Earlier this week, I wrote about Virgin Atlantic’s generous upgrade program in effect until the New Year. In short, the oldest person on each flight receives a complimentary upgrade to the highest cabin available. But not everyone is happy about the upgrade policy.
Anger From a Virgin Atlantic Gold Member Over “Outrageous” Upgrade Scheme
Reader “Rory” left the following comment in my previous story on the matter:
I’m outraged by this move from Virgin Atlantic. I hold Gold Tier status and pour literally tens of thousands of £ each year on VS tickets. I don’t get upgraded ever, but some old fogey will because they have a few years on me? It is utterly outrageous and an offence to anyone who patronises Virgin Atlantic on a regular basis. Next year I am seriously considering a pivot to British Airways, especially with the A350-1000 coming online.
Does Rory have a point?
I’d say this situation is a bit different than unsolicited status matches or a last-minute loosening of the status requirements. I’ve defended those gifts in the past, even when they worked against me, but also acknowledged that what drives people to status is its exclusivity. When the floodgates are opened, value is diluted, which is a sort of bait-and-switch.
But here, I just cannot go along with Rory’s argument. First, Virgin Atlantic does not promise free upgrades to Premium Economy or Upper Class for its Gold members. Thus, this act of benevolence does not rob any elite member of a promised benefit. Second, Rory may not find the grasser greener on the British Airways side…
The idea that a frequent flyer is entitled to an upgrade in a loyalty program that does not offer such upgrades strikes me as confusion at best and self-entitled childishness at worst. That’s a different question than whether I think Virgin Atlantic should offers it Gold members upgrades from time to time, which I think the answer is yes.
Are you sympathetic to Rory’s argument?
I do not think age should matter. If you were an idiot in your youth and didn’t save money, just a few years on shouldn’t affect how you are treated in any aspect of life.
That said clearly this is very important to rory which is why it should be should be done right in front of him. “some old fogey with a few years on him” should get upgraded and he denied. Would be fun to watch his reaction.
Also rory is classic British passive aggressive. All well mannered externally but stewing with anger internally. Too many secrets in that closet.
Some old fogey. How rude. My son upgraded me on my last flight. It was very nice. But I’d hate to be upgraded if I was sat next to a delightfully rude obnoxious person such as Rory who think everyone is below him! How dare he?
Does Rory have multiple long haul flights planned between Christmas and New Year? We are talking about seven days of ‘free’ upgrades; hardly seems like its robbing him of much to your point.
I wonder if he would feel different in a few years when he’s in the same position as these ‘old fogies’.
I for one commend Virgin for capitalizing on a goodwill story and turning it into an even better PR move. It’s business and it makes people smile!
Oh Rory, you really tell it like it ain’t.
I don’t think he has a point based on the fact that he would not be eligible for a free upgrade based on his status. However, I would be very mad if I tried to use one of my Global Upgrade certificates on Delta and learn they did not have seats available on business class because they were giving it for free to whatever marketing campaign they were running. Same goes to family members of airlines employees that just flood business classes of US airlines flying for free when people that spend thousands of dollars need to redeem an outrageous number of miles to get those same seats.
You realise those airline employees only get business class *after* all the revenue and mileage upgrades are cleared, right?
Yes, active duty military get housing, free medical, deployment pay, etc., but you fail to realize that a sacrifices is made for those benefits and I certainly don’t hear how any of you have volunteered to give your life or sacrifice your time and family to serve 0ur country. So do me a favor, shut the hole beneath y0ur nose before y0u speak or join the military for all those great benefits and priority boarding. For active duty not in uniform, there is a good chance that they serve in a position that requires them to look like the average Joe because of the type of the job they do (if I tell you then I will have to kill you). It pisses me off when people who have never served or knows anyone who has ever served spout their mouth about something so inconsequential such as priority boarding to an active duty member. Let me tell you something, you would not survive one day, much less 20 years doing what these men and women do. They are deployed for months away from their families. Two parent households become one parent households while the spouse is gone. They no longer have the other half to help out when the kids gets sick, they get sick, or completely stressed out because the kids want mommy or daddy back home. Trust me, all those benefits are well worth the money spent for what these people sacrifice. Unless you are willing to do the same, then sit back, shut it, and allow airlines to offer whatever they want to these men and women.
Along the same lines is priority boarding for active duty military. Some who serve have very safe jobs, in nice locations, with no risk or sacrifice. They don’t even have to wear a uniform for priority boarding. But veterans are not treated this way.
And who are they serving anyway: bureaucrats and imperialist and liberal politicians instead of actually securing the border and defending their own country. They get paid well with medical benefits, housing allowances, deployment pay and a great pension if they put in the years, and paid well with money not voluntarily given but taken by the government from citizens.
I don’t have a problem with active duty military boarding first, other than it’s a symptom of the problem with loyalty programs today.
Look, boarding should be set up to be as fast as possible. Instead, people want to rush onboard to stow their bag and have a seat. Why? Because airlines charge for hold baggage and airports ensure inadequate gate seating to drum up business for the shops they charge outrageous rents to.
So now boarding, which used to be “those getting a PDB and those who’ve done this many times before” — aka business/first and FFs– “followed by a main cabin scheme designed to have the fewest bottlenecks” is now a ten-level hierarchy of how the airline ranks you as a customer. Guess what? Nobody likes to be told they’re a schmuck.
Airlines play with marketing-based upgrades all the time. When I calculate the value of a ticket, I throw in the lounge access (or lack thereof), the support I’ll receive during IRROPS, and the luggage costs. The occasional upgrade, or the more frequent seatmap shadow, I count as a bonus. The ridiculous medieval procession to board based on rank, wealth, and privilege — that doesn’t even merit consideration.
Besides, the rules of politesse require that active duty foreign military be boarded first.
“[W]ho are they serving anyway: bureaucrats and imperialist and liberal politicians”
Yes, definitely no conservative politicians, like the current Commander-in-Chief.
Maybe the real Rory can come back to clarify, but I thought the point was indeed that Virgin should offer upgrades to Gold members. It was perhaps lost (or misinterpreted) inside a rant.
That’s what I thought the point was too. They seem to choose leaving seats empty over rewarding members with status – this publicity stunt suggests that they could be upgrading if they chose.
A blogpost dedicated to angry anonimous comment on the internet? Are you seriously low on ideas to write?
I think he’s just pissed off at VS who I’m not sure really value loyalty when you compare them to other airlines and groups. Not sure he’s so much upset at the elderly people as lack of perks for handing over so much money. That, I kind of get in a way. I’m not sure they really care about rewarding loyalty. Maybe they want to just keep lots of leisure travellers who think they’re great because they only fly them occasionally.
Not to be ageist or uncompassionate; but, the risk of the Virgin Atlantic upgrade offer is that people who might not be healthy enough to fly might choose to fly, expecting to be awarded one of these new, special upgrades. This poses a risk for increased costs incurred due to inflight health problems or medical diversions. Not everyone should fly; and, once folks reach a certain age and/or health status, they really should choose to stay home.
All this is really about as ever is Virgin generating cheap publicity. I wonder how many older people will really use it. After all, if you were with your partner, would you take an upgrade? I certainly wouldn’t.
Over promise and under delivery is the Virgin motto and it always will be.
No, Rory doesn’t have a point. I’m also a Gold and get a fair amount of upgrades and also have ample opportunity to use my miles or cash to upgrade. If he bothered to use his perks, he’d know very well how to go about doing this. Clearly he doesn’t. Shame.
If you want to fly in a higher cabin, simply buy a ticket or put yourself in a position to purchase an upgrade with cash or miles. It’s really not that hard.
Oh and it Rory does decide to switch to BA, he’ll be in for a shock. The plane doesn’t make the airline, the staff do.
This may actually be unlawful age discrimination under UK or EU law.