Recognition of AU status in the air

Maybe they are listening.

I got this Flying Club Members survey after my flights last week. Amongst many other questions about how Au members are treated, there was this one:

"Aside from the services already offered, what could Virgin Atlantic do to add value to help your journey when flying Economy as a Gold member?"

I recommended they came to V-flyer to read my trip report and listen to some comments from other V-flyers. In another question I noted that this excellent example was sadly a rarity.

[Click the image below for a clearer picture]

...and our survey says.

But isn't that the difference? You are first in line for an operational upgrade if one is needed? Before silver, before red, before the rest. You are at the front.

The fact you don't get one, isn't exactly their fault...

[Decker]

I think you might find the experiences of others doesn't match your experience...

+1

I've had a few good experiences of CC acknowledging my AU status over the last year or so.

Flying PE in seats 80H&K, my husband and myself were approached before the meal service began to ask our preferences as they wanted to make sure we got our first choice of meal.

Flying in Y to BGI my name was announced over the tannoy to make ourselves known to CC and the FSM came to us and brought champagne. We were then taken to bulkhead seats at the front of the cabin.

On a very full flight to MCO (with 5 other family members)the FSM just brought me a glass of champagne before take off but took time during the flight to make sure all my party had as many drinks as we wanted - think it helped that we were sat near the galley. On leaving the aircraft she also gave me a bottle of champagne.

I've also had one op-up from EC to PE, although that was a last minute change of aircraft.

Jill

I've had a few good experiences of CC acknowledging my AU status over the last year or so.
I've also had one op-up from EC to PE, although that was a last minute change of aircraft.

Jill

What you describe HAD been my experience - but from some of the replies to this thread it looks like it was luck, or perhaps policy has changed. My op-up was entirely in the hands of the FSM - neither cabin was full.

I don't think it mattters who has paid for the ticket to earn status - you have flown the miles and you qualify.
If one of your best customers is in PE or Y then it is at least polite to acknowledge them.
(If I am only nice to my customer when they are buying my expensive products they will not stay a customer for long.)

No one is sitting in Y because they want to - so making it just slightly less arduous is a smart business move and will be reciprocated with continued loyalty.

A discrete welcome back and name check costs nothing. Welcome drink in Y costs effectively nothing. This is a really cheap loyalty builder.
I am starting to feel neglected now.

My 'on the ground' experience has been faultless but I have never been brought bubbly in Y or PE and only been greeted personally on 3 occasions in the past year. As a UNIQ that is not very good really.

I've never had my status acknowledged in flight although I have seen it done for another pax once in PE. I've checked and seen it written on the UC notes sheets every time.

But isn't that the difference? You are first in line for an operational upgrade if one is needed? Before silver, before red, before the rest. You are at the front.

The fact you don't get one, isn't exactly their fault...

Hi Smid

Thanks for the comment. I'm not blaming VS for not getting an OpUp, I'm just suggesting a way they could "add value to an Au member when flying EC" as per their question.

Theoretically Au members are first in line for an OpUp, but it is a real rarity that it happens. I don't expect it, quite the reverse, if I've bought my ticket in EC or PE then that's where I should stay. But my feeling is if it happened once a year amongst my 20 odd VS flights, then I would value it highly. We know other airlines move people up to their premium cabins - it is a whole culture in the USA, so I wonder why VS has such a steadfast policy on this matter even when there is plenty of space?

It wouldn't make any difference to my ticket buying habits either. On business (a cost conscious one) I always go out EC and back PE so I can sleep a bit better. That would not change if I got the very occasional upgrade.

Cheers

Martin

[Decker]

Marttin - my impression of the general feeling amongst UK frequent flyers is that this upgrading has severely undermined the attempts of the NA market to upgrade their business offerings. Frequent flyers expect to be upgraded so don't book business fares. Net result, less money to invest in hard product.

It's not just VS, BA are the same and BA won't allow you to use miles to upgrade beyond one cabin either .

Martin - my impression of the general feeling amongst UK frequent flyers is that this upgrading has severely undermined the attempts of the NA market to upgrade their business offerings. Frequent flyers expect to be upgraded so don't book business fares. Net result, less money to invest in hard product.

It's not just VS, BA are the same and BA won't allow you to use miles to upgrade beyond one cabin either .

Totally agree with you Decker. I don't think VS should go for the "push everyone forward based on their super duper elite gold platinum status" like they do in the USA. That does devalue the product and affect ticket buying behaviour.

But with the sophisticated IT systems that they have B) it should no be too hard to "gift" an upgrade once a year to a genuine frequent flier on a lightly loaded flight.

Maybe I'm just dreaming

[Decker]

I'm loathe to comment as my VS upgrade record isn't awful . But then I do try and choose say overloaded PE cabins with availability in UC so it is more operationally necessary...

Interestingly - after commenting earlier in this thread about the lack of recognition of Au status in the air, I just had a wonderful flight from LHR to NBO on 30th Jan where I was welcomed back onboard...!

Very, very good crew on that flight and I will be writing to Virgin to let them know.

Now on the return leg - check in smooth, if a little perfunctual, and tho seat next to me empty, told that PE might be full through upgrades - when I checked availability yesterday it was showing 9s across all fare classes, every cabin. Given Fast Track pass - which made no difference at this time of the day then on to Air NZ Koru club - which is looking a little tired - but has a much better selection of food than last time I was here. Some fine Kiwi fizz, followed by a lovely Pinot Noir should see me in a suitably philosophical frame of mind for flight home on the second oldest A346 in the air....Take a bow, "Miss Kitty"...

Well, so far, pretty good - Gate Agent wished Mr Name a pleasant flight, and after take off the crew brought a couple of glasses of fizz ("this is from Upper Class, thank you for flying with us, if there is anything you need during the flight...) to a few pax in PE. Service in PE pretty good - tho ex-SYD catering not as good as ex-LHR....let's see what HKG has in store...

Isn't this all just a little bit like a celeb saying "do you know who I am?" and expecting additional service due to their status?

Ok so some (not all) AU card holders fly more than the rest of us, but a celeb has PR potential and could therefore be deemed important as well...

AU status gets plenty of additional benefits (status), how does being referred to by name really make a difference other than having everyone look at you saying "oooh, I wonder who they can be, getting welcomed by name and all...". Afterall, it isn't the little airline anymore where maybe, just maybe, they really did recognise you....I don't get why having someone read a manifest and pretend to know who you are is that vital?

If I were being contravercial, I'd say they should focus on the AGs and Reds....they've already got you guys hooked, they should focus on converting not-so-frequent flyers, into frequent ones!

Isn't this all just a little bit like a celeb saying "do you know who I am?" and expecting additional service due to their status?

Ok so some (not all) AU card holders fly more than the rest of us, but a celeb has PR potential and could therefore be deemed important as well...

AU status gets plenty of additional benefits (status), how does being referred to by name really make a difference other than having everyone look at you saying "oooh, I wonder who they can be, getting welcomed by name and all...". Afterall, it isn't the little airline anymore where maybe, just maybe, they really did recognise you....I don't get why having someone read a manifest and pretend to know who you are is that vital?

If I were being contravercial, I'd say they should focus on the AGs and Reds....they've already got you guys hooked, they should focus on converting not-so-frequent flyers, into frequent ones!

At a very simple level, if you use a local greengrocer or other shop on a repeat basis, the owner or staff are likely to greet you and say welcome back, nice to see you, etc. It makes you feel good about patronizing that shop, it's trivial, but it resonates and gives you a warm feeling.

So is the case if you're a repeat flyer giving an airline good business. Yes it's trivial, but it still gives you a warm feeling.

Now you don't expect the same in Tesco's, so is VS a Tesco or a local shop?

Slinky - "is VS a Tesco or a local shop" a very good question.

Part of my point, and to use your analogy, is that it used to be a local shop, but is now closer to a Tesco (or maybe ASDA!), in a manner of speaking.

If you do indeed get referred to by name, is is highly likely because that person made of point of looking it up - like someone in Tesco asking how you are - they don't want the answer, I'd say!

It's nothing to do with 'celeb status'.

If I am loyal to a company, I would expect, as a common courtesy, for a representative of that company to thank me for my continued patronage every now and then.

I prefer being addressed by name, not because of this odd notion you have that we are playing the 'do you know who I am?' card. Being addressed by name makes the experience more personal. I find on flights where I've been addressed by name, I enjoy the flight more and have entertaining chats with the crew etc. I don't like being addressed as Sir. I prefer my first name to be used - I don't care for the formalities. That's my reasoning behind it, but I suspect most others on this thread feel the same.

Slinky - "is VS a Tesco or a local shop" a very good question.

Part of my point, and to use your analogy, is that it used to be a local shop, but is now closer to a Tesco (or maybe ASDA!), in a manner of speaking.

Well, actually, I think it's more like a Whole Foods or in hotel metaphor land a boutique hotel - and yes, in a boutique customer service should dictate that everyone is treated as a valued customer, and repeat customers are recognized.

If you want a fun read on 'name recognition' read this one "How to Address People" from flyer talk

Personally I prefer to be called by name, 'sir' is perfectly acceptable but not 'mate'.

If you want a fun read on 'name recognition' read this one "How to Address People" from flyer talk

Personally I prefer to be called by name, 'sir' is perfectly acceptable but not 'mate'.

Thanks Tonty - very amusing. I need to see HerrDoktor to help with my balding pate.

If I was AU I would absolutely expect to be addressed by name on every flight. As a minimum, on arrival to the aircraft and when meeting my crew member for the first time.

As AU, you flown with the airline on a regular basis and spent a lot of money doing so.

Take a bank for example, if you have one of their basic current accounts, you deal with the general cashiers and don't expect anything. If you have a Premier bank or top level account, you give the bank a lot of business/money and expect to deal with the best/most experienced staff and best service.

I've been following this post since it was started back on January 25th. I personally think the 'Moderators' need to keep a close watch on the content before it turns too personal and folk get too touchy.

However I feel that to some extent that Concorde RIP is right was he/she has written. I actually know quite a number of 'rich' people who do have the attitude of "do you know who I am?" and they actually make me cringe sometimes. I loathe anyone thinking they are better than the next man or woman and for me the word 'status' comes into it when they think they deserve to be greated differently just because of the money they spend.

I am quite happy for the cabin crew to smile and say "welcome aboard" when I show them my ticket, and that even applied when I was in possession of a gold card back in the early 2000's. Recently I've travelled in all VS classes and whether they say my name or not is quite irrelevant. I want a good service whether I'm Red, sliver or Gold. That is just my own personal view on the 'status issue' and I am certainly not wishing to offend anyone.

Take a bank for example, if you have one of their basic current accounts, you deal with the general cashiers and don't expect anything. If you have a Premier bank or top level account, you give the bank a lot of business/money and expect to deal with the best/most experienced staff and best service.

Actually, I agree with you. I have such an account, and when I contact the bank for non-business-as-usual reasons, I do indeed get that treatment. I don't however, get nor expect anything different when just paying a cheque in, or exchanging lots of coins for notes (the old "jar on the mantel-piece" trick..).

Hev60 - I too have followed this thread since the start and decided not to post until the question - "why" occurred to me...

I've been greeted on board, and even talked to on board, using my name with BA, VS and HA over the last few years - was it appreciated? Yes. Am I AU on any of these airlines? No. I just knew that they had either read the manifest, or I had asked them to call me by my name rather than "sir".

I'm just intrigued to know why this is so important, when the airline has already recognised your business/value by making you AU and all that comes with it - nothing personal or pointed, just interested.

I'll largely bow out now, having tried to express my point - I have no intention of making any kind of pointed remarks - it's just a genuine and open fascination.

(Note - I do have a habit of making a pretty direct statement in order to elicit responses, so forgive me!). And, it stimulates a good debate, I find!

Isn't this all just a little bit like a celeb saying "do you know who I am?" and expecting additional service due to their status.

No, it's about engendering and nurturing customer loyalty - something that's particularly important in a service industry like aviation. If the customer feels valued they are more likely to remain loyal - and vice versa.