SkyMiles Platinum on Virgin Atlantic - lack of a physical card?
 

Hi everybody,

I am flying in economy with Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow to Boston next week, and have added my Delta SkyMiles Platinum Medallion card number to my booking - this is so that I can enjoy the various partner benefits on Virgin Atlantic as I don't have much status with the Virgin Flying Club (Silver status). Apparently, this is a second bag fee waiver and access to the Virgin Clubhouse.

However... my Delta Skymiles account was upgraded to Platinum Medallion about 4 weeks ago, and I have yet to received the physical card in the post (despite various phone calls and being told that the process cannot be sped up as it takes 6 to 8 weeks for the card to be printed and to arrive).

Will not having the physical card pose a problem if I want to access the Virgin Clubhouse in LHR or check-in a second bag? I notice that I must be "prepared to show [my] Skymiles card" but obviously I won't have this card.

I've not been able to get a consistent answer from the customer representatives at Virgin Atlantic with some customer representatives saying "yes" and some people saying "no".

Does anybody have any experience of this at all? Am I less likely or more likely to be allowed a second bag for free? Is it more likely or less likely that I'll be admitted to the Heathrow Clubhouse? I imagine I can try to print out a a statement from the website with my SkyMiles flyer number on but I'm not so sure it'll help.

Any help would be nice, but I guess if you've read this far you're probably bored of me already :)

Simon.

SkyMiles Platinum on Virgin Atlantic - lack of a physical card?
 

Hi everybody,

I am flying in economy with Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow to Boston next week (and on the way back too). I have added my Delta SkyMiles Platinum Medallion card number to my booking - this is so that I can enjoy the various partner benefits on Virgin Atlantic as I don't have much status with the Virgin Flying Club (Silver status). Apparently, this is a second bag fee waiver and access to the Virgin Clubhouse.

However... my Delta Skymiles account was upgraded to Platinum Medallion about 4 weeks ago, and I have yet to received the physical card in the post (despite various phone calls and being told that the process cannot be sped up as it takes 6 to 8 weeks for the card to be printed and to arrive).

Will not having the physical card pose a problem if I want to access the Virgin Clubhouse in LHR or check-in a second bag? I notice that I must be "prepared to show [my] Skymiles card" but obviously I won't have this card.

I've not been able to get a consistent answer from the customer representatives at Virgin Atlantic with some customer representatives saying "yes" and some people saying "no".

Does anybody have any experience of this at all? Am I less likely or more likely to be allowed a second bag for free? Is it more likely or less likely that I'll be admitted to the Heathrow Clubhouse? I imagine I can try to print out a a statement from the website with my SkyMiles flyer number on but I'm not so sure it'll help.

Any help would be nice, but I guess if you've read this far you're probably bored of me already

Simon.

I would just logon via smartphone and show anyone who questioned. I've never been in your exact situation, but the only place I needed to show a physical card to someone was at the Alaska Boardroom when trying to get in as a Sky Club member.

Out of curiosity, how does the relationship with Virgin Atlantic work? I know that for the SkyTeam partners, the big hurdle is hitting Gold status as that gets you SkyTeam Elite Plus and the benefits beyond that are negligible (maybe op-ups?). Is there a big difference on Virgin Atlantic between Delta Gold and Platinum? Do you have your GM card just in case?

I know they asked for my DM card when I went to the clubhouse in November, but this was shortly after the new arrangement was in place. Not sure if it has changed or if they would have let me slide with alternative proof of membership.

Your DL status should be reflected on your VS boarding pass (was for me last summer), making the card unnecessary. But it's probably a good idea to print a copy of your Skymiles account page from the website (or have it on your smartphone as someone else said), in case the VS agents need extra proof.

FWIW, the 2014 medallion packets seem to slowly be arriving. I just got my new Plat card this past weekend. So yours might arrive in time for your trip...

I just did this a few weeks ago. The lounge in JFK was no problem using my phone's "card".

At LHR on the way back, the lounge agent gave me a small amount of grief because there wasn't a date on it (there was, she just missed it). When I pointed this out, she was very apologetic. She was going to let me in anyway.

My status didn't show up on my boarding pass, the check-in agent hand-wrote it.

The Clubhouse at LHR is incredible!

In my experience, BPs printed at the Delta counter for codeshare flights show the Medallion status, but not those printed by some partners.

I carry my GM card in my wallet (though I've yet to receive my 2014 credentials), but always show my card in iPhone passbook. I did once have an AS BR agent ask me to show her the SC card directly in the app, because "that could be faked." In that instance I just pulled my SC card from my wallet.

At the request of the OP I will move this thread to the Delta board.

Thanks to UKtravelbear for the heads up.


Nick.

If you have a smartphone, you should be able to show "virtual" card.

I'm in a very similar situation. I will hit PM next week (after only 13 segments) and have an upcoming trip to LHR. I won't have my new PM card by then, so I'm not sure they'll let me in the clubhouse at JFK.

At the very least, I would obtain the Delta app for your iPhone and show them the card electronically under the feature "my wallet."

I would also think their system would know. When I place a Flying Club Gold number in a Delta reservation, it immediately recognizes the status and prints it out on the boarding pass.

When traveling internationally the presence of a physical card or at least a print out of the current elite medallion status is very useful. The smartphone alternative could be a useful tool.

In this day and age, the plastic card is becoming more worthless when you can simply add it to your passbook on the iPhone from the Delta app.

Not always, especially at some of the smaller lounges in Europe. There's also always the possibility of a phone dying (I've had several friends have this happen when in transit on long trips).

Plastic might seem old school and un-necessary...until an agent abroad bars access without seeing the card.

:)

I am in the lounge right now. I only had to give them my number.

Edit: They only give non business access to the lounge if they are en route to the USA. I was transmitting last week to JNB and denied entry.

There's a ($50) lounge close though.