Flying club

One issue is that of free upgrades. In the rare event of the cabin being full and upgrades necessary I would be a bit annoyed if it was offered to another Silver member who had earned their membership level on a freebee.

-Steve

This is so unlikely it is not worth thinking about.
Over booking is not random - it is a finely tuned art which is why they over book only as certain amount and then stop taking more bookings.
Only when there is a blip (like everyone turning up) is there a problem.
After there Golds are upgraded (and there is a pecking order within that group based on TP and fare paid) then Silver stand a chance but there are so many Silver members the fare paid is likely to be the deciding factor.

Gold cards are also given out without the need to set foot on a plane although that is a pretty pointless exercise really.

I tried the link

... if you are already Flying Club member and wish to upgrade instantly to Silver level please click...

It was still working (2nd June) I managed to update mine and the wife's accounts.

I tried the link

... if you are already Flying Club member and wish to upgrade instantly to Silver level please click...

It was still working (2nd June) I managed to update mine and the wife's accounts.

Upgraded my friends accounts but thought I would be cunning and try to reset Mrs P's current Silver as she needs 1TP for renewal and won't make it....didn't work

Worked for me and my mrs lol

Upgraded my friends accounts but thought I would be cunning and try to reset Mrs P's current Silver as she needs 1TP for renewal and won't make it....didn't work

Try it once she's gone back to red. Should work then.

Speaking as someone that has retained silver for the past 10 years or so, I can tell you what I have gained...

Some extra miles and a series of shiner luggage tags.

Have I ever had an op upgrade? No. Has checking in in the PE line when in Economy saved me much time? Yes a little. Do I begrudge anyone getting this level of status for nothing? No not at all.

Its not like you are physically any closer to geting Gold as you are not magically getting 15 tier points, you still need 40, infact if you've done a big trip in the last year I would think now resetting your tier points to 0 (as seems to be happening) may be a big disadvantage making it that much harder to reach gold off the back of what may have been a once in a lifetime trip.

Now, I will FINALLY make gold in November this year, if this promotion was giving away Au status then I WOULD be miffed

Hi All
I havent gone for this as not too sure its right.
I dont begrudge anyone who has taken up the offer however.

Just wanting to ask then in general do people think this is ok to do? ie. is it not dodgy? if VS realise what will they do?

G

I would be very surprised if VS will penalise "inappropriate" use of the offer, it simply makes a number of folks a little more likely to book with them in the future.

There is a natural inclination once you have some status in any loyalty program, be that Airline or Hotel that you hope your loyalty will be rewarded... bumped into Upper from Economy...expedia box room upgraded to Penthouse suite etc... these dreams (from my own personal experience at least) just don't happen. But its the tantalising promise that they might that keeps us coming back.

When I do finally get to be gold will it have been worth the expense and inconvenience (the latter bing choosing little red from LHR instead of BA from LCY this month)? No not really, I fly long haul seldom more often than 4 times a year, the clubhouse access will be nice (infact I will likely stop upgrading to upper with miles as a result - PE is just fine for the east coast), but really unless you spend your life in and out of airports (as many on here do) its a strangly futile desire we all share...

Totally agree.
While "Silver" doesn't offer much in the way of perks, the mileage bonus is great. And it does lock in loyalty in a way.

I am tempted to think that this a viral offer from VS.

Totally agree.
While "Silver" doesn't offer much in the way of perks, the mileage bonus is great. And it does lock in loyalty in a way.

I am tempted to think that this a viral offer from VS.

Mr Doob and Sealink
Thanks for that.
I am a RED member and fly for leisure once maybe twice per year doing the LHR-NRT route. I will be one TP short of Silver after taking my next flight later this year and not sure if I will fly next year yet.
So guessing its not really worth me attempting to take this potental viral offer?
Also for someone like me the miles booster is a good option?

Its not like you are physically any closer to geting Gold as you are not magically getting 15 tier points, you still need 40

Technically you are actually - at least you are if it's the same scheme as the one I get through my employer (which I think it is).

You need about 25 points (or thereabouts, can't recall the exact number) to get to gold. So although you don't physically get 15 TPs if you're only red at the moment you can make gold for far less than someone who moves up through the tiers in the traditional way.

As to the ethics of grabbing an offer you're not technically entitled to - if VS were concerned about it being abused, they'd have disabled the link by now. The fact they haven't simply reinforces my view that they're happy to have as many silver members as possible.

It means more people will want to go for gold, which means earning 25 TPs, which means plenty of flights and therefore revenue that might otherwise go to BA.

Everyone's a winner. Yes it's annoying if you've worked hard to earn silver but hey, that's life. Just like it's annoying when you hear people boasting about blagging free VIP hospitality at a football match when you've paid good money to be in the cheap seats. Life isn't fair.

Is that the same acceleration to gold as mentioned in this latest offer?

Something like 25 TPs in 7 months?

Because that's really just pro rata to 40 in a year.

Is that the same acceleration to gold as mentioned in this latest offer?

Something like 25 TPs in 7 months?

Because that's really just pro rata to 40 in a year.

Yes you're right, I'd forgotten the catch - you have less time to make gold.

Still a decent offer if you fly a lot, though anyone considering taking it up might want to hold off until the day before their next flight to maximise the time they have to get gold. If you're willing to take the risk that the link still works that is ...

looks like there was an instant AU membership link a few years back, and invalid applications were revoked

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromt ... te-status/

Gold vs Silver though... a world (and a clubhouse) worth of difference.

I'll bet this one does not get revoked.

Just to let you know that all upgrades that were processed through this link will be returned back to Red Membership over the coming weeks (no loss of miles/suspension of accounts though).

Genuine IOD members will need to contact Flying Club with their member numbers to be reinstated to Silver.

In the words or Homer Simpson... Doh !

I'm kinda smiling at this debate. I suspect that a lot of people will be pitching up at the various desks announcing "I'm Silver" and being looked at indulgently by the staff as they do, just as happened to me many moons ago!

Or what about being able to use the PE desks when traveling in EC? Ah yes, Golden Jubilee weekend 2002 when a conspiracy of earlier events (including an Aer Lingus pilots' strike) conspired to create maximum chaos in LHR! :0 I arrived at the PE line, having passed the EC line where a guy with a Union Flag floppy top hat (you know the kind) was at the end of the queue. OK so I was in PE but could I find the end of that line? Eventually I could and it took me an hour and a half to check in while Mr Union Jack Hat bobbed along merrily and was through before us! Any EC passengers would have been better to stay at that area!

Oh and what about gaining status without flying the miles? Several years ago I had booked a flight for myself which would bring me to Gold. My teenage son was accompanying me but he would only retain silver. However, after we had booked the trip the Flying Club announced as part of its Golf Swingers' Club (of which Aer John was a member) that if a member played and posted photographic evidence in five different courses at any VS destination they would gain 5TPs which is exactly what he needed to achieve Gold. I had booked a golfing holiday with him at a VS destination and so we did just that. When he achieved Gold, the outcry from some members were vitriolic :0 God love the poor boy! He was only going to be travelling with me and in UC so the only loss to VS/gain to him was the number of VS miles

As is the case the world over, it's the lowest level elites of an airline that often prove to be the most demanding.

Just to let you know that all upgrades that were processed through this link will be returned back to Red Membership over the coming weeks (no loss of miles/suspension of accounts though).

Genuine IOD members will need to contact Flying Club with their member numbers to be reinstated to Silver.

Would have been do much easier if VS had asked got IoD membership number in the first place !

Just to let you know that all upgrades that were processed through this link will be returned back to Red Membership over the coming weeks (no loss of miles/suspension of accounts though).

Genuine IOD members will need to contact Flying Club with their member numbers to be reinstated to Silver.

Would have been do much easier if VS had asked got IoD membership number in the first place !

Indeed, although I imagine the link wasn't supposed to be made publicly available!..

Just to let you know that all upgrades that were processed through this link will be returned back to Red Membership over the coming weeks (no loss of miles/suspension of accounts though).

Genuine IOD members will need to contact Flying Club with their member numbers to be reinstated to Silver.

Booo!

Is that the same acceleration to gold as mentioned in this latest offer?

Something like 25 TPs in 7 months?

Because that's really just pro rata to 40 in a year.

Yes, but it's actually quite smart if aimed at the corporate market flying UC (like my own gigantic employer, that gets this offer from VS as well).

Reason being if it's luring in people that are new to flying virgin, they would need to make at least 3 round trips in UC over that 7 month period* versus only one more if they were on a normal 12 month cycle. So encouraging a higher concentration of VS flights that could then be maintained.

And all for the sake of a handful of extra bonus FC miles being given out. I'd say it's far more beneficial to VS than to the punters.


*Yes, I'm sure someone will mention that technically it would only be 5 sectors not 6, but not all that many people do one way business trips!

Just to let you know that all upgrades that were processed through this link will be returned back to Red Membership over the coming weeks (no loss of miles/suspension of accounts though).

Genuine IOD members will need to contact Flying Club with their member numbers to be reinstated to Silver.

Got anything to back this up? Are they going to do the same with the dozen or so other similar schemes out there?

Just to let you know that all upgrades that were processed through this link will be returned back to Red Membership over the coming weeks (no loss of miles/suspension of accounts though).

Genuine IOD members will need to contact Flying Club with their member numbers to be reinstated to Silver.

I would be interested to know if this actually happens.
I didnt sign up btw. just curious as to how this will turn out

Here is a another link offering Silver Status

http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/106821