V-Flyer

A frequent bone of contention with V-Flyers when comparing VS with BA et al is the lack of personalised greeting on boarding and/or acknowledgement or lack thereof of Frequent Flyer status. Let's get all scientific about this and see how you feel.

BWOBBN = Being welcomed on board by name
HMSR = Having my status recognised
TOBE = the on board experience

HMSR recognised? 'Welcome aboard, Sealink. Oh, I see you're only Red.' [:P]

Being welcomed by name is lovely. For people who don't care one way or the other, I can't see how it would be an annoyance, for people who do like it, it's a really cheap way for an airline 'to add a cherry' to the overall experience.

As I mentioned in my Prague TR, BA welcomed Matt by name, this impressed him no end, even though the purser had just glanced at his boarding card. And I think that's it - everyone thinks that that check is mainly to ensure you're on the right plane, but this little unexpected extra cost nothing, but upped his whole experience of BA.

Being welcomed on board by name at the aircraft door is not relevant to the onboard experience, IMO. From a crew perspective, they only have a short space of time to scan your boarding pass for the bits of info they need to check as you board. Sure, if you have an easy to pronounce name, then this is an extra they can throw in for good measure (the FSM welcomed me by name as the aircraft door on my last UC flight).

However, when you start to get pax with not so easy to pronounce surnames, you run the risk of offending them if you get it wrong. Don't try and the old cherry of lack of consistency in service appears again.

I think Sealink has summed it up well. Some people won't care, but for others, it will add that extra touch to the flight experience.

My status isnt too important to me but occasionally the FSM will come over and welcome myself and Mrs V which afterwards i think goes a hell of a long way.

cheers

alex

It is not SIGNIFICANT to me as it doesn't compromise safety or cost me more hence I had to vote for WELCOME. However I get miffed when it doesnt happen.

HG

IMHO if a CC refers to me by name, something so small goes along to make feel passengers/me feel valued.

DMB

It costs nothing, and should be done without fail. I've said before, airlines would kill to get hold of the databases of the top tiers in competing carriers, and I feel that often crew couldn't give a toss either way if the customer is a regular Gold customer. I do sympathise that the Flying Club program is far too encompassing though, and the tiers are relatively easy to attain.

Would be interesting to know what proportion of VS revenue is derived from its Gold FC base (which isn't that many people in reality).

At the very least every Gold member should be welcomed *back*, at the door is lovely but each Gold member should be greeted at their seat by either the FSM, or CSS for that cabin. Time and time again for Golds who fly Upper there isn't much benefit - but these little touches, the personal touches are what makes the difference at no cost!

Being greeted by name at the door is a nice touch too.

Being welcomed on board by name is important to me (not as important as a comfy seat and a good meal and a quick flight mind you, but still pretty high).

It really does cost nothing as they're standing there and have to look at the boarding pass anyway so why not. The name is clearly on the Boarding Pass.

The same goes with having your status recognised. I'm not asking for a indepth conversation but a quick hello and welcome back etc etc wouldn't take long from the FSM on most flights where there are never that many Golds anyway.

The delivery is totally random though, sometimes on VS (where I am AU) I'll be welcomed by name at the door and then greeted by the FSM later. Other occasions, nothing, diddly squat.
Quite interesting on my BA flight just gone to BCN where I was the only one welcomed by name at the door out of our party of four. I'm the only one who had FF status with them, even if it was just Blue. Still, nothing on the return.

quote:Originally posted by Wolves27

Other occasions, nothing, diddly squat.

I tend to fly more in steerage these days but the welcome only seems to happen when there is a foreign FSM (normally Tokyo).

On my recent trip to BOS the FSM greeted every single UC pax at their seat by name and a 'welcome back' for those with status (which was most).

Nothing at the door though nor on the return (I did seem to have my own personal assistant on the return due to the light load tough!)

Im my view, its a nice thing and leaves a great impression of friendliness.

Ive never been welcomed by name or had my status acknowledged either on VS or BA.

Throughout the years, I would have travelled in PE & UC on VS while holding Red & Silver status & on BA in WTP while Blue & in CW & First while Silver.

The one & only time I even got close to seeing my status recognised, was on a recent LHR-IAD flight with VS, when I saw the UC manifest pinned to the wall at the galley. On the list I saw my name seat number & silver FC status listed.

But that was as far as it went !

My BA experiences on the subject are as follows.
F we 99% get a welcome by name at the gate and the door plus the CSD makes a personal visit sometime in the and flight status recognized.Names are used throughout the flight.

CW usually get a welcome by name at the gate and door, 25% chance of CSD coming round in flight and recognizing status, names used on about 50% of the flights in service.

WT+ usually get a welcome by name at the gate and door, 10% chance of CSD coming round in flight and recognizing status,names used about 5% throughout the flight.

On OW partners
AA nothing
QF Excellent status recognition and name use on par with BA F even in J
CX Better Status recognition than BA,always get a visit from the CSD equivalent, names always used even when deplaning even in J.

I voted for 'Welcome'.

If I am a frequent visitor to a restaurant I find it very positive to be greeted by name. In a similar way, I appreciate it on board an aeroplane, especially when I'm paying a lot more for the privilege.

The only thing I'm slightly uneasy about is that on a plane, it's usually slightly false. It's not like they _really_ personally recognise you. On a few occasions that has happened, and is all the more genuine, and it makes you feel proper special then!

H

quote:Originally posted by Howard Long

If I am a frequent visitor to a restaurant I find it very positive to be greeted by name. In a similar way, I appreciate it on board an aeroplane, especially when I'm paying a lot more for the privilege.

The only thing I'm slightly uneasy about is that on a plane, it's usually slightly false. It's not like they _really_ personally recognise you. On a few occasions that has happened, and is all the more genuine, and it makes you feel proper special then!

H


This is another reason why it doesn't bother me on a plane as I feel it is false, if they really do recognise you then all well and good, I too would actually be happy with that [:D]

The restaurant thing is totally different as they genuinely will recognise you and probably know your name, it happens for us and they're almost like friends now.

On my last trip (Newark Rtn travelling Y), the FSD came round and said a personal 'hello and welcome back' and asked whether there was anything she could get from the UC bar. I thought this was a very nice +1.

On the trip back there was nothing, guess it depends on the quality of the FSD, both flights were pretty full.

quote:Originally posted by gliderpilot
On my last trip (Newark Rtn travelling Y), the FSD came round and said a personal 'hello and welcome back' and asked whether there was anything she could get from the UC bar. I thought this was a very nice +1.

On the trip back there was nothing, guess it depends on the quality of the FSD, both flights were pretty full.


Are you a FC Gold ?

Yes I am, sorry should have said. [ii]

Personally I think being greeted by name is a small thing that takes no time at all but is something that enhances the experience. I find that this very rarely gets done. It also surprises me how many people on VS don't realise that you are gold member even when it is perfectly clear from the number on your boarding card. This happened recently when checking in and my boarding card was in front of the Check-in agent at the UCS line when flying PE and she tried to make me go the PE line until I showed my FF card. These are basic things that are not difficult to get right, but still something that doesn't get done properly.

quote:Originally posted by dan87027
It also surprises me how many people on VS don't realise that you are gold member even when it is perfectly clear from the number on your boarding card.


As you say it's a very basic thing to get right, and VS fail to do this bit well.

While we know that a '009' is a gold card holder, as do a lot of VS staffers, consider that some people who handle VS work for third party handlers (e.g. Swissport, Servisair, etc), and they handle many different airlines. It's a lot to ask to expect these people to remember all the nuances.

As an examples I know, being a member in those schemes, BA and United are very clear about putting status on boarding cards.

BA put 'BLUE/BAnnnnnn', 'SILVER/BAnnnnnn', etc, on their boarding cards.

UA put 'PREMIER', 'PREMIER EXECUTIVE', 'PREMIER EXEC 1K', very clearly on the boarding card, right next to the passenger name. At one point, UA people with status would get a Gold coloured boarding card - you still do at some stations, where your boarding card doesn't look like a till reciept, but is actually printed on proper ATB stock - making this readily recognisable.

Air New Zealand put a big 'UA*G' on the boarding card, being another Star airline, so that my status is easily recognised there.

My main point is that TPTB at VS don't do anything to make this easy for their staff.

Two suggestions would be putting 'GOLD', 'SILVER', 'RED' in big letters on the boarding card, and the other would be to give Gold card holders a gold coloured boarding card, so it's very easy for staff to spot AU members in the queue, just from a quick glance at the boarding card, even from a distance - so they can be hoiked out of queues, etc.

Joining an alliance would probably be good for this sort of thing in VS, as they would very quickly find themselves needing to adopt the status recognition norms of that alliance - that said, BMI have been Star members for years and are still largely crap at recognising status.

Mike

quote:

As you say it's a very basic thing to get right, and VS fail to do this bit well.

While we know that a '009' is a gold card holder, as do a lot of VS staffers, consider that some people who handle VS work for third party handlers (e.g. Swissport, Servisair, etc), and they handle many different airlines. It's a lot to ask to expect these people to remember all the nuances.

Mike


It should not make a difference who the person works for. If they are contracted to VS then they should be following VS procedures and VS should have systems in place to ensure this happens and any failings are addressed.

I had to explain this when I complained about another company - the excuse they gave me for the bad service was that they had contracted it out and they 'had no control' over these staff.

I pointed out that the person I complained about represented the company I was dealing with and it was their reputation that this individual had ruined and not the contractors.

If they are wearing a VS uniform then, no matter who the employer, I would expect them to VS policies and standards.

I think Mike makes some very good points about the need to be much more visible in recognising status, the different coloured boarding pass for example are a nice easy solution. They already have two colours for them, and there is no change to the 'systems' to print additional text on them, just an order for additional stock and a mandate issued to *all* check-in staff that a Gold card holder BP must be printed on this. And this can be clearly seem by staff to, as you say take them out of queues etc to line jump. Something else that costs nothing but again promotes status and recognition of that and hopefully helps to encourage loyalty.

Mat

When travelling UC en famille (4 of us) I always get a special welcome and I put that down to me being marked as the purchaser of 4 tickets. Travelling alone the welcome is less reliable.

I resented being called 'mate' by the flight attendant in Upper Class.

I think there is a tendency for some service industry staff to confuse friendliness with being your friend. I don't mind it because clearly the intention is not bad, but it just needs tweaking to iron out what is inappropriate.