Am I still a V-Flyer....?

This links to Howard Long's recent thread plus a fairly recent TR for the ANZ product from LAX to LHR.

Since the Ag qualification rules changed I've dropped out of Silver; initially this was annoying but so far this year it's had a liberating effect...

My wife and I are giving a short haul trip a try - Venice in March with BA! First time to Europe for over a decade for me!

And yesterday we booked flights to LAX with ANZ.

Why?

Well Tier Points mean nothing now - I can't do 15 per year so I don't need to worry.

The miles earned from flying is actually relatively low for me compared to AMEX, Online Shopping, etc...(I've nearly got enough for 2K from e-rewards!!!!!)

Price: VS PE returns in May were about £1050 each - in the sale(!).
No thanks.

So instead we've opted for the new ANZ PE outbound and the interesting looking Sky Couch Econ product for the return.

And we'll still earn some FC miles...

All in: £1831. And no charge for using a credit card!!!

(I think it was Vegascrazy who wrote a superb TR for a recent ANZ flight - thanks for informing our decision)

Check youtube - there are some good ANZ videos...

As I said - not worrying about maintaining Silver is helping us be more imaginative with our choices.

Is this likely to worry VS? We're hardly a big loss; 2-3 flights per year max. But I'm already thinking about other options for later in the year - Europe again possibly (we'll see how Venice goes....).

I'll be sure to get comprehensive TRs completed for both trips. I'm pretty excited about the ANZ flights. Terminal 1 at LHR as well - what's that like....?

And Venice - it's only 2 hours away...barely enough time to sit down....?

Any ANZ views welcome, (although it's too late I suppose....!)

Thanks,

Craig.

Glad my TR helped you Craig Just to let you know that, having checked my Flying Club statement, I earned 8163 FC miles from a one way LAX-LHR PE flight on ANZ.

Cheers
James

And VegasCrazy isn't the only one to have written a glowing TR or ANZ, there's been a few over the last months.

And, I'm with you brother! I'll get AG again this year which will qualify me in April next year, but that, will be that. the timing is such that I am stimply not going to re-qualify, and I'll be equally liberated!

In fact, that knowledge has already liberated me in terms of looking at flights later this year...

[Nottingham Nick]

Craig - great post y)

I got a strange feeling reading it - it could have been me typing! :0

After more than 100 VS flights, I find my sentiments echo yours exactly. My gold card is gone, and I am not really bothered about it.

I don't think that the VS product is bad, it is just that they are now 'just another airline'. They have done pretty much nothing to court my loyalty recently so - they will reap what they sow. 8D

Nick

I'll do TRs of my VCE flights at the end of this month for you.

Is VS an also ran, I'm not of that opinion, is it ahead of the competition like it used to be, no, but it's not yet in the trailing pack and I still have high hopes.

This is a bit of a duplicate of the 'lapsed VS flyer' thread, but my 2 cents on Air NZ in particular is that they appear to have taken the lead of innovation from VS.

I would definitely fly them over VS if they were same/less price on a competing route. Shame that FC rewards seem to be non-existent on NZ.

[honey lamb]

To answer your question, you are a V-Flyer for as long as you wish to be.

When I first joined the site there was a guy who had morphed over to BA (and this was pre-strikes and everything else) and posted regular TRs. I enjoyed them and it did help when it came time to book a flight to a destination not served by VS (pity my flight was rubbish!!).

I've also enjoyed TRs from other airlines and I have made my contribution there. It is useful to know what the options are when it comes to alternatives but also what other services are available when you get to the initial destination be it Virgin America, Virgin Australia, Southwest, AA, Qantas, Air Asia, Angkor Wat Airlines, Lao Airlines or any other airline you care to name.

So, it's up to you. You are most welcome to stay - after all you don't have to produce an e-ticket or a FC card or be related to SRB to post.

Lots of us having similar thoughts then. Like lots of you, I've just retained silver status, but I know there's no way I'll manage 15 tier points to retain it next time, and yes, my mind is already thinking of straying to the dark side...

I recently flew LAX to AKL leg with ANZ and have to say that I was nothing but impressed with the whole service offered throughout the flight. The 777-300ER interior looked fantastic in all cabin areas, the onboard entertainment/personal service was top rate and there was no charge for additional leg room seats. As Silver cardholder, who travels predominantly on the aged/aging VS B747 fleet - roll on the refits and hopefully we can look forward to the similar decadence enjoyed by those who travel on the ANZ 777-300ERs!!!!!!!

I fly with ANZ a lot and think they are great. Same Upper Class suite as Virgin, sexy new premium and a decent economy. The entertainment is similar but offers gate to gate (so you can watch as soon as you get on board) I love that, the food and drink is top notch and the staff are consistantly brilliant. I'm a big fan.

I'll do TRs of my VCE flights at the end of this month for you.

Is VS an also ran, I'm not of that opinion, is it ahead of the competition like it used to be, no, but it's not yet in the trailing pack and I still have high hopes.

I think we all have the same hope. But I think standards are still sliding. And with the focus seemingly on marketing gimmicks rather than the basics, we haven't seen the bottom yet where they can start to turn the corner.
Sad I know.

I'll do TRs of my VCE flights at the end of this month for you.

Is VS an also ran, I'm not of that opinion, is it ahead of the competition like it used to be, no, but it's not yet in the trailing pack and I still have high hopes.

Look forward to the reports;

Slightly nervous for some reason; having been to the US so many times, going to Italy feels really 'foreign'...if you know what I mean.

For example, when we go to the US we take virtually zero cash. We did a month over Christmas and New Year last year and used only about $800 cash - AMEX for everything else.
Now; can I do that in Europe? Can I pay for a couple of coffees with the card like I can in Starbucks?
Will I have to speak any Italian? (Borrowed a phrase book just in case...).

Whats the worst that can happen?? (no attempted answers please!)

Glad my TR helped you Craig Just to let you know that, having checked my Flying Club statement, I earned 8163 FC miles from a one way LAX-LHR PE flight on ANZ.

Cheers
James

James - Good news on the FC Miles; hopefully we'll get some too - saving for the next pair of UC rewards, (although some way off...!)

To answer your question, you are a V-Flyer for as long as you wish to be.


I've also enjoyed TRs from other airlines and I have made my contribution there. It is useful to know what the options are when it comes to alternatives but also what other services are available when you get to the initial destination be it Virgin America, Virgin Australia, Southwest, AA, Qantas, Air Asia, Angkor Wat Airlines, Lao Airlines or any other airline you care to name.

So, it's up to you. You are most welcome to stay - after all you don't have to produce an e-ticket or a FC card or be related to SRB to post.

HL - Thanks for the reassurance - enjoyed your Far East reports BTW...
It is useful getting insights into other airlines and experiences.
Indeed, it was reports from this very site which got us onto Jet Blue last year,(Flabound - I think...)

Bound to be on a VA flight again some time, (if only to use the FC miles).
We still want to try Washington, (and New York when it isn't raining....)

Thanks for the reassurances of ANZ - helps build the excitement!

Craig.

Craigmonster and Nottingham Nick appear to be my long lost identical brothers - same thoughts exactly.

Lost my Au after 3 years and most of my travel was to the US. Now look predominantly to BA as the choice of routes is much greater (even picked up 2 reward flights to Greece for the summer for only £27 each plus miles)- having said that, if VS are on the same route that is my first point of call. It is just that I do not have that blind loyalty as before. The best way to put is is probably the destination is determining the airline rather than the other way around.

We did Venice (with the Dark Side) a couple of years ago. Not sure if you want to keep reading........ I thought it was absolutely brilliant, but Mrs S hated it - for exactly the same reasons ! I enjoyed walking around, rounding a corner and finding a dead end. She hated it for that reason and said she didn't feel safe.

English will be fine - I too had the phrase book handy, but never needed to use it, thankfully.

For cash, I just took a 'float' and then used the card. If the cash was running low, just use the ATM.

One small tip - from the airport make sure you use the private water taxi to get to Venice - not cheap at about EUR110 one way, but the only way to arrive. I felt like a Sixties film star. It helped the hotel was on the Grand Canal so had a jetty for us to disembark on.

Never was a fully fledged vFlyer I suppose, so no end of the world feelings there. I share a lot of your thoughts, even if my decision was primarily motivated by the challenges of being US-based.

While having grown up in Italy, I sometimes find the more up and coming parts of eastern Europe to be easier to handle than Italy these days. It and Greece are definitely a different beast. Just got back from Christmas there for the first time in six years, and I'm in no hurry to go back, family obligations notwithstanding. Beautiful, but hard work. So much about the place drives me crazy ....

My wife and I are giving a short haul trip a try - Venice in March with BA! First time to Europe for over a decade for me!

I flew on BA to Venice and it was absolutely fine - the flight is only 2 hours.

We got on the ACTV No 5 airport bus to Piazzale Roma (5 Euro fare) and then jumped on the water bus from there to our hotel on the Grand Canal (there was a stop right by our hotel).

We bought a week waterbus pass from the Venice Connected website for 37 Euros which allowed us unlimited travel on the waterbuses - and when each journey usually costs 6 Euros, this saved us a fortune. Though it doesn't take long to walk anywhere in Venice and you find some amazing restaurants on the little back streets.

Just stay away from the overpriced cafes and restaurants around St Marks Square and you'll have a great time!

Spiceke - The private water taxi sounds great; but...Tink's advice above may win out given the price difference!!!
I won't tell Mrs Monster about feeling unsafe - what she doesn't know...
I also like the idea of just wandering around - as long as I can get a decent coffee every so often I'm happy!

Tinkerbelle - thanks for the tip; we'll get those tickets - probably just about break even for the 4 days, plus it looks less hassle.
We're also staying just off the Grand Canal - not far from the Rialto Bridge - I think there is a stop near by.
We'll hunt around for some eataries off the beaten track too - we don't want to break the bank!!

Thanks for everyones contributions.

Craig.

Craig - great post y)

I got a strange feeling reading it - it could have been me typing! :0

After more than 100 VS flights, I find my sentiments echo yours exactly. My gold card is gone, and I am not really bothered about it.

I don't think that the VS product is bad, it is just that they are now 'just another airline'. They have done pretty much nothing to court my loyalty recently so - they will reap what they sow. 8D

Nick

Morning folks,

I'd echo all that's been said thus far, lost my AU status a couple of years ago and after some deliberation booked ANZ for our return trip to NZ (LHR - LAX, LAX - AKL).

The product looks good, I was pleased with the fare deal we got for three of us (PE out, Business back).

The point of this mail was to flag an intriging mail I received this morning from ANZ, wondering if anyone has experienced this.

Basically, they flagged my forthcoming flights and asked me to make them an offer (on a sliding scale) to upgrade to Business on the outward legs.

The email/web page link has a slider bar that goes red/amber green as you increase the prepared to pay amount.

Nothing guaranteed, they email you a few days before the flight to let you know success or otherwise!

£540 turns the slider green, £1040 (this is for all three of us) on one leg turns is to the max green and is the max price.

Never seen anything like this before, and I think I like it.

Before making a bid I was hoping someone could let me know what avail is looking like in Business on ANZ 1 29/1 LHR - LAX and on ANZ1 11/2 LAX - AKL.

I'm definitely going to make an offer and will let you know the outcome along with the trip report in due course.

thanks

Andrew

Morning folks,

I'd echo all that's been said thus far, lost my AU status a couple of years ago and after some deliberation booked ANZ for our return trip to NZ (LHR - LAX, LAX - AKL).

The product looks good, I was pleased with the fare deal we got for three of us (PE out, Business back).

The point of this mail was to flag an intriging mail I received this morning from ANZ, wondering if anyone has experienced this.

Basically, they flagged my forthcoming flights and asked me to make them an offer (on a sliding scale) to upgrade to Business on the outward legs.

The email/web page link has a slider bar that goes red/amber green as you increase the prepared to pay amount.

Nothing guaranteed, they email you a few days before the flight to let you know success or otherwise!

£540 turns the slider green, £1040 (this is for all three of us) on one leg turns is to the max green and is the max price.

Never seen anything like this before, and I think I like it.

Before making a bid I was hoping someone could let me know what avail is looking like in Business on ANZ 1 29/1 LHR - LAX and on ANZ1 11/2 LAX - AKL.

I'm definitely going to make an offer and will let you know the outcome along with the trip report in due course.

thanks

Andrew

VS are also trialling a bid for upgrade scheme on a couple of routes VS15/16 & VS45/46

http://virginatlantic.custhelp.com/app/ ... your%20bid

Morning folks,

I'd echo all that's been said thus far, lost my AU status a couple of years ago and after some deliberation booked ANZ for our return trip to NZ (LHR - LAX, LAX - AKL).

The product looks good, I was pleased with the fare deal we got for three of us (PE out, Business back).

The point of this mail was to flag an intriging mail I received this morning from ANZ, wondering if anyone has experienced this.

Basically, they flagged my forthcoming flights and asked me to make them an offer (on a sliding scale) to upgrade to Business on the outward legs.

The email/web page link has a slider bar that goes red/amber green as you increase the prepared to pay amount.

Nothing guaranteed, they email you a few days before the flight to let you know success or otherwise!

£540 turns the slider green, £1040 (this is for all three of us) on one leg turns is to the max green and is the max price.

Never seen anything like this before, and I think I like it.

Before making a bid I was hoping someone could let me know what avail is looking like in Business on ANZ 1 29/1 LHR - LAX and on ANZ1 11/2 LAX - AKL.

I'm definitely going to make an offer and will let you know the outcome along with the trip report in due course.

Are you saying that thats the bid for a leg in the sense of LHR->LAX->AKL part or just the LHR->LAX and then LAX->AKL separately?

Because 1040 max for effectively 3 x 2 journeys comes out as 175 per person, per journey, which as a max price, is pretty damned good...

Or would it really be 2080 if you all wanted to go Business all the way through?

I guess it might well be a long shot though as to whether you get any of the seats.

One part of that mechanic is whether all three are available... Would you get the chance of 2 seats at 2/3rd of the price?

First time I've heard of this bidding for updates...and VS seem to be trailing it as well...interesting:D

Morning folks,

I'd echo all that's been said thus far, lost my AU status a couple of years ago and after some deliberation booked ANZ for our return trip to NZ (LHR - LAX, LAX - AKL).

The product looks good, I was pleased with the fare deal we got for three of us (PE out, Business back).

The point of this mail was to flag an intriging mail I received this morning from ANZ, wondering if anyone has experienced this.

Basically, they flagged my forthcoming flights and asked me to make them an offer (on a sliding scale) to upgrade to Business on the outward legs.

The email/web page link has a slider bar that goes red/amber green as you increase the prepared to pay amount.

Nothing guaranteed, they email you a few days before the flight to let you know success or otherwise!

£540 turns the slider green, £1040 (this is for all three of us) on one leg turns is to the max green and is the max price.

Never seen anything like this before, and I think I like it.

Before making a bid I was hoping someone could let me know what avail is looking like in Business on ANZ 1 29/1 LHR - LAX and on ANZ1 11/2 LAX - AKL.

I'm definitely going to make an offer and will let you know the outcome along with the trip report in due course.

Are you saying that thats the bid for a leg in the sense of LHR->LAX->AKL part or just the LHR->LAX and then LAX->AKL separately?

Because 1040 max for effectively 3 x 2 journeys comes out as 175 per person, per journey, which as a max price, is pretty damned good...

Or would it really be 2080 if you all wanted to go Business all the way through?

I guess it might well be a long shot though as to whether you get any of the seats.

One part of that mechanic is whether all three are available... Would you get the chance of 2 seats at 2/3rd of the price?

v( note to self, must not read flight offers over breakfast after a heavy night.

the offer is not as I first read, (discovered this as I was about to bid) the price you bid (max £1040), is per person and you have to do it for all of your ticketed booking, which is why I'd thought it was for all three of us.

oh well, will still bid, but suspect I won't win.

thanks

Andrew