Flying Club Membership Changes

Of course what I'd really like to see is for miles upgrades to be made available for some/all of the lower fare buckets. Fat chance of that ever happening though I guess.

It's not the change that has made me annoyed, it's VS insulting my intelligence. "Good news - we've made it harder to requalify". Eh?

I shouldn't have a problem re-qualifying at the new level but trying to spin this as good news has really annoyed me. Once I reached my requal tier points, I would switch to another scheme to keep my other statuses. I probably won't be able to do this now and I have to wonder if keeping 'gold' with Virgin is actually worth it. Sadly, if you regularly fly Upper, you don't really get anything from it!

was there not an interview with SRB around the time VX opened SFO terminal 2 saying that an announcement around VS joining an alliance would be very soon (or by the summer IIRC)

have had a look but cant find where i may remember this from maybe someone else recalls this??

I'm pretty annoyed by this as I won't be renewing my Au next year, as I'm using a reward flight, so no tier points, in Sept and the 40 point requirement will ensure I don't retain my status.

On the plus side I can go back to using the most cost effective carrier and not looking solely at VS just because I can gain access to the clubhouse, given my opinion of Au status onboard (which is nil in my experience).

Can't help but think that VS are shooting themselves in the foot as I'm sure I won't be the only one.

Could someone just clarify as I'm not certain I'm reading it correctly.

My current membership year ends Nov 11 when I will have 30 or more (but not 40) TPs to renew. If I'm reading it right I will maintain my Au status until December 12. I know the email states changes from Sep 11 but presume that doesn't come into effect until my next membership year (from Dec 11).

There is no way I'll make 40 TPs in a year so like the previous poster it'll be whoever is the best value at the time.

Jilly

I assume that if you requalify before September 2011 you will need 30 tier points for your next year, as it is only "from 1 September 2011 you will be required to earn 40 tier points in your next membership year to maintain your status"? So requalify July 2011 - AU until July 2012 30 points, after July 2012 need 40 points?

How do others read this?

I also suspect that VS are being 'encouraged' to trim back their 'generous' (until now) FFP to tie in with some alliance.....

Doesn't exactly seem like good news, it has got me thinking about trying BA next year, using V'S with their limited routes is not easy and increasing the Au renewal point with no substantial benefits is a bit of a sucker punch. This is just cost cutting dressed up as good news!

Sorry VS it seems you don't value us anymore ?|

[buns]

I'm not convinced either.

Nor me. !

Me too n(

I bet getting a Reward flight will become even harder !

buns

And another thing....I'd prefer they treated us like adults and explained why they were increasing the requal criteria...rather than glossing it in a 'Good News!' email.

If I'd known about this this morning I would have thought twice about booking an UC flight to ORD....

Having reflected a little more on this, I'm looking at the positive

AG status never did much for me really - ok, a few extra miles and PE checkin, but I'm sorry, it's been good....

I've enough miles now to do one more trip for the family in UC if I can get the reward availability (which seems to be getting harder), and I think will gradually move over to the dark side after that.

I'll never reach any kind of status with BA, but the one I can reach with VS doesn't do much for me anyway.

I do like flying VS, but it's only a few hours out of many days holiday, so this must not get out of proportion.

BA superior network, equal(ish) AMEX card, easier reward availability and redemption --- and miles for children plus household account --- well, that's it.

I've three more return flights already booked with VS, and after that, the shackles are off - I will look further affield.

In a way, this announcement has done me a favour, and made me take a long hard look at why I "through my lot in" with VS, and I will be moving on now, I'm pretty sure.

The other attractive feature for me was the PE offering - which I first experienced in the bubble, and it's rather coloured my view ever since - economy with BA? Yes, I can probably better afford the holidays and can "treat" the family to a WT plus every now and again.

I may view this differently in Nov/Dec once my current flights have come and gone, but for the moment, my brain is saying "that's probably the end - so long and thanks for all the fish", and back to BA I go...

It's not the change that has made me annoyed, it's VS insulting my intelligence. "Good news - we've made it harder to requalify". Eh?

y)

I can't work this out either - from the updated FC page on the VS website...

If your silver membership year ends on or before 31 August 2011, you will require 10 tier points to retain silver membership.
If your silver membership year starts on or after 01 September 2011, you will require 15 tier points to retain silver membership.

My current silver membership year is 1/2/11 - 29/2/12, which meets neither of the above two criteria. If I log into my FC account, it does say that I need 10 TP's by the end of Feb next year, so are VS letting people "in limbo" renew on the current T&C's this time round?

James

Should I use my mileage bank up before they "alter" the redemption levels...?

VS aren't daft they'll of been expecting a proportion of pax to throw toys out of their pram.... Like any bad news, all will be forgotten in 3 months....

More concerning is those with mileage in account...and what's yet to come.....

I bet getting a Reward flight will become even harder !

buns

It already has!
I am currently sitting on a bunch of miles just waiting to be spent travelling to the US, but alas I cannot find hardly anything let alone a route that remotely works ! .
Therefore I am trying BA CW next month and I am sure it wont be the last, and there program is much better IMO

cheers

alex

Like any bad news, all will be forgotten in 3 months....

Because the pax will be gone or going....

[honey lamb]

It has frequently been said on here that being Au has no great value if you are travelling in UC and indeed it was said at the recent consultation with VS when they hinted that changes were afoot. Whatever I expected (and I had no real ideas as to what they could be) it certainly wasn't the increase in TPs to renew gold. OK, you can earn additional TP if you pay in the higher buckets but if that is the only benefit (along with the extra miles) then really it still is of no great value

I had been wondering if I would actually renew gold this year mainly because at this stage I usually have one trip under my belt and my renewal year is the end of January. While I shall be sorry to say goodbye it looks like that's what will happen. My move will not necessarily be to the dark side - there are other airlines to try - but I will probably be more selective in my choices in future and they may still include VS at times

Should I use my mileage bank up before they "alter" the redemption levels...?

VS aren't daft they'll of been expecting a proportion of pax to throw toys out of their pram.... Like any bad news, all will be forgotten in 3 months....

More concerning is those with mileage in account...and what's yet to come.....

I really struggled to find some award availabilty recently as there seems to be far less availability than in the past v( . Despite having enough miles there was nothing to be had (at all) for a SYD UC redemption run so it seemed a judicious use of miles to book the anniversary trip that I now have for October back to LAX (with dates that I wanted) as part of our Hawaii trip .
My prediction (but I'm no Mystic Meg) is that it will get even harder to redeem awards and the mileage level is going to hike again (like it did a few years back).
I won't be tipping miles from my other miles accruing accounts into my FC account from now on.
DL

Should I use my mileage bank up before they "alter" the redemption levels...?

I was starting to think that too or that they reduce the 3 year life-span of miles downwards (it's 18 months on my UA account) which really would bu**ger up any chance of my collecting enough to get a G. I do have enough miles for a G and I was thnking of using them up soon anyway ...

Will the changes make me stop considering VS? No but then I only fly a couple of times a year so TPs and Status don't matter to me. I'm more likely to switch (like I did to Swiss and Delta for my last 2 trips) because of price than because of any changes to TP and renewal levels.

[Darren Wheeler]

I can see a stampede to BA's door right now.

But before baby and bathwater go out, lets look at the respective frequent flyer programs

BA Silver.
To join you need 600 tier points or take 50 singles or 25 returns. For example, LHR-SFO in Club is 150 points. So to make Silver, you need 4 trips to SFO in a year. 600 tier points to renew

Virgin AU
To join you need 40 tier points. A trip to SFO in Upper will earn you 10 tier points, again 4 flights to SFO will get you AU. 40 tier point to renew

Benefits

BA Silver
100% miles bonus
Priority boarding and check-in
Lounge access + 1 guest in Galleries/Terraces. No arrivals unless First or CW (last time I was in a Terraces, it wasn't a patch on the Clubhouse
Reservation Assurance (guaranteed seat)
Additional baggage allowance.

Virgin AU
100% miles bonus
Priority boarding and check-in
Private security channel at LHR
Clubhouse and shared lounge access regardless of class of travel. Revivals regardless of class of travel.
Guaranteed seating

No equivalent to VS AG

Reward availability may well be better but the same mileage applies.

LHR-SFO 100000 miles for Club/Upper

I have no doubt they apply the same methodology for determining availability

On paper the 2 schemes aren't that far apart, and probably with good reason. The question is, will BA now up their requirements to prevent them from being swamped with 'refugees' from Virgin?

Darren great summary but you missed the guest in the CH too and the extra bag for being AU (23kg) no matter what cabin you are flying in.

I belive several of the AU ladies on here make use of this extra!

DarrenW - I'm not sure the "status" matters that much - unless you are AU.

As an AG member, I really don't see that much advantage. The increased mileage is ok, but most of my miles come from credit card use and shopping online.

The "status" only matters in my brain, there really isn't much to be gained there (AU accepted, CH acess etc is a good perk).

What's in it for me? Not a lot - especially when travelling with the family -

we got our "good news" emails in the US today.
same exact thoughts - why dress it up like we are plum idiots? pretty insulting.

As others say, Au is really only good for lounge access when not in UC - that is your principle perk, (with UC you would have access anyway).

The dreadful thing about VS is how they fail to value their AU's for priority OpUp's (unlike every other airline I travel on) and make it near impossible for you to use you miles to get an upgrade on any ticket that costs less than what a PE or UC discounted ticket costs anyways. If the damn seat in the plane is empty when check in locks, why not let AU's burn 40,000+ miles getting their bottoms on it, regardless of ticket class? If you need to OpUp some PAX, don't do it to the random casual EC bucket flyer who happens to walk up next, choose your loyal high spending Au customers, and make them feel special. Duh. If regular airlines like AA can get this right, why can't smart, 'cool' ones like VS?

Putting one of these option into the Au mix would have sweetened the pill a bit, and maybe made the overwhelming naysayers here think a little differently.

Didn't AG status used to give 50% bonus miles until recently anyway, or is my memory playing tricks???

Reaction in this house has been the same as most people's here...

[Neil]

Didn't AG status used to give 50% bonus miles until recently anyway, or is my memory playing tricks???

Reaction in this house has been the same as most people's here...

No, Ag bonus was 25% (will be 50% from 1st Sept) and Au was 50% (will be 100% from 1st Sept).

No, Ag bonus was 25% (will be 50% from 1st Sept) and Au was 50% (will be 100% from 1st Sept)

New miles bonus starts 1June, according to the email I got.