF's above platinum?

[R36snowbound]

As a 2 year VA platinum member, I am feeling a bit lost.

My membership anniversary date is August each year. I have done enough flying with VA between August 13 and now that I have already earned the required status credits and flown enough sectors to ensure that I retain platinum come August 2014.

I prefer flying VA to QF and I have no status anymore with QF.

It is always nice to strive towards a goal or something to look forward to but I feel that VA is not doing enough to look after their most frequent travellers.

What is going to happen to those status credits that I earn between now and August 2014?, what good will they do? Mrs R36 does not need to travel for her work and family holidays we take together, so no real benefit of trying to get her gold status with VA.

IMO, VA need to have something that members can look forward to / try to aspire to above Platinum.

QF bought out platinum 1 to look after their most frequent flyers. QF offer free upgrades to Platinum 1 members, along with a host of other benefits.

Some collegues are telling me that I should stop flying VA for the next 6 months and start building status with QF, hedge my bets so to speak. Thats not something that I am keen to do as I much prefer the VA product.

What are other frequent flyers thoughts on this, am I being unrealistic, do VA do enough to look after their most frequent flyers?

 

[Matthew Herbert]

I'm in exactly the same position. VA have always been nothing but brilliant to me - especially one night back in November when I had an extremely complex problem caused by Jetstar that impacted some Virgin flights I had booked for family the next day, the Platinum call centre were so amazingly brilliant and went SO FAR above and beyond that it has cemented my lifelong loyalty.
In the past 12 months I've done about half/half Y and J sectors, and it's fantastic that even in Y they just seem to make you feel *special* when the cabin crew interact with you.
I compare that to my QF experiences and, well, I always feel underwhelmed by QF. Don't even get me started on Jetstar which has completely ruined both of the 2 trips I've taken with them in the past 2 years.

I never want to be someone who turns into a DYKWIA, but for those of us who very easily attain Platinum status, for the rest of the year it's a bit like... if you want more of my business (instead of then racking up QF status for the rest of the year) it wouldn't hurt to offer a little bit more? Maybe an additional free upgrade for every extra XYZ status credits earned? I dunno. Virgin have always treated me brilliantly but it'd be nice for all of that loyalty to be rewarded a little bit more too.

 

[Clivem]

In time sure P1 would be good but there is probably no where near the critical mass just yet in terms of numbers. .....

Before P1 comes about I would prefer to see a 'J' / Plat lounge option -

The 'Spill over' lounge facing airside at BNE would of been an excellent first cab off the rank trial opportunity ...... Instead we got the 'Ikea flat pack' spill over lounge .......

I also requal. my VA Plat status fairly easy (a few BNE LAX BNE in J etc. and bingo)......... and while I also prefer VA overall by a long way (the staff are just plain 'nicer' for the want of a better term) ..... once I requal. I agree there is no additional incentive ....so If I'm traveling in J domestically I jump on the odd QF flight for the 'J' lounge and just to keep an eye on the other side of the fence ......

What were you think off in terms of VA P1 benefits .....?

 

[notzac]

How's about they actually make Platinum something worth getting to above and beyond Gold first?

(I'm also in this boat - already requalified with an August requal date - but I'd like to see a more substantial difference between Gold and Platinum before they invent a Diamond tier or whatever you want to call it..)

 

[Simo]

IMHO,

VA needs to look also for lifetime recognition as many FF's have got WP but not chance of WP1 but still kept loyal due to LTG/LTS status.

 

[anat0l]

QF offer free upgrades to Platinum 1 members, along with a host of other benefits.

A host of benefits perhaps, but free upgrades for P1 is not one of them! (They may experience more operational upgrades, but they are more chance than anything else).

How's about they actually make Platinum something worth getting to above and beyond Gold first?

This.

 

[cmdwedge]

IMHO,

VA needs to look also for lifetime recognition as many FF's have got WP but not chance of WP1 but still kept loyal due to LTG/LTS status.

LTG is the sole reason I keep flying QF and not VA, when given a choice.

 

[Clivem]

IMHO,

VA needs to look also for lifetime recognition as many FF's have got WP but not chance of WP1 but still kept loyal due to LTG/LTS status.

If they ever did go down the lifetime recognition route it would want to back dated to the day we each respectively joined Velocity ....... The bad blood that would create if they didn't would be huge.

 

[medhead]

How's about they actually make Platinum something worth getting to above and beyond Gold first?

Exactly. This. They need to fix the problems in the current system before making changes.

To the OP: 1) you'll probably find you get such good treatment due to those "wasted" SC as an unpublished benefit. Much like QF apparently did for the high earners before introducing plat 1. 2) Getting your wife to gold or plat is useful. Status bonus for points earning on flights is useful and important.

Otherwise join me in the double platinum club.

 

[grubbidok]

Lifetime status would be far more preferential than an extra level above WP, as would more differentiation between SG and WP (though hopefully not at the expense of SG).

If you're *that* important to VA there's the Club, and P1 is a bit of a wank already not replicated by most airlines (and probably unlikely to be either).

I think a lot of airlines would probably argue that the treatment you get as WP is 'the reason' to continue flying with them after WP earn (and if you're going to compare it to 6mths of flying without status on another airline, just to 'hedge bets', it's probably a valid point).

From my POV FF status is something to be enjoyed, not something to be conquered. In saying that I think VA currently does a comparatively poor job of rewarding long term loyalty (i.e. lifetime status, which is far more common among other airlines than a level above platinum is - some don't even have a platinum!).

 

[anat0l]

If they ever did go down the lifetime recognition route it would want to back dated to the day we each respectively joined Velocity ....... The bad blood that would create if they didn't would be huge.

The irony of this of course is that I'd expect there would be many Lifetime Golds straight away if this was done! (Not saying it shouldn't, but it'd be comical anyway)

For example, if we use the same formula as Qantas to make LTG on VA, then LTG would clock in at 10,000 SCs. Damn easy for some - in fact, a large majority - here.

 

[Travel Guru]

Rather than introducing a level above WP what I'd rather see if VA improve the service and value offer given to WP's because aside from Row 3 there's very little benefit in WP over SG.

Sure you can make mention of the 4 FOC upgrades but really, for OOL-SYD/MEL-ADL I'm not going to buy a Flexi over a Saverlite just to upgrade especially when I get 3C every time I fly and it has just as much (if not more) legroom than J.

They have alot of things they need to fix with their current offer before they even contemplate introducing other levels in my opinion.

TG

 

[moa999]

I agree a Lifetime status would be a simple addition for Virgin.

But agree with the above that the Virgin Platinum beenfits are not great
- No domestic J lounges
- Limited international F lounges (SQ restricting SIN access, albeit LAX is now much better and AUH good)
- Lowered benefit from comp upgrades thanks to the substantial increase in Flexi Fare pricing
- Limiting Hilton/hotel benefits to one off -- someone going VA Plat-Gold gets more benefit than someone retaining Plat

 

[rioter]

I would love something above platinum i banked over 2000sc last year, and while being able to gift platinum is good, what do i get from that? I would love them to differentiate the platinum product. As many others, i don't get to enjoy the upgrades as when i fly domestically it is on a saver fare i can't justify the difference in cost and work pays the cheapest for domestic. So not much above and beyond that. Failing that, i would love to be able to at least strive towards a life time product.

 

[BAM1748]

If they ever did go down the lifetime recognition route it would want to back dated to the day we each respectively joined Velocity ....... The bad blood that would create if they didn't would be huge.

Would be very surprised if they backdated something like that as that. Sounds like DYKWIA to me.

 

[smit0847]

If they ever did go down the lifetime recognition route it would want to back dated to the day we each respectively joined Velocity ....... The bad blood that would create if they didn't would be huge.

I really doubt they will backdate it!

The problem with creating a level above WP is that apart from more comp flex-to-J upgrades and perhaps the ability to upgrade using points from saver to J, VA don't have much else to offer FFers.

I agree there should be more differentiation between SG and WP. I think points upgrades from Saver to J for twice the amount of points as Flexi to J upgrades for WP only would be a good start.

 

[JohnK]

How's about they actually make Platinum something worth getting to above and beyond Gold first?

Wouldnt that be a Platinum One type of situation?

In my opinion Qantas created Platinum One with a lot of the old enhanced Platinum benefits and then set about trying to make Gold and Platinum very similar. Not a huge difference between Qantas Gold/Platinum now but apparently there is a huge difference when you get to Platinum One.

Is there room for Silver, Gold, Platinum and lets say Diamond/Platinum One at Virgin? I dont think there are enough benefits to make the distiction between one tier and the next.

 

[moa999]

JohnK, I would argue there is still a massive difference between Gold and Plat on Qantas
- International Lounges predominately
- Then domestic lounges
- Additional status bonuses
- Seat selection
- Priority phone service

 

[notzac]

Is there room for Silver, Gold, Platinum and lets say Diamond/Platinum One at Virgin? I dont think there are enough benefits to make the distiction between one tier and the next.

I don't think so either.

 

[Gredgy69]

Is there room for Silver, Gold, Platinum and lets say Diamond/Platinum One at Virgin? I dont think there are enough benefits to make the distiction between one tier and the next.

I don't think so either.

I'd like to see:
1. points upgrades from saver fares for platinums
2. Lifetime recognition
3. Upgrades with points on partner airlines for platinums (although with Virgin not being in an alliance, this may be difficult to do)