As an update to
my earlier post in this thread, I emailed the customer services team again (by now the third time) with a request for an answer within 2 days and at least got a reply. They said, ...... well nothing really!
Date: 5 Apr 2017 2:06 p.m.
Subject: RE: Air4 Web Form - Flying Club General enquiry Username reminder
To: Martin
Cc:
Hello Martin,
Thank you for your email. I am sorry to learn that we haven't answered you previous email. I am happy to help now though.
I understand what your advising and I will certainly check if this is possible. I can see the account extended to the beginning of January when it should have restart at the start of December, as a result of this the points you earned in December was credited to your 2015-2016 year rather than the 2016-2017 year.
I have forwarded the email onto my support department who will look into this for me. Once they have confirmed the actions they have taken they will respond to me and I will respond to you.
I appreciate your patience in advance. Once I get a response I will let you know the outcome.
Thank you for giving the time to contact us. If you need any help in future, please do not hesitate to contact us again.
Kind Regards
T***** D***** (Name removed to protect the guilty)
Virgin Atlantic
Customer CentreOf course I never heard from them again.
As luck would have it, a month later I was at a Business Travel conference in Birmingham and I met a lady who works for Virgin Atlantic and is reasonably senior. I recounted the tale to her and showed her the email above. I also explained that it feels like they treat their long term FC Gold members like sh1t and I had become completely disillusioned with Virgin as a result. I told her that it had pi55ed me off sufficiently to book my next two trips in business class with Singapore Airlines (to BNE) and Cathay Pacific (to HKG).
She asked me to forward the emails to her, which I did. True to her word, she spoke to the CS team (I don't know who or at what level, but I suspect someone senior) and 9 days after we met, I got the reply below.
From:
Sent: 12 May 2017 11:07
To: 'Martin Harris'
Subject: RE: RE: Air4 Web Form - Flying Club General enquiry Username reminder
Hi Martin,
Just to follow on from my note below, I’ve now been able to get some assistance with your Flying Club account. We have added the 350 tier points to your account and, just to confirm, your new membership year is now from 1 January to 31 December. You will need 300 further tier points to retain Gold status.
This should be reflected on your account the next time you log in.
Please let me know if I can assist with anything else.
Kind regards,
********* (Name removed to protect the innocent).
I realise I am very fortunate to have met her and that she did something, but it does show there are some people at VS who care and can get things done. Unfortunately, those people don't work in the customer services team.