VA Double Status Credit Offer

[nuthq]

Hi All,

Given that the week before Christmas has come and gone with no double status credit offer from VA should we assume that one will not be forthcoming or has VA previously done one in the new year? I have several J trips to book to the USA and can afford to wait another month if anyone here thinks it might be worthwhile? It is unlikely I will re-qualify for plat without some kind of offer before March!

Thanks for your input,

Will

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

There are appears to be many VA flyers feeling confused and disappointed with the lack of DSCs offered during the festive period.

Your guess is as good as any. I asked a similar question earlier in the year trying to plan a few upcoming trips.
http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/virgin-australia-velocity/double-scs-63271.html
Historically, VA have only made these offers in December but as past performance is not always a good indicator of future performance, VA may surprise us with a NY DSC offer but somehow I am not holding out too much hope but would love to be surprised.

 

[nuthq]

Thanks wannabeinvestmentbanker - I look forward to being surprised VA as a NY treat

 

[JohnK]

There are appears to be many VA flyers feeling confused and disappointed with the lack of DSCs offered during the festive period.

I think VA has missed a beat here. They should enhance Platinum requalification to 400 SCs and Gold to 200 SCs.

Is that what people are really expecting?

My goodness. Double SCs offers should be an incentive to book travel not to hold off booking existing travel until receiving a Double SC offer.

This ship has sailed.

 

[nuthq]

You are exactly right - double SC offer is an incentive to book forward travel - I will book either way but it makes perfect sense to see if an offer that has been forthcoming in previous years will be making an appearance this year. If you can afford to wait to book the travel to try your luck I am not sure why you wouldn't (unless you've got more money than sense)

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

I entirely agree that requalification should not be that easy and I suspect the very generous DSC offer last year may have played some role in none being offered this year. I agree that VA already have very reasonable and attainable status thresholds and to preserve the integrity of the benefits associated with status, such offers should be very limited or I can understand if they are not offered at all as I note your frustration with the dilution of QF WP benefits John K.

However, for those at the margins, you cannot blame us for waiting a week or two more to try and take advantage of an offer which seems to have been made at the same time over the last two years.
In the end, I would prefer less people in the VA lounges and in the priority boarding line over a few cheap SCs.

 

[Revolio]

With the Qantas 'war' over, the sweeteners will continue to shrink. Flight prices will continue to creep up, despite a significant drop in the price of aviation fuel. Generous promo codes may well be a thing of the past. Happy hour offerings may not be as jolly as previous years. 2015 might prove to be a tight year for regular flyers. 800 SC's to maintain Platinum is a challenge; (especially without a company picking up the tab) I can see myself becoming extremely creative and vigilant in 2015 to hang onto the dark card and continue to keep the process cost-effective.

Just have to be ready when the now very infrequent attractive offer, pops up.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Would be nice to requalify for VR SC PS at 200, SG at say, 300, and WP at 500, P1 at 600, this would put a bee up QF's bonnet.
VR allows PS 2 visits to the lounge a year, no pay, where as QF only allows 1 visit. But QF's good in the sense that the 1 visit can be to a QP here in Aust or overseas, where as VR's PS visits, while 2 in number, are only valid in Aust.
I think that after Jul 16, I would prbably fall back to VR's NR (No Status - Red).
Not flying for business, DSC (paying with my own money) would have been nice indeed, but keeping status is a hard thing, after having attaining it in the first place!

 

[JessicaTam]

Would be nice to requalify for VR SC PS at 200, SG at say, 300, and WP at 500, P1 at 600, this would put a bee up QF's bonnet.
VR allows PS 2 visits to the lounge a year, no pay, where as QF only allows 1 visit. But QF's good in the sense that the 1 visit can be to a QP here in Aust or overseas, where as VR's PS visits, while 2 in number, are only valid in Aust.
I think that after Jul 16, I would prbably fall back to VR's NR (No Status - Red).
Not flying for business, DSC (paying with my own money) would have been nice indeed, but keeping status is a hard thing, after having attaining it in the first place!

I think senior status VA members would revolt if qualifying levels were as you suggest.

 

[bean]

i have about $8k worth of travel to book...will hang till the 31st..

 

[Cessna 180]

I do not see any advantage to Plat anyway apart from better points earning. The four free upgrades are next to useless now.

I think VA did a good job of marketing themselves over the last two or three years with easy status and cheap upgrades to get a bit better market share.

They have no need to give away status anymore.

Their Business cabins must be full now as have been on flexis both out of OOL and Per a few times recently and no upgrades are available.

People now know what to expect when flying with them, (even if that is inconsistency), and they seem to have a band of regular followers.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I have several J trips to book to the USA and can afford to wait another month if anyone here thinks it might be worthwhile?

If you're flying paid J, why not book and if the DSC comes through, cancel and rebook?

With the Qantas 'war' over,

It seems to me the wars over the next year will be faught between TT and JQ. The waring factions seem to be happy with the status quo between QF and VA....all we have to look forward to is mediocrity in abundance (too negative??).

Would be nice to requalify for VR SC PS at 200, SG at say, 300, and WP at 500, P1 at 600, this would put a bee up QF's bonnet.

I'm not sure of the reasoning behind that proposal. Why have 4 tiers of status bunched together like that? If they really want a forth, surely common sense would dictate a higher level to reward the true elites?

 

[aaflyer]

Would be nice to requalify for VR SC PS at 200, SG at say, 300, and WP at 500, P1 at 600, this would put a bee up QF's bonnet.
VR allows PS 2 visits to the lounge a year, no pay, where as QF only allows 1 visit. But QF's good in the sense that the 1 visit can be to a QP here in Aust or overseas, where as VR's PS visits, while 2 in number, are only valid in Aust.
I think that after Jul 16, I would prbably fall back to VR's NR (No Status - Red).
Not flying for business, DSC (paying with my own money) would have been nice indeed, but keeping status is a hard thing, after having attaining it in the first place!

Considering that Qantas are substantially more difficult to attain/retain, I think your figures are nuts.

I fly Virgin regularly and have zero problem re-qualifying for Platinum. In fact, it's even easier to retain Platinum on them than it was to keep gold on Qantas for me.

 

[aaflyer]

I do not see any advantage to Plat anyway apart from better points earning. The four free upgrades are next to useless now.

<snip>

Their Business cabins must be full now as have been on flexis both out of OOL and Per a few times recently and no upgrades are available.

I've never once not been able to get a Business upgrade with my complimentary upgrades. The easiest way though is to call, make sure it's available, then book your flexi whilst on the phone to them, give them the booking reference and they apply it there and then.

I only use mine on the coast-to-coast A330 services. I've noticed the cabin is slowly filling though, and am very much looking forward to the new cabin and being able to use my upgrades for that.

The only complaint is the ever increasing price rises on flexis, but that was inevitable as they were stupidly cheap initially and now are more in line with Qantas.

 

[Cessna 180]

I've never once not been able to get a Business upgrade with my complimentary upgrades. The easiest way though is to call, make sure it's available, then book your flexi whilst on the phone to them, give them the booking reference and they apply it there and then.



That may be true, but as I generally only find out I need to fly when I need to fly, IE, the night before or even on the same day they must be sold out.
The type of business I am involved with it is just not practical to book any distance ahead.

If the cabin is full then I accept that, but when I walk on the plane and only see half the seats full it seems a bit bizarre to me that V would not make the empty seats available in the lounge the same as Q do.

 

[pythonisman]

If the cabin is full then I accept that, but when I walk on the plane and only see half the seats full it seems a bit bizarre to me that V would not make the empty seats available in the lounge the same as Q do.

They do to a degree - you can request an upgrade using your comp upgrades or points from the lounge if you're on a flexi fare. I've not done it and can't comment on the availability, but I'm pretty sure at T minus x they will start to open up the cabin to burn points or comp upgrades rather than let the seats fly empty? (I could be wrong, but this is what I thought).

 

[Cessna 180]

They do to a degree - you can request an upgrade using your comp upgrades or points from the lounge if you're on a flexi fare. I've not done it and can't comment on the availability, but I'm pretty sure at T minus x they will start to open up the cabin to burn points or comp upgrades rather than let the seats fly empty? (I could be wrong, but this is what I thought).

Sadly this is not correct.

Have had both the lounge and Velocity explain it to me this way:

Virgin buy a certain number of seats per flight from Velocity, and they are available for points upgrade, frequent flyer redemption or 'platinum comp upgrades.

Once they are gone that is it unless you buy the fare available on the booking engine.

May have the wording slightly wrong but seeing as it has come from two separate lounges and two separate phone reps one can assume it is pretty close to the truth.

Any way like I have said, have booked a flight more than four hours but less than 24, rang the V hot line, nothing available. Then arrived at lounge 1-2 hrs before flight, nothing available, then once all the doors on the plane are locked have seen empty business seats.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Virgin buy a certain number of seats per flight from Velocity, and they are available for points upgrade, frequent flyer redemption or 'platinum comp upgrades.

Once they are gone that is it unless you buy the fare available on the booking engine.

May have the wording slightly wrong

I think it would be the other way around. Velocity perhaps buying from Virgin.

For what it's worth, I wanted a fly ahead a few weeks ago and the only seat left on a 738 was a J seat. I asked (at check-in) if I could either purchase or upgrade to secure that seat. The lady looked and suggested that it probably wouldn't be possible as it wasn't an "upgrade" seat (which is why I suggested I purchase it). She telephoned the lounge who agreed to the change and she checked in my luggage and directed me to the lounge to complete. The lounge angel said they "preferred" (I read that as wouldn't accept) that I didn't purchase the seat as if that's done at an airport, they have to pay the airport a commission. She did however give me the option of a points upgrade and flight change or to use one of my complementary upgrades (I chose points because I wanted the comps for later). All in all, it took about an hour for her to achieve (whilst I relaxed in the lounge), so I can confirm that it can be done but takes some work to do and I guess many staff may either be too busy, too lazy or too ignorant of just how to do it. I was originally on a flexi fare and it was mentioned that was lucky and I gathered it would not have been possible if I was on a saver.

 

[pythonisman]

swanning_it that's more along the lines of what I believed to be the case.

Last week when flying home with my brother (unfortunately on separate PNRs), both as flexi with me upgraded; I had 4 comp upgrades in my account. Check in staff told me it should be possible to upgrade my brother to J despite there being no "upgrade" or award J seats left. Lounge dragon told me that if we were on the same PNR, she could do it, but refused to bend rules to let me burn an upgrade for my brother. (Platinum line happily did this for us on the return journey, despite being on separate PNRs).

Whether it's a case of different buckets of seats being released close to flying, or whether it's a judgement call by the lounge agent, it definitely seems possible to burn a comp upgrade at the airport if flying a flexi - but I can also appreciate the airline wanting to keep a couple of seats free for last minute fly aheads by other J / Plat guests wanting to move flights.

I've wandered way off topic now; suffice to say it seems to be more of an art than a science.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

suffice to say it seems to be more of an art than a science.

I think that is 100% correct......the luck being jagging a lounge angel who knows how to and is prepared to do the change.