Aerlingus AerClub/Avios

goingnowhere

I was given 12 month extensions on all of my programs, AC was no different

Everyone is rolling forward, thats easier for the hotels as the typically go Dec/Dec or something similar, AC is 12 months from enrolment.

Its a bit early, but its going to be 2022 before we get to some degree of normality, I'm expecting to get a roll over from AC. If not I just drop to Silver so I loose nothing really

L1011

I had just lost my decent Radisson status - due to work being insanely busy for unconnected reasons - when they announced a year extra. Infuriating albeit it was already gone

Still got status with NH that should have long since expired due to them kicking it down the road too. Unlikely to use it!

Noxegon

I’ve never gotten the impression that Aer Lingus wanted a loyalty club all that much.

BigMoose

Noxegon wrote: »

I’ve never gotten the impression that Aer Lingus wanted a loyalty club all that much.

It will be interesting to see what they do as if this is the case they have the perfect opportunity to fold it. Dont extend current status and they'll have next to no members by the time flying gets back to anything like normal. Would seem daft though as we cant be the only folk who chose to use them for work travel for the small perks we do get. Flights from Europe were half full of folk with AerClub tags on carry on. I cant imagine it costs them much given the loyalty they get. The lounges and business check in are needed for business class anyway and I'm sure the priority deal between them and DUB is next to nothing a passenger. That said, they could drop all the lounges on short haul routes as there is no business class. Drop the lounge in Dublin too and just keep 51st/Green for US business class...

AndyBoBandy

Noxegon wrote: »

I’ve never gotten the impression that IAG wanted an Aer Lingus loyalty club all that much.

fixed that a little bit... (that's how I feel about it anyway).

AndyBoBandy

BigMoose wrote: »

Flights from Europe were half full of folk with AerClub tags on carry on.

For the last 2 years or so I was regularly flying (up to around Jan 2018), on the UK flights I always took (MAN/LGW/BHX/LHR), the priority queue was always as big as, if not bigger than the regular queue, all with tags on bags..... so that kind of lost it's edge near the end for me, as in wasn't as worth it anymore...

Fast Track Security was and always will be the best benefit of membership.. especially during summer months.

Lounge access was handy enough in fairness, especially if you just want somewhere reasonably quiet to sit and relax if you've a few hours to kill, and to grab a few light refreshments... (I was always typically a 1-3 hour drive away from the airport, so would always leave with ample time to make it, so would usually* arrive 2-3 hours before a flight).

*there were times though!! :cool::cool:

Noxegon

My favourite Gold Circle experience (that long ago) was being refused access to the JFK lounge at the end of an extended trip because the card I had with me had expired a few days before.

Its replacement was waiting in my letterbox in Dublin when I got home.

I remember being amazed that the staff had no way to look up whether someone had current membership or not.

Dublinflyer

Noxegon wrote: »

My favourite Gold Circle experience (that long ago) was being refused access to the JFK lounge at the end of an extended trip because the card I had with me had expired a few days before.

Its replacement was waiting in my letterbox in Dublin when I got home.

I remember being amazed that the staff had no way to look up whether someone had current membership or not.

I got a survey from ei yesterday asking what I thought of the idea of a virtual card. Maybe that’s the direction they are going.

towger

Dublinflyer wrote: »

I got a survey from ei yesterday asking what I thought of the idea of a virtual card. Maybe that’s the direction they are going.

Physical card is totally unnecessary, I don’t even use a physical credit card any more. I told them that on the survey so hope they go that way.

Rowley Birkin QC

towger wrote: »

Physical card is totally unnecessary, I don’t even use a physical credit card any more. I told them that on the survey so hope they go that way.

but but but how will people know that I'm platinum as I waft through past the GenPop queue if it goes virtual?! :P

goingnowhere

I'm still keeping my concierge tags on my bags.

I've managed to get through fast track and into the lounge without showing a card and even through boarding gate without showing any ID, but once upon a time I was on first name terms with the staff

Board Walker

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

but but but how will people know that I'm platinum as I waft through past the GenPop queue if it goes virtual?! :P

I hope you voted to keep the card!!

BigMoose

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

but but but how will people know that I'm platinum as I waft through past the GenPop queue if it goes virtual?! :P

Surely they know by the tags on your carry-on not by the card they cant see you wave at the gate staff?? If they stop handing out tags then we do have a problem!

AndyBoBandy

BigMoose wrote: »

If they stop handing out tags then we do have a problem!

I must have about 30 old tags lying around, most still attached to the letters they were stuck to when sent out.

I have at least 8 silver tags, 4 Platinum, 2 Concierge, and the rest in old Gold Circle...

BigMoose

I have a whole collection dotted about various cases/bags, from Gold Circle and the 3 ME carriers and a Delta gold somewhere... The gold circle tag is/was handy for quickly identifying my case when I did have to check in luggage!

goingnowhere

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I must have about 30 old tags lying around, most still attached to the letters they were stuck to when sent out.

I have at least 8 silver tags, 4 Platinum, 2 Concierge, and the rest in old Gold Circle...

I have Silver, Platinum and Concierge cards from AC, all issued in the same year. Just goes to show how messed up the program was...

The new bag tags don't have the metal inserts around the holes so they won't last

AndyBoBandy

goingnowhere wrote: »

I have Silver, Platinum and Concierge cards from AC, all issued in the same year. Just goes to show how messed up the program was...

The new bag tags don't have the metal inserts around the holes so they won't last

I got my 1st set and 2nd set of Silver tags about 3 week apart from each other...
but yeah, also got a set of Platinum & Concierge in the same summer...

I pretty much stopped flying just after hitting Concierge, so only had a few of the occasions when they came down to my seat, before they'd even started the inflight meal service to give me a coffee & a kit kat... that was when you truly felt you'd 'made it'

Noxegon

goingnowhere wrote: »

I have Silver, Platinum and Concierge cards from AC, all issued in the same year. Just goes to show how messed up the program was...

I had something similar from Emirates – though in their case the qualification was a rolling twelve months, so you didn't end up losing all your points on more than one occasion just as you were about to cross the magic threshold.

Yes, I am still bitter about that.

goingnowhere

I was never Silver with AC, the system had real problems with rollovers

In both AC and GC you could go up tiers as quickly as you fly, but in GC it reset the 12 months window every time you went up. So you can go from 0 to top in 12 months.

Coming down it GC was instant, with AC it is stepped so can take years...

LiamaDelta

Noxegon wrote: »

I had something similar from Emirates – though in their case the qualification was a rolling twelve months, so you didn't end up losing all your points on more than one occasion just as you were about to cross the magic threshold.

Yes, I am still bitter about that.

Same. So annoying to have your points reset, knowing that you would have crossed the threshold within a month or two (or in my case a week:mad:)

Board Walker

When GC changed to AC i had 85% of the points before i moved up from green, when they translated the points i only had 45% of required points.

micosoft

For the return to flying but this looks promising: https://www.executivetraveller.com/aer-lingus-is-likely-to-rejoin-oneworld-as-a-oneworld-connect-member
Seems a cut down alliance would make sense - if the sponsor airlines were BA, Qatar and maybe Cathay feeding Rest of World via Dublin to US.

Noxegon

micosoft wrote: »

For the return to flying but this looks promising: https://www.executivetraveller.com/aer-lingus-is-likely-to-rejoin-oneworld-as-a-oneworld-connect-member
Seems a cut down alliance would make sense - if the sponsor airlines were BA, Qatar and maybe Cathay feeding Rest of World via Dublin to US.

That article is two years old.

One More Toy

Hi I was wondering could you help me out

I haven't earned any Avios since 16 May last year

If I remember correctly it expires within one year of not using it?

What should I do? Just buy 1000 Avios?

Thanks in advance!
Omt

VG31

One More Toy wrote: »

Hi I was wondering could you help me out

I haven't earned any Avios since 16 May last year

If I remember correctly it expires within one year of not using it?

What should I do? Just buy 1000 Avios?

Thanks in advance!
Omt

Avios expire after 3 years.

"Your Avios won't expire as long as you're either collecting or spending Avios at least once every 36 months."

https://www.aerlingus.com/aerclub/about-aerclub/faqs/

You wouldn't even have to buy 1000 Avios. You could just use the AerClub estore to buy something cheap from Easons or the Book Depository for example.

One More Toy

VG31 wrote: »

Avios expire after 3 years.

"Your Avios won't expire as long as you're either collecting or spending Avios at least once every 36 months."

https://www.aerlingus.com/aerclub/about-aerclub/faqs/

You wouldn't even have to buy 1000 Avios. You could just use the AerClub estore to buy something cheap from Easons or the Book Depository for example.

Thanks so much!

Board Walker

Just heard on Matt cooper yesterday the government or EU, cant remember which. Are planning on introducing frequent flyer tax. in a bit to reduce air travel or frequent air travel

Dublinflyer

Board Walker wrote: »

Just heard on Matt cooper yesterday the government or EU, cant remember which. Are planning on introducing frequent flyer tax. in a bit to reduce air travel or frequent air travel

The EU are doing it as far as I know. It would be very problematic I think and it's really just another way of generating tax. For example, if you travel a lot for work will you and up paying more for your holiday flights? I would guess the airlines will push back given the year they have had as well.

ironclaw

Can't really see how they would impose that on an individual with GDPR in force. You'd literally need to track a person's flying habits which someone could just opt-out of. You can't use points or miles as a proxy as every program is different, for example, someone in Ireland could earn miles on United with a US credit card.

They'll just tack it onto the ticket for everyone on the plane.

goingnowhere

I'll happily take the train but, hang on I can't... I'd take the ferry but isn't exactly clean either.

Given EI struggles to track me in AerClub...

The real problem is business and first class, you can fit 3-6 economy seats in for each. I'd have no problem with jacking up the taxes there.

We should punish extravagance not the journey taken