About to lose AU - should I care?

After 3 years as an AU I will lose it in July - I am too far short to even think about mileage runs.

My initial reaction is one of dismay - and the world is going to end.

Then I thought, 'Well, what do I actually get for it?'

Whenever I have travelled with the family I have had to pay for lounge access for Miss S, only once greeted on board with a 'welcome back Mr S' and only upgraded once - and that was back from UVF last year - but they left Mrs & Mrs S back in W :0 I still don't know wether that was due to status or they just changed the plane configuration that I was upgraded (before anyone asks - yes, I did ask to go back to W to be with the family but they said I couldn't).

However, that inner snob in me still hankers after keeping it.

I have come to the conclusion that it is a great marketing ploy which I have taken hook, line and sinker - but even if I know this I wish, by God, that I could keep it !!!!!

Spiceke

PS - forgot about the Premier Line - now that is something I will miss.

i've thought about this & the only one that comes to mind is losing lounge access regardless of travel class, but as my company pays for business class anyway it wouldn't be an issue

Premier line was great, and on occasional personal trips I'd save the miles from the upgrades if I was doing, say, LHR-BOS and stick with PE in K class, since I could get into the CH anyway. A lot depends on your travel patterns, I suppose. And yes, FFPs are definitely one of the great marketing ploys of the late 20th century

Its true, there are only really 2 main benefits. First, use of the lounge (+ guest) and super-fast check-in, security at the airport. And second the extra 50% airmiles. However, both of these you only get if flying VS. If you only travel VS occasionally you hardly miss anything. I would be much more unhappy about letting Au lapse later this year if I lost partner airline lounge use or unrestricted use of the VS CH or some other really perky benefit like airmiles upgrades unrestricted by fare code which someone suggested in the 'How to improve FC' thread.

The other benefits are experienced too seldom for you to really miss.

I am in the exact same position as you, I need the full 30TP before May 2011!! However my issue is what do you get from AU I don't get if I am already flying Upper Class. The premier line was very helpful, but if im booking Upper (usually) I would always be transferred anyway.

However the inner snob in me wants to be AU cos extra miles can always be helpful, however the cost of Upper even in the sales atm! I wont be able to justify spending all that extra money

Im really tempted to do a tier point run but still have no idea what to do. I need the miles for reward flights

Have one Upper trip to BOS planned and one to SFO (pencilled in) so am either 1/2 way to getting gold or 2/3rd of the way to renewing.

Will read the rest of this forum with real interest

Platinum Leo

Yeash, all very true.

I think VS seriously drop the ball with regard to upgrading Au members first and foremost. I am a member of other USA carriers, and they are smart enough to look after their top tier regular flyers with frequent upgrades - IF there's an empty 'upper' seat, you can get your bottom on it - either free or for few miles, without hassle.

Not with VS. They need to reconsider this. The clubhouse etc is great, but its bums on nice seats for long exhausting flights that really matter - hence the OP's ambivalence.

Nobody is expecting them to give away their premium seats, but for goodness sake, if an OpUp is inevitable, then give it to an AU member first and foremost. They pay deeply and regularly for premium seats - look after them!

Im really tempted to do a tier point run but still have no idea what to do. I need the miles for reward flights

Platinum Leo

Not sure if this helps but if you need the odd one or two TPs to retain Au status, I was pleasantly surprised to get miles and a tier point from a short Virgin America for a flight that just cost me just $163.

From my FC account:

Date...............|Activity description...............................................| Mileage|Tier points
25 Oct 2010 | Virgin America, SFO-LAX Main Cabin Select | 337 | 1

I had to make the same decision last year and after looking at the benefits I got from my gold shiny card I decided that it wasn't worth paying over the odds to travel VS any longer and so last year I booked all my flights according to cost not loyalty |:) I must admit that I saved a great deal of money and as others have said I feel that I have not had special treatment over the years of being Au. No upgrades and hardly ever an acknowledgement on board v(

Mr Sunshine is a BA Au and is often upgraded, always welcomed personally and really well treated.

The only thing I will really miss is the CH especially at LGW where the staff make you feel extra special but that will only be when I am travelling PE. For those times with the money I have saved I will pay for a Priority pass lounge access which will be peanuts in comparison :w

Sunshine 8D

^) that is my plan, and use the sale (k) premium economy fares (finally try using my gold benefit of having the clubhouse)

Cheers y)

Platinum Leo

Then I thought, 'Well, what do I actually get for it?'

Heck - the 'I fly Silver' tags are even tackier than the 'Gold' - worth hanging in there surely.

Then I thought, 'Well, what do I actually get for it?'

Heck - the 'I fly Silver' tags are even tackier than the 'Gold' - worth hanging in there surely.

Good point - but then again, I can't bear to use the new cards so I still have the old Au card in my wallet. How much of a snob must I be

would you even display Silver tags or worse, red?

the shame...