Recognition of AU status in the air

Actually, I agree with you. I have such an account, and when I contact the bank for non-business-as-usual reasons, I do indeed get that treatment. I don't however, get nor expect anything different when just paying a cheque in, or exchanging lots of coins for notes (the old "jar on the mantel-piece" trick..).

Hev60 - I too have followed this thread since the start and decided not to post until the question - "why" occurred to me...

I absolutely agree with you Concorde RIP!

I know we are all different - and I guess that's what makes life fun in general - but I don't get this one either. I'm only really interested in benefits in all the loyalty programs I belong to, and I don't see name recognition as one of them.

If a member of staff genuinely remembers me from a previous flight, then great; call me by my name - I may even remember theirs and reciprocate! But if it takes a manifest to perform the name recognition, then what's the point? Running around the plane making random "welcome back Mr so-and-so" here and there seems a bit of a waste of their valuable time to me. And I would, frankly, feel a little uncomfortable with that kind of "star" treatment if I was flying anywhere other than UC.

I'm not a "herr dokter" by title, but if I was then I'm guessing I'm the sort of person who wouldn't use it anyway. I'm not having a go at those who would, but there are 2 sides of the fence here. I don't think either are right or wrong - but I do think it's impossible for Virgin Atlantic to please us all on this one!

What's far more important, is when I'm sat at the back of the bus on holiday with my family. In those situations, some sort of little gesture would make them feel a bit more special.

I agree. ALL of my VS flights are paid for from my own pocket, never my company and I do sometimes feel (without causing a fight) that there is a real divide between these two groups. I do try to fly UC when I can and am a real champion of the whole VS experience (however dwindling that may be). It would be a fantastic touch to just get the simplest form of recognition when in economy or PE. The CC must appreciate that it is really hard to be back there knowing how much better you know it is up front. The original comment from RC was about how they can travel UC when on business and sometimes less so when with the family. Without starting a class war here, I feel that when you personally pay for UC and occasionally feel you can't stretch to it on a particular flight, the pain of not being up front and the genuine humble appreciation for it is all the greater.

Even more annoying watching CC move their friends forward FOC. But that's a whole new thread (again). :-/