Aerlingus AerClub/Avios

Dublinflyer

As a slight aside to the normal conversation I wonder if a lot of people are going to lose their status with all the travel bans a lot of companies have. I know I will drop a tier or two for sure.

BigMoose

Dublinflyer wrote: »

As a slight aside to the normal conversation I wonder if a lot of people are going to lose their status with all the travel bans a lot of companies have. I know I will drop a tier or two for sure.

Just had that same conversation with colleagues this morning. Our travel is now all "voluntary" which I take to mean we cant sue if we catch the virus :rolleyes: and they've only banned travel to specific countries so far. That said, all my recent trips have been Ryanair and I dont think I'm in any danger of my status with them changing Re EI, I was hoping to get platinum this year but think I'll end up staying silver.

jesus_thats_gre

My company (global Telco) have grounded all staff until the end of March.

Bogwoppit

Mine have stopped all but essential travel, I’m going to Florida on ei next week and the final decision is up to me.

Noxegon

Dublinflyer wrote: »

As a slight aside to the normal conversation I wonder if a lot of people are going to lose their status with all the travel bans a lot of companies have. I know I will drop a tier or two for sure.

Yup, I've lost mine.

LiamaDelta

Going to be a seriously lean quarter for airlines.

jesus_thats_gre

Bogwoppit wrote: »

Mine have stopped all but essential travel, I’m going to Florida on ei next week and the final decision is up to me.

Interesting. We need explicit approval from our Global CEO

Bogwoppit

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

Interesting. We need explicit approval from our Global CEO

Senior Management team are reviewing all travel in a case by case basis, most trips are being cancelled.

Rowley Birkin QC

Dublinflyer wrote: »

As a slight aside to the normal conversation I wonder if a lot of people are going to lose their status with all the travel bans a lot of companies have. I know I will drop a tier or two for sure.

+1 this is the real tragedy here

L1011

I lost one of my two hotel statuses (Radisson) due to how ridiculously busy we were domestically in December/January then lost any chance of saving it due to travel bans coming in; but that's life.

Pity the one I still have (NH) is basically useless except making the check in staff slightly smarmier and has the worst value rewards I've ever seen. Oh, and they have a single hotel in Ireland (that I can basically see from my office) and I believe only one in the UK too!

BigMoose

I gave up with hotel schemes (Marriott and Hilton etc) as never got anything useful out of them other than a shorter queue and as you say, slightly smarmier staff. I use hotels.com for all work bookings so I can at least use the free nights for personal use.

Back to AerClub, despite giving my Avios number to hotels.com on each booking I've never seen any points turn up.

goingnowhere

Hyatt is offering extended status to many of its members in Asia https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/info/coronavirus-statement?icamp=woh_cvstatement_jan2020_alertbanner_en it is also waving cancellation fees based on residence and destination. I imagine they will extend this massively if this continues.

I need only 14 more Radisson nights to keep Platinum (free breakfast is worth its weight in gold) and that should give me until Feb 2022! I have permanent mid tier status with several others via corporate accounts

Means nothing if you cannot travel and I have global ground stop is in place, nothing outside city of residence, I escaped the US on a EI flight last weekend after getting a OK to go home by HQ.


EI are currently in a bind, if they start canceling it is a EC261 free for all, so any cancellation are 14 days ahead. If an air navigation order is issued to all Irish AOC holders not to fly to X/Y/Z then they have a get out clause on compensation on the grounds they no longer had the regulatory approval to fly but still have duty of care. Really have to question the failure here to impose some order on the situation as it has cost us dearly and it is only the start. No fair on EI crews for a start.

I will imagine EI will be happy to screw over Silver card holders to get the numbers down, Platinum will drop to silver only need two segments

Dublinflyer

goingnowhere wrote: »

I will imagine EI will be happy to screw over Silver card holders to get the numbers down, Platinum will drop to silver only need two segments

I always thought it was a bit easy to get silver with EI, you see a lot of the tags around on bags.

goingnowhere

I was on track to get back to Concierge, pulling in 100-120 a month, be lucky to keep Platinum now

Board Walker

goingnowhere wrote: »

I was on track to get back to Concierge, pulling in 100-120 a month, be lucky to keep Platinum now

You are going no where lad! :rolleyes::cool::D

Jim Root

Hi guys, your thoughts please.....spent 37k Avios upgrading to business class on a US trip, due to travel next Sunday. Won't be going as the conference I was to attend is now cancelled. I asked Aerclub nicely to refund/return/cancel the upgrade and reinstate the 37k, and they are outright refusing. Seems very petty to me. What do you guys think? I'm a silver member.

Board Walker

I was booking a flight to Athens foe myself and my wife but i have put off booking it for exactly that reason. For a few weeks anyway.

Rowley Birkin QC

Jim Root wrote: »

Hi guys, your thoughts please.....spent 37k Avios upgrading to business class on a US trip, due to travel next Sunday. Won't be going as the conference I was to attend is now cancelled. I asked Aerclub nicely to refund/return/cancel the upgrade and reinstate the 37k, and they are outright refusing. Seems very petty to me. What do you guys think? I'm a silver member.

A mate cashed in his Platinum Business Class upgrade in exactly the same scenario. They refused to re-credit his account point blank.

Very short sighted approach to Customer Service considering they had enough notice to resell the seat.

steve-o

Jim Root wrote: »

Hi guys, your thoughts please.....spent 37k Avios upgrading to business class on a US trip, due to travel next Sunday. Won't be going as the conference I was to attend is now cancelled. I asked Aerclub nicely to refund/return/cancel the upgrade and reinstate the 37k, and they are outright refusing. Seems very petty to me. What do you guys think? I'm a silver member.

I've no experience with this, and the Ts&Cs are a maze, but IMHO an upgrade is defined as a reward, rewards are issued by Avios Group Limited, and AGL's Ts&Cs say rewards can be cancelled for a £35 fee. Did they send you a receipt at time of booking the upgrade that states any additional Ts&Cs? If not, I'd challenge them to point to where they state such upgrades are nonrefundable.

Jim Root

steve-o wrote: »

I've no experience with this, and the Ts&Cs are a maze, but IMHO an upgrade is defined as a reward, rewards are issued by Avios Group Limited, and AGL's Ts&Cs say rewards can be cancelled for a £35 fee. Did they send you a receipt at time of booking the upgrade that states any additional Ts&Cs? If not, I'd challenge them to point to where they state such upgrades are nonrefundable.

Yes, I got a confirmation from Aer Lingus at the time which included the line "Please note confirmed upgrades are non-refundable and non-transferable and original fare rules apply." I guess I am snookered, but I still think it's very bad form for Aerclub. I wonder would I have any luck asking Avios directly?

Noxegon

AerClub has no real competition in Ireland – and their policies are developed on that basis.

Personally I think of it as the Aer Lingus Disloyalty Scheme; I lost my Gold Circle back in the day due to a flight not being credited properly, and as a direct consequence of that I no longer prioritise EI when deciding which airline to use.

crisco10

Noxegon wrote: »

AerClub has no real competition in Ireland – and their policies are developed on that basis.

Personally I think of it as the Aer Lingus Disloyalty Scheme; I lost my Gold Circle back in the day due to a flight not being credited properly, and as a direct consequence of that I no longer prioritise EI when deciding which airline to use.

I've had similar happen and actively avoid EI out of principal. Ryanair and BA see me right 95% of the time.

NSAman

Wow, just checking prices for Easter to Ireland.... 800 bucks for a Business Class seat to Dublin from Chicago... 239 bucks for economy????

Flights must be empty at the moment TA!

L1011

SBP had a "loyalty awards" insert a week or so ago and it had a finalists list. Aerclub was on it.

Clearly anyone who pays gets listed! Its not even good as an earn and burn, no prestige status bothered with scheme. The fact that you can get better redemptions by moving the points elsewhere shows they don't put any effort in to that side of it either.

ironclaw

NSAman wrote: »

Wow, just checking prices for Easter to Ireland.... 800 bucks for a Business Class seat to Dublin from Chicago... 239 bucks for economy????

Flights must be empty at the moment TA!

I flew on Monday with AC and the plane was half empty. There are very good deals to be had, and a good opportunity to buy some airline stock :pac:

flexcon

Going to Boston tomorrow and I put a bid in for biz class going over with aer lingus from Dublin

400euro accepted today. Must be dead

goingnowhere

Reports of less than 50 onboard some TATL services

Some flights you could fit everyone in the biz cabin

Clon63

Have got good advice here before so am going to see if anyone help before i try getting through to EI again later.

I have a business flex fare for sunday to friday to Vegas via LA Which am thinking about cancelling. The fare is D classout P class back. It says there is 15% cancellation fee

It says on the websire now that change and CANCELLATION fees are waived on bookings So am Iright to assume that I would get a full regund if i cancel tnis now?

I presume I just fill out the regular cancellation request form?? Never done this before.

Thanks

Qprmeath

Will Avios let me rebook a flight same as Aer Lingus now allows? It’s an Aer Lingus flight.

ironclaw

flexcon wrote: »

Going to Boston tomorrow and I put a bid in for biz class going over with aer lingus from Dublin

400euro accepted today. Must be dead

Always bid the lowest amount, chances are it will be accepted. I got an upgrade for €100 one time. I'm pretty sure it was a system error but I didn't mention it :pac: