Just a few points short...how accommodating will VS be?

Hi all

For a number of reasons, I've travelled less this year - and am 5 points short of renewing Gold (which I've been for approaching 10 years now). Typically, am due a return in J 2 weeks after my membership year finishes...

Anyone have any real world experience of VS renewing their Gold status even though you've come up short? Who's best to plead to

Thanks

Whilst BA has a system for asking for a 2 week extension to year ends if flights in that period allow people to gain or maintain status I'm not sure VS does the same thing on a formal basis but if your flight is not too far from your year end then I suggest you just give VS a ring as ask them what they could do.. No begging or pleading just a 'I'm X short but as you can see I have more flights booked in a couple of weeks so would it be possible ...'

I'm not sure how it all works in relation to terms and conditions etc but I have found that when I dropped from Gold to Silver then when I accumulated the 'missing' tier points within a month or even three I got bumped back up to Gold (with a different membership number so different numbers within a matter of months and a new 'period'). I could be wrong and maybe it was the '13th month' but I just think it also happened one time after more like 15 or 16 months.

So a call to VS could be worthwhile to see if they know the rules versus the exceptions and if you don't get an answer you like then just login to FC after your later J flight has actually taken place & posted on your FC account to see if it 'automatically' upgraded you to Gold anyway.

Yes, certainly worth calling especially since you've been Au for a long time and they'll be able to see you'll earn the outstanding TPs imminently.

I was just one point short for renewing my silver last year and they renewed it anyway.
Dick D

Hi all

For a number of reasons, I've travelled less this year - and am 5 points short of renewing Gold (which I've been for approaching 10 years now). Typically, am due a return in J 2 weeks after my membership year finishes...

Anyone have any real world experience of VS renewing their Gold status even though you've come up short? Who's best to plead to

Thanks

I had a similar situation a few years ago. After being gold for several consecutive years I had a year when I travelled less & was due to slip back to silver. I contacted VS who agreed to leave me at gold for one year based on my past history. Sadly my travel these days is for holiday trips only so after my years grace I slipped to silver & am now lowly red tier. Give VS a ring, I would think you will have a fair chance or retaining gold status.

Good luck

As others have said give FC a call and explain the situation. They will speak to FC support a call and likely work something out for you

Thanks all for the advice. Will give them a call and see how I get on!

If they don't do anything 'special' for you then, from notes I made last time it happened to me, this is what used to happen:

On FC Account Summary once I got past the date at the bottom on 'Your tier points - Going for Gold' the 'Hi' at top right turned from Gold to Silver AND the 'Member Number' changed AND my future flights were no longer linked to my FC account (because they were on the old 'Member Number') so I had to manually 'reconnect' future flights using Booking Ref / E-Ticket number(s) and while in those bookings update my FC member number.

At the same time the 'Your tier points - Going for Gold' display changed from just saying "You need 5 Tier Point(s) by 31-Aug-15 to renew gold membership. " to something more along the lines of needing just 5 more points by 30-Sep-15 to go from Silver to Gold AND offering a drop down box with the end dates of future months such as 31-Oct-15, 30-Nov-15 etcetera where that figure of how many more tier points needed would be updated (as, for example, older flights that earned tier points from Sept, Oct and Nov 14 dropped away).... effectively saving you the work of calculating it manually from the 'Statement Period - 1 year' dropdown and using a scrap of paper.

The other thing to do, if you haven't already done so, is register (today is the last day) for the "Summer bonus miles & TPs promotion" - see topic of that name on the forum for details - as the qualifying flights get you , as description says, extra miles and TPs that might be enough to get you retaining Gold anyway.

Good luck!