Is it hunt the expired Au Card season at LHR??

Just checked in at LHR, was asked for the my if I had my Au card. I replied yes, agent asked if he could confirm some details and needed to see the card. I handed the card over, just asking if this was new as I thought the card was in the system.
He checked my card very quickly and then lifted a piece of paper on the desk to reveal what must have been about ten Au cards, all cut up.
He went on to explain that VS had seen a large increase in flyers trying to access the Lounge with expired cards.
When I a greeted at the CH I was asked again!!

I say well done VS for taking a stand but is this info not in the systems when you check-in and enter the lounge???

LovingGold - Thanks for the head--up, I never carry my card with me, in fact I left it at check-in, thought it might be returned but it hasn't, always thought details must be in the system and never had problems before, better get the card re-issued ASAP.

Enjoy the clubhouse and have a good trip

While I understand what they are trying to achieve, they have to bear in mind that it will be simpler to have all the info on the system. If I give my FF number, there's no need for them to check the card again.

I don't know what the costs of producing the cards are, but I think they should do the same thing they do with Red for Gold and Silver. One card should last for a lifetime and should only be reissued on request. And maybe like BA, make the re-issue request available on My Account page. I don't think it's rocket science, and even if it is they must have the brains, after all, there is Virgin Galactic.

[mitchja]

The system isn't always going to have to correct info though is it - that's the problem I think here.

For example, when your AU tier expires, any flights you already have booked will still have that AU number in them even though your status has been downgraded. You have to go in and update your FC number yourself.

It's happened to me in the past several times (going both ways through the tiers as well). When my AU status was downgraded to AG, I'd already booked further flights so I did go in and actually change my FC number to the new AG one. Clearly people aren't doing this.

When I got back up to AU earlier this year, again I'd already got VS flights booked, so have gone in and updated my FC number once again.

hardly seems fitting for an upper class service though to take someones card & cut it up. its as much VS's fault as the passengers

This is a bit of a funny one for me...

How many AU holders travel in PE or indeed EC - so most I would guess have access to the CH for most flights..?

I would say however, if I had a AU card and it was cut up at the desk I would be tow things, embarassed and angry. If I got myseld to AU status I would have had to spend a great deal with VA in that year, so to have my card cut up would be pretty bitter. Especially if they didnt reissue me with the reduced level card... I would ask what the hell was going on..!

However, if a customer once had a AU card and now uses it to enter the CH on EC tickets because they were once a member then that is wrong.


I can see both sides of the story here, but in general I wonder how many people actually did this and at what cost to VA..? Also, has anyone ever been kicked out because of this..? Surley a quick check when they enter is all that is needed..?

[Nottingham Nick]

hardly seems fitting for an upper class service though to take someones card & cut it up. its as much VS's fault as the passengers

If the passenger is in upper class, it doesn't matter what their status is, they will get CH access.
What Virgin is trying to stamp out, is people in Y and PE with expired gold cards trying to sneak in.
Whilst I accept that VS IT should be better, and able to tell what status a passenger holds, you can't blame them for trying to out the people trying to get something they aren't entitled to.

Nick

All been pretty much said regarding the reasons and the somewhat lacking VS IT (shocking that one )

Just to add, they have been checking the cards for a while now - I have never seen a card cut up in front of me before, but they have definitely been looking at the expiry dates.

Probably just double checking to keep the AUs not in UC honest and ensuring that the right people have CH access.

Following on from the limitation applied to the blanket guest policy to simply a 'plus one' on the same flight, it does sound like the bean counters are making things less prone to abuse. Good for VS 8D

Are you supposed to carry your card whilst travelling? I don't always do that. I usually have the baggage tags though.

The system isn't always going to have to correct info though is it - that's the problem I think here.

For example, when your AU tier expires, any flights you already have booked will still have that AU number in them even though your status has been downgraded. You have to go in and update your FC number yourself.

True, but since your various numbers are linked to your overall FC account, you'd think VS would have a system that would be able to reveal your current status tier. The data must be sitting there.

[mitchja]

It is probably on a different internal system though. I presume check-in will only have access to your booking/PNR, rather than your full Flying Club account info.

I have one concern here. I fully agree that the VS IT system is shocking, but in my experience so is their ability to send out new AU cards on time! Hence there will be genuine AU card holders travelling at times without a valid AU card. At some point this process is going to really irritate customers that VS don't want to loose. If my card was cut up in front of me in these circumstances I would be furious......

In the last two weeks I have flown AA and CX. In both instances my boarding card was clearly marked BA gold/emerald and at no point was I asked to produce a card. If this can happen between one world alliance partners it beggars believe that VS cannot get this correct themselves!

It is probably on a different internal system though. I presume check-in will only have access to your booking/PNR, rather than your full Flying Club account info.

They have enough of an access to see how many miles you have stashed away... should be enough access to confirm your AU standing too.

I have got to say, we do not know the cards were cut up in front of customers - they may have simply confiscated ones that had been used improperly (the beheading comes later on). It is just like any high street bank would do to a credit or debit card that was passed across their counter after being used in the commission of a crime.

In the situation above Paul a simple call to FC will resolve it, usually doesn't eat into too much CH time in the grand scheme of things.

To be honest, I have always been surprised that with VS your status is acknowledged by having a different number. With BA, you simply keep the same number for life and your status is shown on the system. Why can't VS do this???

Also I had a period of nearly seven weeks where my old card had expired and my new card had failed to turn up. Would this have meant that despite being gold, I would have been refused lounge access? If that had even been the case, I would have been VERY annoyed!

Just so everyone is clear here as OP - The check-in crew did NOT state these cards had been cut up in front of the customers, tho the state of them someone had a good time ;o)
J

I don't know what the costs of producing the cards are, but I think they should do the same thing they do with Red for Gold and Silver. One card should last for a lifetime and should only be reissued on request. gin

If you do that what happens if you drop down a level ?

[quote="Tinuks"

I don't know what the costs of producing the cards are, but I think they should do the same thing they do with Red for Gold and Silver. One card should last for a lifetime and should only be reissued on request. gin

If you do that what happens if you drop down a level ?[/quote]

You either get a new card or revert to the old one depending on how you attained status. I'm no IT genius but I don't think it would be impossible for your numbers to attach to you FC account and change with your status.

How quaint of them to ask for the card. Bless.

Think I will ask them tomorrow about the cut up cards just to stir things up a bit !

[buns]

It has just struck me that these cards might be associated with Credit Card Membership which may have lapsed but the Au Cards still show validity

buns

On the other side I have just checked in at T1 for a hop up to manchester and flashed my silver card (not gold yet!) and was given a fast track security sticker and an invite to the service air lounge.
I wasn't going to question this but is the lounge invite not just for gold cards??
I prefer gate 8 but was not going to refuse free drinks!!