Exact qualification rules for VS Lifetime Gold?

Greetings.

I'm trying to figure out the precise definition of the qualification rules for Lifetime Gold status on VS.

I became a Gold FC member on 4th August 2009, as a result of being offered a "fast track" to Gold status in exchange for my prior 1K status on United Airlines. (I had to earn 20 Tier Points in a short period--under the 2009-era TP values--to initially become FC Gold.)

Since then, I've requalified for Gold every year, including just this week (March 25th) for the coming year ending 4/2020. Thus, I'll have continuously been an FC Gold member for 10 years as of this 4th August 2019.

There's also the 7500 TP on Virgin metal requirement; I've already met this (more than 9000 TP on VS metal).

My question: does the 10 years of Gold status necessary to become Lifetime Gold begin on the date one first becomes an FC Gold member (i.e., in my case, 4th August 2009)? Or does one need to *qualify* for Gold ten times, each time over the full one-year earning period (in which case my initial "fast track" start as an FC Gold member doesn't count--and in which case I've only qualified 9 times over a full year, so will need to qualify once more one year from now)?

I've called the FC Gold line a couple times to ask about this. When I called them a year ago, they told me it was the latter definition above--that I'd need to qualify ten years back-to-back, not counting my initial fast-track qualification. However, I called them today, and they told me that all that matters is how long one's been in Gold status, and that'll be 10 years for me on 4th August 2019, so I'll become Lifetime Gold on that day.

The difference matters a fair bit to me, as I will likely change my ticket purchasing behavior over the coming year depending on the answer to the above question. (If I'll already qualify for Lifetime Gold in August no matter what, I won't worry about trying to requalify for Gold with TPs over the next 12 months. But if I do need to requalify one more year to get Lifetime Gold, then I'll make sure I buy tickets with an eye to hitting 1000 TP over the next 12 months.)

Unfortunately, FC's capacity for giving different answers on different calls (depending on whom one is speaking to) leaves me pretty unsure as to the answer. So I thought I'd ask about other V-Flyers' experience.

Thanks,
-Brad

For what it's worth, in the hope of getting an answer in writing that I could potentially show if I was told one thing and then events unfolded differently later, I emailed the FC team to ask when someone in my situation (FC Gold for 10 years as of 4th August 2019, but who initially became FC Gold via "fast track" back in 2009; over 9000 TPs on VS metal) would acquire Lifetime Gold.

Someone from FC wrote back to say that I'll acquire Lifetime Gold at the time of my FC Gold renewal, where the new year in Gold status spans my 10th anniversary as an FC Gold member. As my renewal is today, 1st April, they congratulated me on reaching Lifetime Gold! Nothing showing in my FC account on the VS web site yet, but I imagine it will take a few days (or more) for FC to act on this.

Fingers crossed what FC now does matches what I was emailed...and that they're not playing a cruel April Fool's joke on me!

(Aside: anyone know what they send new Lifetime Gold members these days? I've read old threads on this, but am curious about current practice.)

Thanks,
-Brad

Hey Brad,

The rules do seem to change depending on who you speak to, the policy is worded a tad vaguely and there is room for interpretation. I understand the staff's confusion.

However, I qualified for the 10yr G4L at the end of Feb - Renewal 1/3/19 passed without notice or any update in my FC account aside from 'I need 1000 TPs to retain Au'. A quick email off to FlyingCo, who checked with their Loyalty dept, and it was clarified that my initial Au qualification happened on 30th June 2009. As such, I will not receive my Gold for Life pips until 30th June 2019... so there we have it, 10 years continuous Gold calculated to the day/month.

As to what they give you on reaching Lifetime Gold... no idea. Probably nothing outside of a generic email and an update to your FC account. However, they still have three months left to plan something awesome for me ... I'd even settle for a Gold balloon

No real difference between normal Gold and GFL I’m afraid, other than not having to qualify every year.

I crossed the 1 million base files flown 4 months ago and nada, not even an email, so set your expectations low. Was expecting the ‘special gift’ they promise but am having to chase. Unless that special gift is disappointment

Thanks, joeyc and evanspa1!

As luck would have it, I've now had a bit of a disappointment:

After FC emailed me specifically stating that I'd be Lifetime Gold "on my 1st April 2019 renewal date," and congratulating me, I received a call today to say that this was an error on that person's part, and that I'd only become Lifetime Gold on the actual day when I've been Gold for 10 years, which in my case is 5th August.

They assured me that I *don't* need to requalify again--my renewal through March 2020 means I'll be Gold on my 10-year anniversary date in August, even if I do no travel between now and then. Sort of makes you wonder why they don't award the lifetime status when your renewal that takes you across the finish line happens--it's revenue-neutral for VS. But I understand that the rules say "10 years," and if they want to count that to the day, even if it makes no difference to revenue, that's their right.

It was a bit of a disappointment to be congratulated and told I was already there today in email, only to have that walked back a few hours later. But it doesn't seem to make any practical difference: let the buying of tickets without regard for TP begin!

Thanks,
-Brad

It's been a while since I qualified for VS LTG so it may have changed but IIRC for the 10 year qualification I had to RENEW for 10 years in a row.
So in reality it's an 11 year period of holding a GC with the short first year (depending on when your status change) not counted.
Or it's 1,000,000 base miles.

All the best in your challenge!

Thanks for reporting your experience, Andy!

Now I really don't know what to expect, alas. First FC told me by email that I'd already qualified for Lifetime Gold *now* (1st April) by renewing for a year (4/2019 - 3/2020) spanning the date of my 10th anniversary of first becoming Gold (4th August 2019). Then FC called me to tell me that in fact my account hasn't yet become Lifetime Gold, and my account will only become Lifetime Gold on the actual date of my 10th anniversary (4th August 2019). But now I'm hearing experience reported that one must *renew* Gold 10 times (not merely be in Gold status for 10 years).

The difference actually matters to me financially quite a bit. If I can be certain I will reach Lifetime Gold on 4th August 2019, I will not purchase tickets so as to maximize tier points in 2019-20; I might finally take advantage of Economy Light fares, for example. I might even take fewer trips. If, on the other hand, the only way I can achieve Lifetime Gold is by *renewing* a 10th time (which will be in March 2020), I'll need to plan my ticket purchases carefully over the next year to ensure I earn enough TP to requalify one more time.

I wish VS would make a clear, unambiguous, binding statement in writing of what the rules require. I was most recently told by phone that the VS representative had "checked twice with the FC team that decides on Lifetime Gold status," and that I need not renew again and will "regardless of whether I travel at all after today" become Lifetime Gold on 4th August 2019. Yet it seems there is a real risk that if I fail to renew in 3/2020 for 2020-2021, I may abruptly be told by VS at that time, "while the web site says 10 years as a Gold member, and our staff told you by phone that you were already certain to become Lifetime Gold in 8/2019 without any further travel, we actually only grant Lifetime Gold if you've *renewed* 10 times, so you'll have to start over for another 10 years now."

I guess I have no choice but to buy tickets to hit 1000 TP in 2019-20, if I want to be certain I won't be denied Lifetime Gold (despite VS FC's telling me by phone that I'll become Lifetime Gold in 8/2019 "even if I don't travel any further")!

-Brad

I think Andy may have just confused things a bit further... let's break it down:

Year 1: 2009/10
Year 2: 2010/11
Year 3: 2011/12
Year 4: 2012/13
Year 5: 2013/14
Year 6: 2014/15
Year 7: 2015/16
Year 8: 2016/17
Year 9: 2017/18
Year 10: 2018/19

So, your Gold for Life requirements will be met on the completion of year 10 assuming 7500 TPs earned on VS metal in that time... in your case 31/3/19. Congratulations

However, VS do like to be a bit difficult and for those of us that have had floating year ends, they round up to the held Gold for 10 years... so as long as you are a gold member at 4/8/19, which you will be as you have already qualified for renewal, you'll be receiving G4L status.

Think of it this way, it's not 11 renewals, it's 10 renewals and change (to take you to the month that you first qualified)

Question I would be asking VS is actually if your Year 1 counts.... it was a Fast track grant based off your 1K status with United. They may see that as a promotional year and thus not count it in the G4L tally... I'd get that clarified and in writing if I were in your shoes.

The departments that FC will need to liaise with are VS Marketing who handle the notifications of G4L and VS Loyalty who make up all these crazy and confusing rules.

Please do let us know how you get on. Good luck.

The Flying Club T&Cs say:

2.26.1 To qualify for Lifetime Gold status, a member must have earned a minimum of 10 consecutive calendar years at Gold status.

As the legal definition of a calendar year is Jan 1 - Dec 31, that would suggest to me someone who became Gold in Aug 2009 would only attain Lifetime Gold on Jan 1 2020.

Whether VS plays by its own rules, however, is another matter.

And, just to complicate matters still further:

2.26.4 If a member has been given a complimentary Gold status, this is excluded from the criteria to reach Lifetime Gold status.

Question is - does VS count the OP’s initial fast-track qualification as complimentary?

All very confusing, and I suspect the outcome will depend on whatever the OP can agree with VS.

I'm monitoring this thread carefully and with due diligence.

I fully expected to achieve GFL when my Gold renewed end of March..... I'm in touch with Flying Co each week..... Fact is - you achieve LTG the day you became Gold. End of.

And fwiw, here's a screenshot from when GfL was first announced..

And fwiw, here's a screenshot from when GfL was first announced..

That is the old site.

The line about 10 consecutive calendar years hasn’t changed though. It’s in the current T&Cs.

And fwiw, here's a screenshot from when GfL was first announced..

That is the old site.

Errr, yes.. that was kind of the point..

[mitchja]

Old website = old Flying Club though.

Flying Club was completely refreshed after that so what was published on the old website may well no longer be applicable.

As I said above, the line about requiring ten consecutive calendar years of Au is in the current FC T&Cs. So it hasn’t changed.

And given that this thread, like others on the topic of Gold-for-Life, is about the lack of clarity regarding the specifics of this offer, I felt there was a request for as many data-points of information as we have access to.
Whether this is from VS agents themselves, or anything that has been published online.
Now, very little is published online, not only the lack of terms and conditions, but the offer itself is unclear in its definitions. And therefore, I posted a screenshot from when the offer was first announced. Yes, there have been changes in Flying Club and the website since, obviously, but an additional data-point of online detail adds a smidge more information to the general knowledge of the topic.
I am ambivalent regarding the dismissal of my contribution. Perhaps someone has direct knowledge of the internal SOP for the offer, and may wish to share that at some point. Which would of course be terrific. Until then...