Ridiculous Virgin changes to Lounge entry rules - with zero advance notice.
Aug 15, 2012, 3:52 am
#1
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Join Date: Jun 2000
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Ridiculous Virgin changes to Lounge entry rules - with zero advance notice.
Lounge entry policy update
Effective 15 August 2012, Velocity Frequent Flyer Gold and Platinum members will require same-day travel with Virgin Australia or one of its airline partners in order to access the Virgin Australia lounge before or after their flight.
This will allow us to dedicate our lounges entirely to our travelling guests, ensuring they have the best experience possible prior to or after their flight.
All other lounge entitlements and access policies still apply. To view the full Virgin Australia lounge Terms and Conditions, click here.
Just go this email today at 7pm, August 15, - August 15. Talk about ZERO advance notice.
Maybe fine for Gold but for Plats too is overkill.
We just re-qualified for Plat for another year as we used that perk once and it was very handy. 'Anytime access' for Plats would cost them near zero per year.
If that Virgin lurker still reads this Forum, please examine this policy and hopefully fine-tune it.
All Plats that think this minor benefit should be retained, are urged to email the Elite line -
[email protected]
We have this year, each taken $25K a year each of long term business away from United as decade long top Elites, as they screwed us over with petty rule changes and if Virgin pull the same nickel and dime stunt they will lose us too. There ARE airline choices. @:-)
How incredibly short sighted to now and again save a few mere pennies for a coffee for one Plat in 50. .
Platinums MUST always have a tier of benefits above Gold, or no-one will bother aiming for it – trust me.
That is how every FF program on this planet works. Lose sight of that simple reality and Virgin have lost a LOT of business.
.
Effective 15 August 2012, Velocity Frequent Flyer Gold and Platinum members will require same-day travel with Virgin Australia or one of its airline partners in order to access the Virgin Australia lounge before or after their flight.
This will allow us to dedicate our lounges entirely to our travelling guests, ensuring they have the best experience possible prior to or after their flight.
All other lounge entitlements and access policies still apply. To view the full Virgin Australia lounge Terms and Conditions, click here.
Just go this email today at 7pm, August 15, - August 15. Talk about ZERO advance notice.
Maybe fine for Gold but for Plats too is overkill.
We just re-qualified for Plat for another year as we used that perk once and it was very handy. 'Anytime access' for Plats would cost them near zero per year.
If that Virgin lurker still reads this Forum, please examine this policy and hopefully fine-tune it.
All Plats that think this minor benefit should be retained, are urged to email the Elite line -
[email protected]
We have this year, each taken $25K a year each of long term business away from United as decade long top Elites, as they screwed us over with petty rule changes and if Virgin pull the same nickel and dime stunt they will lose us too. There ARE airline choices. @:-)
How incredibly short sighted to now and again save a few mere pennies for a coffee for one Plat in 50. .
Platinums MUST always have a tier of benefits above Gold, or no-one will bother aiming for it – trust me.
That is how every FF program on this planet works. Lose sight of that simple reality and Virgin have lost a LOT of business.
.
Last edited by ozstamps; Aug 15, 2012 at 4:15 am
Aug 15, 2012, 4:01 am
#2
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Been discussed on AFF for some weeks (thread started 21 July)
http://www.australianfrequentflyer.c...yes-41489.html
QF removed any time access for Plat's some time ago
http://www.australianfrequentflyer.c...yes-41489.html
QF removed any time access for Plat's some time ago
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Aug 15, 2012 at 4:07 am
Aug 15, 2012, 4:34 am
#3
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Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Sunny SYDNEY!
Programs: UA Million Miler. (1.9M) Virgin Platinum. HH Diamond + SPG Gold
Posts: 32,330
Well last time I looked this board was called Flyertalk not AFF, and it has not been discussed here yet. 
And we are both Plats and heard of it first an hour back - the day it takes effect.
A coffee a year for 1 in 50 plats not flying same day, will hardly Bankrupt them. @:-)
I think we used it once in a year, and both really enjoyed being able to.
There ALWAYS needs to Bennie distinctions between Gold and Platinum and this is a perfect one to change.
I urge all Plats to email your objection to this to the Premium Line address above.
It may well have been that due to the army of Comps last year it was abused to have parties with buddies - who knows, but all those comps expire next month, and all Plats existing after that have EARNED Platinum as we have, and deserve some Bennies for having done so.
Closing the door now, after the horse has bolted, is insane logic.
Some 18 year old probably thought this was a great rule as it saved them a few $100 a year.
.
And we are both Plats and heard of it first an hour back - the day it takes effect.
A coffee a year for 1 in 50 plats not flying same day, will hardly Bankrupt them. @:-)
I think we used it once in a year, and both really enjoyed being able to.
There ALWAYS needs to Bennie distinctions between Gold and Platinum and this is a perfect one to change.
I urge all Plats to email your objection to this to the Premium Line address above.
It may well have been that due to the army of Comps last year it was abused to have parties with buddies - who knows, but all those comps expire next month, and all Plats existing after that have EARNED Platinum as we have, and deserve some Bennies for having done so.
Closing the door now, after the horse has bolted, is insane logic.
Some 18 year old probably thought this was a great rule as it saved them a few $100 a year.
.
Last edited by ozstamps; Aug 15, 2012 at 4:39 am
Aug 15, 2012, 4:37 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: Velocity Platinum, UA MM
Posts: 557
[I]We have this year, each taken $25K a year each of long term business away from United as decade long top Elites, as they screwed us over with petty rule changes and if Virgin pull the same nickel and dime stunt they will lose us too. There ARE airline choices. @:-)
.
.
As a Velocity Platinum member I would be concerned about any watering down of the benefits, might as well just stick to be Gold.
Aug 15, 2012, 5:46 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 516
Loss of anytime access
Although losing this benefit could have been handled better, as someone who is a Plat & flies J on VA pretty much exclusively, I have been finding the lounges far too crowded.
The new J/Plat lounges will go a long way to solving this problem thankfully., but I have no problem with anytime access leaving.
Quite frankly, why would I want to spend any more time in a lounge than I have too?
I have a perfectly good home or hotel to be in and spending significant extra periods of time at an airport seem to be fairly unproductive.
I voted with my feet when Qantas started to go downhill, but at this time VA are looking after me.
Sorry OzStamps, but the reality is $25k aint that much of a spend on an airline these days. It's barely 3 x J trips to the USA & a few trips to PER in J.
Actually $25k is only 2 in F to LHR these days.
My wife went past the $75k mark 6 months into this year. She will top out at around $100k for the year, and that is just on VA & SQ.
She is looking at 6000 + Status credits on VA and you know that all she asks for is a gluten free meal which she rarely gets.
The new J/Plat lounges will go a long way to solving this problem thankfully., but I have no problem with anytime access leaving.
Quite frankly, why would I want to spend any more time in a lounge than I have too?
I have a perfectly good home or hotel to be in and spending significant extra periods of time at an airport seem to be fairly unproductive.
I voted with my feet when Qantas started to go downhill, but at this time VA are looking after me.
Sorry OzStamps, but the reality is $25k aint that much of a spend on an airline these days. It's barely 3 x J trips to the USA & a few trips to PER in J.
Actually $25k is only 2 in F to LHR these days.
My wife went past the $75k mark 6 months into this year. She will top out at around $100k for the year, and that is just on VA & SQ.
She is looking at 6000 + Status credits on VA and you know that all she asks for is a gluten free meal which she rarely gets.
Aug 15, 2012, 6:32 am
#6
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OzStamps you do have your own account / user profile on AFF.
There are other threads over there as well, like how one can spend $1500-$2500 buying miles on certain *A carrier and redeeming for long haul premium travel, even ATW. (Seems Thai and SQ often have great front seat availability ex Oz)
There are other threads over there as well, like how one can spend $1500-$2500 buying miles on certain *A carrier and redeeming for long haul premium travel, even ATW. (Seems Thai and SQ often have great front seat availability ex Oz)
Aug 15, 2012, 2:36 pm
#8
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Just go this email today at 7pm, August 15, - August 15. Talk about ZERO advance notice.
Maybe fine for Gold but for Plats too is overkill.
We just re-qualified for Plat for another year as we used that perk once and it was very handy. 'Anytime access' for Plats would cost them near zero per year.
If that Virgin lurker still reads this Forum, please examine this policy and hopefully fine-tune it.
All Plats that think this minor benefit should be retained, are urged to email the Elite line -
[email protected]
We have this year, each taken $25K a year each of long term business away from United as decade long top Elites, as they screwed us over with petty rule changes and if Virgin pull the same nickel and dime stunt they will lose us too. There ARE airline choices. @:-).
Maybe fine for Gold but for Plats too is overkill.
We just re-qualified for Plat for another year as we used that perk once and it was very handy. 'Anytime access' for Plats would cost them near zero per year.
If that Virgin lurker still reads this Forum, please examine this policy and hopefully fine-tune it.
All Plats that think this minor benefit should be retained, are urged to email the Elite line -
[email protected]
We have this year, each taken $25K a year each of long term business away from United as decade long top Elites, as they screwed us over with petty rule changes and if Virgin pull the same nickel and dime stunt they will lose us too. There ARE airline choices. @:-).
Dave
Last edited by thadocta; Aug 15, 2012 at 2:42 pm
Aug 15, 2012, 5:23 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Perth, WA, Australia
Programs: QF Gold, VA Plat, IHG Plat Amb, LCAH Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,847
The lack of communication of the change is unfortunate. It has been on the website for a couple of weeks, but people only started getting emails about it on the last day. I am sure they could have sent out emails earlier.
Being gold, it may be a while yet before I even get the email!
Being gold, it may be a while yet before I even get the email!
Aug 16, 2012, 12:29 am
#10
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: VA WP, NZ *A SG
Posts: 529
A BNE-PER return in J is $2200 on VA, $3200 on QF. If you know any other airline doing J cheaper feel free to let me know. Mrs F visits PER at least once a month. Thats $25000 there alone.
She is heading to AUH on Etihad next month which is $8,000 in J. We will pay the $2,000 differance for her to go F. I may go with her if I can get the time. Thats another $8000.
We have VA J to USA for Xmas which is booked. Cost = $13,500 combined.
Our combined spend this year will be easily $130,000 if you include our personal travel.
She is heading to AUH on Etihad next month which is $8,000 in J. We will pay the $2,000 differance for her to go F. I may go with her if I can get the time. Thats another $8000.
We have VA J to USA for Xmas which is booked. Cost = $13,500 combined.
Our combined spend this year will be easily $130,000 if you include our personal travel.
Why on earth are you paying full price for premium international? Why don't you use some points?
(for the record I think they should have removed ATA for golds and kept it for Platinums)
Aug 16, 2012, 12:35 am
#11
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In a month, all the comped Plats will be gone or Gold, and this is the savvy tweak to the rules if they were being abused.
.
Aug 16, 2012, 3:17 am
#12
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
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Removed 8 posts making OT comments on personal spend that were getting rather vitriolic. If they may have contained other valuable points to be made, those are lost since I usually refrain from editing posts. Please stay on topic or move on. Plenty more to read on FT and the rest of the internet.
Further personal comments will lead to disciplinary measures as per the FT TOS.
Regards Oliver2002
Senior Mod
Further personal comments will lead to disciplinary measures as per the FT TOS.
Regards Oliver2002
Senior Mod
Aug 16, 2012, 1:50 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 516
Aug 17, 2012, 12:25 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Australia
Programs: Too many
Posts: 1,096
Ridiculous Virgin changes to Lounge entry rules - with zero advance notice.
I've spent over 200,000 with virgin Australia so far this year (my business) and only use the lounge when traveling.
. I agree it should be ok for Plats, however until Sep comes around we don't know how many Plats or Golds they'll lose, so I'm thinking Virgin may rethink something for the future.
Perhaps they are planning another status match and want to ease this out before another big promo comes in?
. I agree it should be ok for Plats, however until Sep comes around we don't know how many Plats or Golds they'll lose, so I'm thinking Virgin may rethink something for the future.
Perhaps they are planning another status match and want to ease this out before another big promo comes in?