So after my latest trip, I didn't have a nice gold envelope with black lining in my letterbox, so I emailed GGL (I was jetlagged to hell, and it was late, so I couldn't be bothered calling).

What I asked for was why the renewal pack hadn't been processed, and what should I do in the meantime? Could I have an email confirming my status until the renewal pack arrived?

The response, "We have sent a replacement card to you". I could have done that. What I want is the renewal pack, and a letter from GGL explaining that I am still a member, in case I have to travel in the next 28 days (highly likely). The LUX lounge are seriously anal about having a physical card.

So, I called them. They are now, after two attempts, sending a renewal pack. I asked them to email me the letter, they said no, "due to security reasons, people might fake it, using photoshop and stuff". They can only fax or snailmail it to me. I literally don't know anyone who owns a fax machine in 2013.

If I have to travel in the next few weeks, the LG lounge at LUX will certainly not allow me access without a valid bit of plastic. Given that BA have screwed up, not me, I plan to back-charge everything to them. I also plan, when I receive the physical letter (because this apparently isn't in their remit of fakeable), to photoshop it, and send copies to FvdP, and James Hillier (from the Executive Club) telling them that they're members until 2099, just to show how stupid their policy of no emails of status is. If they send a boarding pass by email, how out-of-bounds is it to send a letter confirming status by email?

If there are supposedly only a few thousand of us GGLs, how hard is it to send a bit of plastic once a year?