Just qualified as GGL for the first time! Excited. Would any kindly GGL member like to give me a quick list of things I should do right away please?

Since I'm bored waiting for a flight I'll tell the story of how I got here, and like all good aviation stories, it all started with irrops.

I was a VS flyer pre Covid. I didn't travel that much, but was able to take advantage of "I" class bookings with work to get Gold with just a couple of return flights a year + some connections. During Covid I didn't travel at all, but had VS Gold extended repeatedly. Since I had VS companion vouchers and points to use, I chose them for my first post-Covid personal trip in 2022. Made it to IAD just fine on the redemption, but on the way back, I had the dreaded email overnight: flight cancelled!

A quick call to their Gold line and I was rebooked on BA, the only reasonable way from IAD to LHR that evening. I remember it clearly: G-RAES with the Club Suite, which compared favourably (IMO) to the new A35K VS Upper Class on the way out. After returning, I noticed a curious thing: the BA booking that VS had given me was booked in J class, and I duly earned my first 140 BA TP from a VS redemption. These weren't my first ever BA TPs, but I doubt my LTTPs were troubling triple figures at this stage.

One week later work asked me to travel to the US for the first time, and my company allows business for longer trips. Had it not been for those 140 TP+positive experience in BA Club World I might've booked VS, but at the time my aspirations were to a Silver card, which seemed well within reach. Another couple of work trips followed, and suddenly I was only 160 TP short of Gold by year-end March 2023. A TP run to OTP later and Gold was mine for the first time.

TP year starting March 23 got off to a bang. Many work trips well timed at the start of the period, and I soon discovered that I could book LHR-JFK-SFO for far more TPs and often save the company money in the process. Thanks to this lovely forum I learned about BAH TP runs and snuck in a couple of those, for legitimate holidays. 33 sectors later, here we are. GGL, and in some ways BA have VS to thank.

How long I'll be able to stay here, hopefully a few years at least. 3000 feels achievable, and I can see myself keeping it easily as long as the BAH deal is around and hopefully after it's gone. BA probably have no idea what to make of me as my travel is a mix of expensive J and D class work tickets and bargain basement I class holidays. Nevertheless, I'm probably amongst the lowest ranked GGLs and probably the one with the lowest ever LTTPs on qualification!

Thanks again to the many people who have helped me on this forum, even though I mostly lurk here I've read a lot and it's really helped.