Is Gold worth it??

Hi all,
First post here, been having a read and a few laughs to myself over the years reading all your posts.
This is my third renewal of my nice VS gold card. The question I have is gold worth keeping?? Or do I start to look elsewhere.
The reason for this is that I have over 500,000 miles in the bank. I have changed my credit card to the VS MBNA Black card etc. I don't class myself as a big traveler around the world but as I have a gold card I must get about a bit. I Even find myself checking routes and getting connecting flights just to get those tier points!!!
I have issues spending the miles as flights always seem to full when I want them and Upper Class, well, just seems to be getting less (where are my pens and mints!!) and a little run down. I haven't even had a "Welcome back on board Mr x" for about 12 months.
Does anyone else feel the same or am I just used to the best service and it's now normal. Don't get me wrong the thought of turning right when I get on the plane fills me with dread.
Interested in your thoughts.

[Darren Wheeler]

Depends.

If you only travel in Upper, then the only real gain is the bonus miles, but if you are in PE or Y, then I'd say yes it is worth it.

Hi LG and welcome to posting on V-Flyer

This topic has been discussed a few times over the years and as Darren says, if you fly UC all the time, the only significant benefit is the extra miles. I travel in a mix of classes so the clubhouses, fast-track security is a big benefit when traveling in PE or EC.

The 500K miles can be spent; you just have to plan ahead and accept the taxes and fuel surcharges as the price to pay (literally)

Cheers

Martin

I have had Gold for 2 years and for me it is well worth it as I buy Y or PE tickets and use the miles to try and get into the pointy end.
The gold status does make a difference for upgrades as does the lounge access and bonus miles.
The 'welcome back..." is one of my biggest gripes with VS.
I have never had it once and I have taken plenty of flights. (about 130TP last year all in Y and PE so that is a fair bit).
Not a single hello. How much does that cost them.

I moved from UA where they do that bit well slickly. The rest is not that good which is why I moved to VS !

The 'hello and welcome back' statement is one that does appear to rub people, it's such an easy thing to do, and it's not as though the crew don't know, they do, it's on the manifest.

If this works for UNIQs - also on the manifest - it should work for Golds, and I suspect it's a thing that FSMs have decided not to bother with for some reason.

When you have got it - no.

When you haven't - yes !

Had Au for 3 years and lost it a couple of months back.

Sorely missed when I had to book a recent trip and did not originally use the Au line as I was continually given the wrong info (in the end booked U/C on G so could get the correct information).

JCBR - 130 TP's all in Y & S? Wow. Are you ever off a plane?

[preiffer]

The 'hello and welcome back' statement is one that does appear to rub people, it's such an easy thing to do, and it's not as though the crew don't know, they do, it's on the manifest.

If this works for UNIQs - also on the manifest - it should work for Golds, and I suspect it's a thing that FSMs have decided not to bother with for some reason.

The problem is, gold cards have been issued out like candy to a load of Amex holders over the past few years now. So... a "welcome back" could well be said to someone who's never stepped foot on a VS plane before.

That, and with the recent "improvement" to the systems, reward bookings (upgrades/mileage burns) all come with a 00500 FFP number on the boarding pass and passenger manifest - so as a gold holder, you won't get recognised anyway if you're on a reward seat of any kind. As a result, they'd land with a massive consistency issue yet again - saying hi to "golds" (some of which haven't flown with them before) on paid tickets, but not to those who have been for 10 years on an upgrade...

130 TP on Y and PE. A round of applause is needed for you sir

Interested in the AU for Amex Card holders. I have a "Real" gold Amex that you have to pay for and an Black VS Amex and have never been offered VS AU.
As for the "Welcome Back" I have only ever had one Reward Booking, this Friday in fact to Vegas 8D.

One item I did find surprising is that the US version of the Black Amex give our US cousins TP's on spend. Feeling a bit short changed on that.

[Neil]

Interested in the AU for Amex Card holders. I have a "Real" gold Amex that you have to pay for and an Black VS Amex and have never been offered VS AU.

Now if you had a *real* black AmEx (you know, the one that comes with the small fee of about £1250, is invite only and require a very large spend level history) then you might be offered VS Au - unfortunately AmEx Gold and VS Black are ten a penny.

@Neil,
I agree they are ten a penny these days as you can now pay for them and like myself I am sure you have one too. My main secondary point here was they fact in the US they get TP's for spend up to a certain point and us previous empire builders get nothing for our loyalty (VS, Virgin Hoildays, VS Black Cards etc)
I think this all circles back to the first "Is Gold worth it?" question. I doubt if my 40KGBP p.a travel spend is anything for VS to worry about in their big world. If I am thinking this then how many other are in the same mind???
Perhaps the darkside of BA or UA is looking good.
Hmm, scrub that last comment. That is just being plain silly v(

[preiffer]

UA is a joke - don't do it to yourself....!

[honey lamb]

The 'hello and welcome back' statement is one that does appear to rub people, it's such an easy thing to do, and it's not as though the crew don't know, they do, it's on the manifest.

If this works for UNIQs - also on the manifest - it should work for Golds, and I suspect it's a thing that FSMs have decided not to bother with for some reason.

I had a "reverse" situation from this a couple of years ago on a flight from Dubai. Just before take-off a cabin crew, who I later discovered held the title of Service Ambassador, went along the aisles in UC asking each passenger in turn with, "Hello, have you travelled with us before?" When they said they had, and of course they had as the majority had flown out on the outbound, she responded with, "Thank you for coming back to us". Well, duh! Hadn't most of them a return ticket? However when she got to Aer John and me (both Golds) she passed us by and continued on her merry way along the aisle! It seemed totally weird. :0 Granted she came back to me later on in the flight to talk to me about service (to the extent that she impinged seriously on to my lunch time) but poor old Aer John was ignored. OK, so he was only 19 but he had a long-standing interest in aviation and was well enough travelled to say what was good and what was bad

To our minds the experience was a bit bizarre! :0

130 TP on Y and PE. A round of applause is needed for you sir

Interested in the AU for Amex Card holders. I have a "Real" gold Amex that you have to pay for and an Black VS Amex and have never been offered VS AU.

purchased Y and PE tickets but admit use miles to move as far forward as I can.

VS AU comes comp with the AX centurion card only.

... if you had a *real* black AmEx (you know, the one that comes with the small fee of about £1250, is invite only and require a very large spend level history) then you might be offered VS Au - unfortunately AmEx Gold and VS Black are ten a penny.

try £1800 and you will be close !!

Not a single hello. How much does that cost them.

I do agree with you about this.

I have been welcomed once, last October on a flight to Newark by the crew on the door, and I was so surprised I could barely respond. The crew-member had read my title, name and status (AG) on my boarding card stub, all in a split-second. The fact I can remember it shows that it meant something. ^)

This is a digression, but on Saturday I flew BA transatlantic for the first time in about 15 years. I had managed to upgrade with cash and then miles to First. The Purser said to me, "I think I recognise you, you've flown with me before", and when I explained that I hadn't we had a nice chat and she said she'd be on best behaviour. Then later the FSM-equivalent introduced himself to everyone in the F cabin, by name, and came and shook my hand and chatted to me about my first First. Later both he and the purser asked me how the flight was going.

Obviously I know that First is meant to be a cut above J (and so it was) but saying hello really should be meat and drink in any premium cabin. Apart from anything else, it opens up the prospect of a pleasant conversation, away from the dictates of the service manual, and when you're travelling alone (as I usually am) it is actually quite nice to speak properly to someone who really is an ambassador for the airline.

So personally I don't think it matters if a greeting policy means you occasionally welcome back someone who has never been seen before!

This thread has (validly) become a do VS care about or recognise their golds. My abiding memory is of a flight to LAX I took last year in economy where not only was I recognised, but also given a glass of bubbly.

I am not worthy like JCBR with his flight volume, but I take around 20 transatlanic flight with VS so I'd hope to see something like this more than once in 3 years. As I wrote in my TR:

I ordered my bloody Mary on the drinks round and just when it had been served, the FSM, Amanda Emmerson (name requested for V-flyer and permission gratefully received*) came to my seat in economy with a tray with 4 glasses of champagne. Real PE glass too - not the plastic stuff my bloody Mary was in! She welcomed me by name as a gold card holder and asked if I would like a glass of champagne which I gratefully accepted. she also asked if I was travelling with a companion and would he like one too. The chap I was sitting next to and had been chatting to was offered one but declined. It was a lovely touch :X - more so because it was completely unexpected. She stayed and chatted for a short while, asked how long I was staying in LA for (4 hours) and how long was I out in the USA (3 nights - LAX-SEA-SAN-LAX). She looked horrified :0 but I said it was just like her job really!

I have since wondered if that FSM is really Tinkerbelle

I certainly think Gold Card status is worth having if as like me you travel in all three cabins. Our party of four flew to Antigua earlier this month and all recieved upgrades from economy to premium on the strength of my gold card status, have also had the same happen to parties of four on a flight to Havana and one from Nassau, on another occasion two of us travelling on reward flights in PE to New York were upgraded to Upper. The extra miles given to gold card holders is also useful, I have been able to book several UC flights over the years using miles, these have usualy been to New York, most recently in September but have also include Orlando and Dubai.

I have held my gold card status for 10 years and will sadly lose it come April 2012, not happy at all.

oldboy

Whilst I have no evidence to back this up I suspect that a gold card will ensure you are not downgraded or bumped... I am sure we will find out in the next few days on here !

As others have said, flying UC every time, the gold card gives me little benefit. Just a few more miles.

I have been greeted by name a few times but not all the time.

VS could try and think of a way of rewarding Golds in UC better, but I'm not too sure how to myself... ?|