This article came up on my LinkedIn newsfeed today. For someone who claims to fly as often as he does, I'm a bit surprised by his naivety and arrogance.
I agree with his Point #1 but all the rest are pretty lame. How is Virgin supposed to recognize the fact that you used to be a "gold" member whilst you're queuing in the check-in line. Perhaps once you've reached the check-in desk the agent might have said something to recognize you as an ex-gold member..
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...Flying the Friendly Skies since 1980...
Most people who write articles like this from a first person perspective struggle to deal with the reality that they aren't actually the High Value Customers that they imagine they are.
I've never been an upper tier mileage member, but I would guess two things...1. IF VS personnel saw his Gold medallion thingie, they would see that his loyalty laid with Delta and probably wasn't looking to change programs and 2. As he is Gold status, it proves he flies/flew alot so should know that there is a weight limit on carry-ons (which is randomly enforced).
As an AA PLT (though I don't have nearly as many miles under my belt as a lot of you), I had no idea there was a weight limit on carry ons. I just spent 10 minutes searching, and couldn't even find the limit on aa.com or elsewhere (for AA).
If it's something like 50lbs, I can't imagine having a carry on that weighs that much.
If it's something like 50lbs, I can't imagine having a carry on that weighs that much.
Virgin Atlantic restricts passengers in Economy or Premium Economy to a single piece of carry-on luggage weighing no more than 6kg (13 lb). No additional personal items are permitted.
As an AA PLT (though I don't have nearly as many miles under my belt as a lot of you), I had no idea there was a weight limit on carry ons. I just spent 10 minutes searching, and couldn't even find the limit on aa.com or elsewhere (for AA).
If it's something like 50lbs, I can't imagine having a carry on that weighs that much.
Outside of the US carriers, I pretty much expect there to be a carry on weight. (And if you poke around on even the US carrier sites enough, you'll find they have unenforced carry on weight limits. And you're right, it is usually a lot higher than most people would want to carry on here in the US.) International carrier carry on weight limits can be amazingly low. I think I've seen as low as 7kg. (Roughly 15 pounds) And this all leads to one huge issue I have with this article...
Which is that this guy is obviously clueless and a DYKWIA. Flashing his FF tags from another airline?!? Assuming that carrier loyalty programs are about airlines being the ones who are loyal to the customers and not the other way around?!?
This guy is a real piece of work and I'll agree with what B747-437B said. He's going on and on about being a HVC. The little blurb in his article profile states he's an author on customer experience, and a consultant and blah blah yada blah. (It turns out that there is no certification process to become an author. They'll let any idiot write a book and let other idiots ghost write books for them. ) If he really knew anything about customers, he's know that the real HVC are usually very low key about who they are. He's not a HVC.
That was funny. Should I expect special treatment from delta because I was gold with them in 2006? If they don't treat me special, should I show them my united platinum tag and suggest I deserve elite benefits on a rival airline?
Programs: Sea Shell Lounge Platinum Preferred, TSA Artful Concealer Silver, PWP Gold, FT subset of the subset
Posts: 11,984
The author shows an alarming lack of operational knowledge. FAs don't identify elites by looking for tags; everything is on the manifest, and they certainly aren't going to be able to recognize all the different types of tags and status levels from all the other airlines, nor should they be expected to.
I don't know how he expects airlines where he used to have status to keep half-decade old information and disseminate it to front line employees, if and when he decides to come back for a single trip.
If I see someone scrambling to repack their bags because they were ignorant of the policy of the airline they were flying on, I would assume they are a Kettle. Elite tag? Har, har, har.
Programs: United, American, Southwest, USAirways, Delta
Posts: 1,536
As usual, FTers shill for the airlines (unless of course THEY are inconveinienced in some way).
There are 2 ways to run a business that is geared towards elite travelers - the ones you claim the airlines want the most. You can either sit back and wait for people to choose your airline, and then treat them nicely AFTER they become elite. Or you could court already-existing elite travelers, and try to convince them to switch allegiances.
It's kind of like hiring for an open position. You can either sit around and wait for resumes to come in, and hope the perfect candiadte drops into your lap. Or you can go out and be proactive and find good candidates, preferably BEFORE you immediately need them (so you have a pool of excellent candidates available when you need them).
I didn't read one thing that was unreasonable in that LinkedIn posting. Why wouldn't one airline want to know that an elite flyer from another airline is using their service? Instead airlines put all the work onto the customer - if he wants a status match, he has to beg us for it, etc.
Outside of the US carriers, I pretty much expect there to be a carry on weight. (And if you poke around on even the US carrier sites enough, you'll find they have unenforced carry on weight limits. And you're right, it is usually a lot higher than most people would want to carry on here in the US.) International carrier carry on weight limits can be amazingly low. I think I've seen as low as 7kg. (Roughly 15 pounds) And this all leads to one huge issue I have with this article...
I remember the first time I encountered this was flying through China. I actually think this was location specific as I was able to board my first domestic flight with a roller board but when I got to CAN they made me check it because of the 7kg limit.
While going through security there was a big commotion because one pax would not take his jacket off when going through. After a few minutes of arguing, he finally gave in. Turns out he had gone into the bathroom and had tried to put on most of the clothes that were in his carry on so he could pass through security (I assume so he could then take them off on the other side and put them back in his bag). It was hilarious, he must have been wearing more than 5 tops and 4 bottoms.
Programs: AA PLT (2.6 MM), UA *Gold, AS MVP, several car and hotel peon levels
Posts: 554
I don't understand the whole premise of his irrational rant. If he really is a DYKWIA with Delta, why the heck wasn't he flying with them on that TATL trip, using all those miles and SWU's he must surely have accumulated? Why should Virgin recognize him as a potential customer, it's not like he has shown any loyalty to them? Also I'm sure there is some kind of status match/challenge if he was really serious about switching back to Virgin (which I suspect he isn't otherwise he wouldn't have changed ti Delta in the first place).
Complete and utter fail on his part and beyond childish to rant publicly about it.
Last edited by timfountain; Dec 14, 12 at 4:05 pm..
) If he really knew anything about customers, he's know that the real HVC are usually very low key about who they are. He's not a HVC.
