Rate Virgin America elevate

Old Jan 15, 2009, 4:30 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: COS
Posts: 120
Exclamation Rate Virgin America elevate

We are going to review Virgin America elevate in the March issue of InsideFlyer magazine and would like your input.

If you would like to participate, please post your response in the thread with the pros and cons of membership in elevate and grade the program from A to F (A being the highest grade). You can include a plus or minus with the rating.

You can also respond directly to me at [email protected].
Thank you!
darcie_InsideFlyer is offline  
Old Jan 22, 2009, 10:02 am
  #2  
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Portland
Posts: 11,569
D-

Pros:

Only one - the program is actually revenue based rather than mileage based, rewarding those who spend the most on the airline rather than those who spend the most time on the aircraft.

Cons:

- 18 month hard deadline expiration of points means that the vast majority of occasional flyers will never earn enough to redeem an award.

- No international premium class awards (indeed, no international awards at all). A mid-level frequent flyer with an affinity credit card on a legacy carrier will usually earn at least 1-2 free international round trips per year in a premium cabin. EleVAte does not provide anything similar to this. This may change when VX starts picking up partners, but for now it means that the program is almost useless for me.

- No special perks for very frequent flyers. Even Southwest sends a pack of drink coupons out with every award earned.
rjque is offline  
Old Jan 22, 2009, 10:25 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,555
C+

Pros:

-Relatively frequent issuing of decent promotions/discount codes.
-Points based on $ spent.

Cons:

-Hard expiration date on points is huge. As the above poster stated, unless I fly very regularly on VA, I will NEVER get an award, thus negating the value of flying VA occasionally. For that, I may as well fly whatever airline gives the cheapest fare regardless...which I do currently.
-No connection to Virgin Atlantic for points.
antonius66 is offline  
Old Jan 22, 2009, 10:46 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: ARN
Posts: 1,034
For San Diego based flyers, VA flies to SFO. I would use them if my destination was San Francisco, and only if they were less than $140 round trip inclusive and priced below other non-stops. Most flyers here are loyal to a specific legacy or Southwest.



I see no benefits to their frequent flier program for anyone on the west coast, unless you live in San Francisco

Last edited by w0r1dtrave1er; Jan 22, 2009 at 10:49 am Reason: add text
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Old Jan 22, 2009, 4:16 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: San Fran
Posts: 325
C
+: Spend Based
+: redemptions (so far) are pretty easy
+: No "elite" tiers
-: No upgrades with points
-: valuation is rather opaque
-: reward prices are rather opaque
-: No partership with other Virgin carriers
-: 18 month expirations
rapopoda is offline  
Old Jan 26, 2009, 1:39 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SF Bay
Programs: UA Premier, AA AAdv., AS MVP
Posts: 1
C-

I have had nothing but problems getting past flights credited. Have called many times.
BigGSFO is offline  
Old Jan 27, 2009, 2:06 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 6
Rating

Misread question initially

B-

+:
Easy to add past flights
Simple rewards program
Good cost/benefit ratio
No blackouts
No tiers
Hard to exploit (I'd rather be on equal footing as a casual flyer, than have people gaming the system with inside knowledge at the cost of everyone else)

-:
Can't spend partial points partial dollars

Last edited by pubjws; Feb 5, 2009 at 12:56 pm
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Old Jan 30, 2009, 2:01 pm
  #8  
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Portland
Posts: 11,569
Originally Posted by pubjws
B+

+:
Best overall tech
Targeted clientele
Short distance upgrades extremely affordable
Simple rewards program
Great atmosphere
Good on-time rate
Good cost/benefit ratio

-:
Live TV can cut in/out
Limited Destinations
Those are all nice things, but only one of them relates to eleVAte.
rjque is offline  
Old Mar 18, 2009, 7:08 am
  #9  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: SFO/BGW
Programs: MP 1K, SPG Gold, WP Plat Elite, Hertz PC
Posts: 136
D-

+ friendly staff
+ easy website
+ new planes

- no tiers (UA refugee)
- spend based, no option for frequency (i'm at 54 flights and still haven't collected enough pts for a transcon)
- upgrade $ doesn't count toward spend
- no airside lounges
- lounge hours SUCK
- cabin lighting gimmicky
- half of RED features aren't yet implemented
- not a very friendly airline for business travelers
- lots of inconsistent on-board service
- FA's annoy you with instructions to turn off electronic devices BEFORE the cabin door closes and BEFORE the pilots turn on the 'no electronic device' light
- need an online support method, either live chat or scheduled callback or something
brian1975 is offline  
Old Mar 20, 2009, 12:02 am
  #10  
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
Programs: DL DM & 2MM, SPG/Bonvoid LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, $tarbucks Titanium
Posts: 14,393
I rate the airline a B+

I rate the EleVAte program a D:
  • No upgrades with points
  • No partership with other Virgin carriers
  • 18 month expirations
  • no tiers
  • Spend based, no option for frequency/short flights
  • Upgrade or onboard food/IFE $ doesn't count toward spend
  • Can't spend partial points partial dollars
  • Have had trouble getting points credited, website lacking
itsaboutthejourney is offline  
Old Jun 25, 2011, 7:03 am
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Virgin America Elevate, National Emerald Aisle, Hertz Number One, SPG
Posts: 5
VIrgin America Elevate Broken

I stopped flying Virgin America in 2009 because I could never get my points credited to my account (yes the number was in my reservation) because their system is to wonky. I recently booked five flights in the last couple of weeks and the same problem exists and I've made several calls to get my account corrected and keep getting the same "oh poor us, we're still learning to be an airline" run around.

The inflight service is great and the staff are generally friendly, but there is no tier status for the folks that pay more and fly more frequently. That said, I hate paying a higher fare at the last minute and wind up in the second to the last row in a middle seat compared with the folks who travel once or twice a year and pay a small percentage of the airfare I paid who are seated in aisles and windows.
RLHSFO is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2011, 11:30 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Tucson, AZ USA
Programs: DL-Platinum / AS-PlatPro / Hyatt - Glob / Hilton-Diamond
Posts: 1,573
Hmmm...
I flew them literally on their 1st day of operation and several times since.
I've never had a problem getting mileage credit. In fact, I think they post much quicker than the Legacy airlines do.

I can't relate to your issues ref bad seating on last minute (high fare) purchases as my travel patterns usually allow me the benefit of advance purchase fares.
As a long standing CO Elite, I admit it's strange being hit with a checked baggage fee and being the 3rd or 4th group to board
However, I've assumed that the higher fares booked into Main Cabin Select (no bag fee, more leg room, free food/drink). Unless of course you are so "last minute" that you're buying within 24 hours of the flight so MCS may have filled up with people buying upgrades. As a generic rule of thumb, I bet most folks flying once or twice a year are not willing to pay for the upgrade (or if they even know about it).

As they grow, and get more of a base of very frequent flyers, then things may change. One of the main complaints I see on this old thread are ref points expiring after 18 months (even with recent activity). That has since been rescinded. So yes, as a relatively new airline, they will be tweaking their product to find the right balance between "being innovative" vs "remaining competitive". But IMHO, I can't agree to your comment that they're acting like "oh poor us, we're still learning to be an airline".

Steve
steve64 is offline  
Old Jul 2, 2011, 10:40 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Virgin America Elevate, National Emerald Aisle, Hertz Number One, SPG
Posts: 5
The "oh poor us" line has come from three different staff members trying to make excuses for problems I've had with them. The feedback I've gotten is that they're aware they have issues but they don't seem to be addressing them.

It's fine if you can book Main Cabin Select, but my company travel policy doesn't allow that. So, I end up paying way above the bottom level air fare and almost to what they charge for Main Cabin Select and I get a middle seat in the back at the last minute (my boss just got stuck from Boston to LA in 23B for seven hours).

I think they have a great product, but they just don't have the infrastructure for the road warrior.
RLHSFO is offline  
Old Jul 3, 2011, 11:24 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: Deciding Which Airline to Fly in 2012
Posts: 420
Originally Posted by RLHSFO
I get a middle seat in the back at the last minute (my boss just got stuck from Boston to LA in 23B for seven hours).
I've gone back to B6 for redeyes for this reason. Within a few days of booking, I can get an EMS seat for $60, less than an MCS upgrade, and not worry about being at my computer T-24, or missing out completely and being stuck in a 32 inch pitch seat overnight.

But I don't fly B6 in the other direction because Wi-Fi is a big + during day flights, and extra seat pitch is a little less important than it is at 3am over Nebraska.

Great in-flight product, but VX needs to offer more to the mid-fare flyer whose looking for neither a $150 o/w discount transcon, nor a $1,500 fc fare.
707Flyer is offline  

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