Virgin Australia Platinum Plus Status Discussion

[kevrosmith]

I thought a difference for using the upgrade vouchers was also that P+ could use them on both Flex and Choice fares, whereas it is only Flex fares for Platinum.

 

[kevrosmith]

Phone system asks "press 2 for complimentary upgrades, otherwise press 3 for everything else". Went with 3 in first call today, as I had to ask something else, and got Aussie agent. Pressed 2 next call and got overseas agent. No problems though... easily confirmed Business Reward availability on desired flights (I'd already done the research), waited while I finalised the Business Flyer booking and applied upgrade vouchers due to expire today to Flex fare. (Just went with Flex fare, rather than going with Choice fare and trying for the upgrade, as prefer having some sort of flexibility on base fare still.)

I guess if you pressed 3, are they going to transfer you back to 2 if you're just requesting an upgrade? Maybe, maybe not.

 

[pauldab]

I guess if you pressed 3, are they going to transfer you back to 2 if you're just requesting an upgrade? Maybe, maybe not.

That's exactly what will happen seeing Bus upgrades are handled by the same team who handle normal points redemptions.

 

[Sequel]

Anyone had a bottle of water recently? Been a while since I've received one, thought it might have silently disappeared like the Oz call centre and the upgrades to revenue seats.

Anyway, flying QF/CX to PVG tomorrow, 1 Sept. being the start of my new QF status year.

 

[jackthomas]

Anyone had a bottle of water recently? Been a while since I've received one, thought it might have silently disappeared like the Oz call centre and the upgrades to revenue seats.

Anyway, flying QF/CX to PVG tomorrow, 1 Sept. being the start of my new QF status year.

Not P+ but gentleman next to me on a flight last week seemed to be and got the special bottle of water and offer for "anything else I can grab you." It occurred about 10 minutes before landing, so imagine options were rather limited.

 

[Sequel]

Something about the grass is always greener? After all my coughing and moaning about no bottles of water, I finally got one. Only issue is it was as the J welcome drink on QF! Where has the gone since I was here last? At least you get that on VA.

Anyway, while I am just about to requalify for VA WP+, I am also 7 days into my new QF status year and have 180 SC's, which is more than I have finished with in any of the last 10 years. It is strange that I have blindly and happily put >90% of my travel VA way without any free bottles of water. But their failure to deliver on a stupid bottle of water, and the crazy spend to effectively only get partner WP (which only upsets me by way of the grief I will get from the GF when she gets demoted to gold ) and all of a sudden QF and OW get a whole lot of my money instead of VA.

 

[ozstamps]

Virgin are the masters of totally petty nickel and diming.

Just got my Virgin Platinum card, good for another year.

I'll use the benefits as much as possible, and then spend my million Qantas points and beat the next inevitable devaluation!

At least THEY have some usable partner options, or shock-horror real QF metal wide body flights overseas.

 

[IainF]

Virgin are the masters of totally petty nickel and diming.

Just got my Virgin Platinum card, good for another year.

I'll use the benefits as much as possible, and then spend my million Qantas points and beat the next inevitable devaluation!

At least THEY have some usable partner options, or shock-horror real QF metal wide body flights overseas.

Didn't you say exactly the same thing last year ?

 

[Luke B]

Earlier this week MEL-SYD. No recognition, no water bottle or chocolate.

Flew Qatar in Qsuites MNL-DOH-LHR, bags were checked VIP, boarding pass said Velocity VP but the purser mentioned that they cannot see VA status at all on QR flights and I was showing as no status to him. Another wonderful partnership.

 

[twinaisle]

Virgin are the masters of totally petty nickel and diming.

Just got my Virgin Platinum card, good for another year.

I'll use the benefits as much as possible, and then spend my million Qantas points and beat the next inevitable devaluation!

At least THEY have some usable partner options, or shock-horror real QF metal wide body flights overseas.

So you must like the petty nickel to requal for another year of it

 

[ozstamps]

Earlier this week MEL-SYD. No recognition, no water bottle or chocolate.

Flew Qatar in Qsuites MNL-DOH-LHR, bags were checked VIP, boarding pass said Velocity VP but the purser mentioned that they cannot see VA status at all on QR flights and I was showing as no status to him. Another wonderful partnership.

Sacking the head of Velocity clearly has not meant the underlings who co-orodinate and streamline the 1 or 2 real partnerships left, have lifted their game.

The above is APPALLING lack of recognition to the new alleged 'Uber Tier' at Virgin, from Qatar their only senior partner these days, and who also own a chunk of Virgin.

Recognising very high status with main partners is a simple thing to do, if anyone bothers at Virgin to ensure it is taking place. Clearly no-one has bothered at Virgin, despite a couple years now of the Qatar alliance.

In the days of the Etihad partnership, Virgin Plats got automatic access to that quite superb FIRST Class lounge in AUH regardless of class of travel ... was all obvious on the boarding pass. We used it many times. Perks like that make folks aspire to a top tier. Carrot and stick stuff.

 

[IainF]

Sacking the head of Velocity clearly has not meant the underlings who co-orodinate and streamline the 1 or 2 real partnerships left, have lifted their game.

The above is APPALLING lack of recognition to the new alleged 'Uber Tier' at Virgin, from Qatar their only senior partner these days, and who also own a chunk of Virgin.

Recognising very high status with main partners is a simple thing to do, if anyone bothers at Virgin to ensure it is taking place. Clearly no-one has bothered at Virgin, despite a couple years now of the Qatar alliance.

In the days of the Etihad partnership, Virgin Plats got automatic access to that quite superb FIRST Class lounge in AUH regardless of class of travel ... was all obvious on the boarding pass. We used it many times. Perks like that make folks aspire to a top tier. Carrot and stick stuff.

I've flown Qatar J eight times in the last 12 months. I have got full recognition on each flight from both the flight attendant looking after me and the cabin manager.
I have down 16 flights on SQ J & F in the last 12 months. Always greeted as a VA vip.
I have down 4 flights on UA J. Also greeted as VA VIP.
The good news is the partnership seems to be working just fine. From seating to recognition.
I get better recognition on partner flights than I do on VA to be fair. and that's with 3500+ status credits under my belt just this year, which I am guessing is about 4 times as many as you.
And you know, not one part of that matters whatsoever.
Needing acknowledgment of high status constantly is a weird thing to admit requiring.

Give me a seat, feed me, get me to my destination. That's all this game is.

 

[ozstamps]

Well clearly Luke-B's 'PLATINUM PLUS' card must be a different edition than yours, if Qatar on board staff all apparently magically know your status, and not his, and advised of that reality.

Flew Qatar in Qsuites MNL-DOH-LHR, bags were checked VIP, boarding pass said Velocity VP but the purser mentioned that they cannot see VA status at all on QR flights and I was showing as no status to him. Another wonderful partnership.

 

[IainF]

Well clearly Luke-B's 'PLATINUM PLUS' card must be a different edition than yours, if Qatar on board staff all apparently magically know your status, and not his, and advised of that reality.

Flew Qatar in Qsuites MNL-DOH-LHR, bags were checked VIP, boarding pass said Velocity VP but the purser mentioned that they cannot see VA status at all on QR flights and I was showing as no status to him. Another wonderful partnership.

N=2 isn’t a sample size of any statistically significant number.
My experiences on Qatar, SIngapore, UA and even ANA are all pretty good for recognition.
Less so on VA.
Maybe my $12,500 return J to LHR on Qatar carries more weight than my $455 one way Bne-Syd.
Who knows, but more importantly, who cares if I have a cabin manager fake fawn over a status.
I have SQ Solitaire PPS as well and all I expect from that is that I get first go at Row 11 or 19 for the bulkhead seats.
I’m definitely not placing my personal value on a set of numbers derived from travel spend.

Edit:,I’m booking the VA codeshare flights on Qatar which is probably why they can see my status.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Who knows, but more importantly, who cares if I have a cabin manager fake fawn over a status.

Agree, the welcome is neither here nor there, and often awkward.

But sometimes it’s nice if they simply drop by and ask what you want from the menu

 

[anat0l]

Agree, the welcome is neither here nor there, and often awkward.

You would be amazed how much this is a big deal (like, a really big deal) across several airlines. No, I'm not just referring to the direct home rival (though there is a thread about that); pick nearly any airline.

 

[Luke B]

Edit:,I’m booking the VA codeshare flights on Qatar which is probably why they can see my status.

Yep, there we go. They can apparently only see VA flight numbers, not QR ones.

Mine was two QR flight numbers, as I said "wonderful".

 

[IainF]

You would be amazed how much this is a big deal (like, a really big deal) across several airlines. No, I'm not just referring to the direct home rival (though there is a thread about that); pick nearly any airline.

The bigger deal is the lack of operational upgrades that top tier members aren’t getting.
I can’t remember the last opup I got. Definitely pre Covid and only a short domestic route.
Hell i can’t even get a points upgrade on any airline right now.
I’ve got a Sin-Lhr flight next week and F is fully booked already.

 

[serfty]

The bigger deal is the lack of operational upgrades that top tier members aren’t getting.
I can’t remember the last opup I got. Definitely pre Covid and only a short domestic route.
Hell i can’t even get a points upgrade on any airline right now.
I’ve got a Sin-Lhr flight next week and F is fully booked already.

With VA, op-ups have gone they way of the dodo ... empty seats in rows 1 and 2 are generally filled with paid/points upgrade bidders in the hours before a flight (QF is the same).

As for fly ahead/behind - if booked in business, forget about it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

With VA, op-ups have gone they way of the dodo ... empty seats in rows 1 and 2 are generally filled with paid/points upgrade bidders in the hours before a flight (QF is the same).

As for fly ahead/behind - if booked in business, forget about it.

lol… in the ‘hours’ before? More like in the *days* before!

People are getting there $65 upgrade bid MEL-SYD approved the day before travel… whereas QF won’t do it until last minute.

With VA it means during IRROPS paid business class pax have no alternatives as other flights are filled with cheap upgrades. On QF they usually hold a seat(s) to cover last minute bookings, which also helps out in IRROPS.