Aerlingus AerClub/Avios

djkeogh

Have been onto aer lingus through facebook trying to argue my case for Silver but they're not biting. 15 return trips to Europe doesn't make the cut it would seem, even though it more than qualifies on their new points system.

Looking at making my first booking of the new year and it likely won't be a Aer Lingus flight. Not in protest as such but there are better flight times and cheaper prices out there. I would have gone the extra mile for AL with the priority and lounge access in the past but without it I'm not exceptions anymore.

Simon Gruber Says

I had 300 applicant points, for which I have been given 30 tier credits. That seems way off compared to some people who have posted here with much higher points.

It may be that I had not actually received GC points for all of the flights I had in the 12 month period though.

FrequentFryer

Im interested to know if others have similar issues trying to engage with the new Aer Lingus AerClub loyaty scheme. It replaced the pretty dysfunctional Gold Circle Club, and looks promising as it is based on an Avios scheme, and rewards all flights not just Business Class.

Originally it was announced as rolling out early in 2016, then got delayed a couple of times, until it finally went live in November. I have been flying Aer Lingus a lot on their Advantage tickets, and as a result should be comfortably over the level required for Silver membership to use the Lounge etc.

However on 'My AerClub' none of these flights are credited, even though they are all listed on the 'My Trips' page of my account. When I asked for them to be credited I was told I had to enter tham manually - which seems a bit mad as they already have them in their system? So be it, when I try and enter them manually the link breaks and you cant do it that way either. Anyway it doesnt seem to matter much since they say "We will store this and in early 2017 you will see the credit applied to your account".

For a scheme intended to reward loyalty, it seems to be spectacularly failing. Anyone else grumpy with AerClub?

I merged this new thread into the Existing GC thread as it lines up with the ongoing discussion over the very unclear and turbulent transition to AerClub that is causing negative issues for a lot of GC members being moved to AerClub.
All opinions and viewpoints continue to be welcome

FrequentFryer

Thanks for the merge, I had originally searched for AerClub, afterwards I found the GC thread.

What a shambles...

Santa Claus

My GC status expired in September (which considering GC was originally meant to close in June meant my GC points would be safe and convert to Avios) and so I started collecting BA points and am already on silver with them.
Now it appears that AerLingus don't have to transfer my 4,000 GC points into Avios because my GC status went down to applicant in September.

Seems a lot of people are in the same boat and a cynical person might say that someone realised how much it would cost them to buy all the avios for GC members and decided to thin the herd by delaying and allowing accounts (and GC points) to expire and minimise the cost to EI.

I'd like to think of myself as patriotic and have always flown EI when I had a choice but why would I start collecting Aerclub points when I'm BA silver and have all the oneworld benefits that it brings which aerclub won't have for a few years.

I feel sorry for whoever handles EIs twitter as they're getting slated and the smart lads in Aerclub have listed the reservations number as their contact number on the website with no option for Aerclub so they don't have to deal with angry passengers!

What rate did GC points convert to Avios at out of curiosity?

Deagol

Santa Claus wrote: »

My GC status expired in September (which considering GC was originally meant to close in June meant my GC points would be safe and convert to Avios) and so I started collecting BA points and am already on silver with them.
Now it appears that AerLingus don't have to transfer my 4,000 GC points into Avios because my GC status went down to applicant in September.

Seems a lot of people are in the same boat and a cynical person might say that someone realised how much it would cost them to buy all the avios for GC members and decided to thin the herd by delaying and allowing accounts (and GC points) to expire and minimise the cost to EI.

I'd like to think of myself as patriotic and have always flown EI when I had a choice but why would I start collecting Aerclub points when I'm BA silver and have all the oneworld benefits that it brings which aerclub won't have for a few years.

I feel sorry for whoever handles EIs twitter as they're getting slated and the smart lads in Aerclub have listed the reservations number as their contact number on the website with no option for Aerclub so they don't have to deal with angry passengers!

What rate did GC points convert to Avios at out of curiosity?

Who wanted avios?? I would have happily lost all the old points completely if I'd been given silver membership. Wouldn't have cost EI anything really, and I'd have been happy. I'd have clicked up to 300 points+ in the next year and kept silver at least and everything would have been fine.

I suspect many others will be the same.

djkeogh

I agree, I don't see why they didn't just port over all existing GC members and then there would be no issues. we get the perks and start working towards entry again over the next 12 months and start earning the Avios points. For those who were above Gold Circle I can see the need to reward them for taking away their points.

Noxegon

djkeogh wrote: »

Looking at making my first booking of the new year and it likely won't be a Aer Lingus flight.

I'm with you on that. I got an email today with my final Gold Circle balance of 3500 points, which has been replaced by 250 "Welcome" Avios and 65 tier points.

I am in charge of a Customer Service team, and if one of my people sent a Foxtrot Yankee like that to a customer there'd be hell to pay.

Smart flies other airlines.

FrequentFryer

I got the same, with less GC points :

"Your final Gold Circle Points balance: 1100 In recognition of your support as a Gold Circle member, you will receive 250 Welcome Avios points."

I guess thats the standard applicant amount.

jesus_thats_gre

Got an email back from Aer Lingus to tell me that I am Platinum. Told me that a car is in the post but the website is still the same - green with only avios points. Shall ignore the website for a few weeks me thinks.

The_Wanderer

Noxegon wrote: »

I'm with you on that. I got an email today with my final Gold Circle balance of 3500 points, which has been replaced by 250 "Welcome" Avios and 65 tier points.

I am in charge of a Customer Service team, and if one of my people sent a Foxtrot Yankee like that to a customer there'd be hell to pay.

Smart flies other airlines.

Least you got 65 tier points. I'm still wondering how they allocated them.

How many flights did you take in the Oct to Oct range? UK, Europe, T/A?

Noxegon

Three round trip transatlantic crossings, one of those in business class, and a handful of Europe hops.

faceman

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

Got an email back from Aer Lingus to tell me that I am Platinum. Told me that a car is in the post but the website is still the same - green with only avios points. Shall ignore the website for a few weeks me thinks.

Definitely imbalance in the transition to AerClub..

L1011

Makes a change from tipperary crystal!

Downsey77

Noxegon wrote: »

Three round trip transatlantic crossings, one of those in business class, and a handful of Europe hops.

A Transatlantic J Class return is 250 Tier Points alone, you're definitely being short changed there by whatever sneaky formula they are applying.

Tenger

Noxegon wrote: »

I'm with you on that. I got an email today with my final Gold Circle balance of 3500 points, which has been replaced by 250 "Welcome" Avios and 65 tier points.

I am in charge of a Customer Service team, and if one of my people sent a Foxtrot Yankee like that to a customer there'd be hell to pay.

Smart flies other airlines

Would be illuminating to see what response (if any) you get from the head of the GC/AerClub program mentioning that based on the level of 'customer service' received during this transistion, your expected 2017 bookings would not be with EI.

I can understand a certain level of upset with converting points to avios, altering perks, spliting 3 grades into 4 grades, and moving from milage based into revenue based. But reading this thread it just all seems so random and arbitary. No upfront warning of downward tier movement, short notice info on conversion of GC points.
No sense that they are trying to entice the move to Aerclub, more like "take it or leave it".

endagibson

I see that AerClub are just as good as crediting for flights as Gold Circle were. They can never get the Economy Plus right.

Yamanoto

endagibson wrote: »

I see that AerClub are just as good as crediting for flights as Gold Circle were. They can never get the Economy Plus right.

http://www.aerlingusaerclub.com/

Just tried to add an inbound from MUC on their new missing flights page above & it tells me my AerClub number is invalid.

After all the false starts & enough lead in time to test a bloody missile defense system, they're still scrambling about trying to sort out the fundamentals.

The_Wanderer

Yamanoto wrote: »

http://www.aerlingusaerclub.com/

Just tried to add an inbound from MUC on their new missing flights page above & it tells me my AerClub number is invalid.

After all the false starts & enough lead in time to test a bloody missile defense system, they're still scrambling about trying to sort out the fundamentals.

Just logged in OK for myself.

Noxegon

Tenger wrote: »

Would be illuminating to see what response (if any) you get from the head of the GC/AerClub program mentioning that based on the level of 'customer service' received during this transistion, your expected 2017 bookings would not be with EI.

I feel that watching paint dry would be a more constructive use of my time honestly. Remember this is the airline that needs sixty days to respond to customer service queries.

https://twitter.com/AerLingus/status/781472706776752128

I'm glad I have choices on my main routes out of Dublin.

Yamanoto

The_Wanderer wrote: »

Just logged in OK for myself.

Registered a missing flight using link above or just general log in to the site?

The_Wanderer

Yamanoto wrote: »

Registered a missing flight using link above or just general log in to the site?

Just a log in.

AndyBoBandy

The_Wanderer wrote: »

Just a log in.

That's not the issue Yamamoto is having.

We can all log in...

AndyBoBandy

Noxegon wrote: »

I feel that watching paint dry would be a more constructive use of my time honestly. Remember this is the airline that needs sixty days to respond to customer service queries.

https://twitter.com/AerLingus/status/781472706776752128

I'm glad I have choices on my main routes out of Dublin.

I've between 4-6 UK return trips planned for the next 60 days,
I know they'll almost get me up to silver level, but where is the incentive to fly Aer Lingus without fast track security/check in? (Forget about the lounge which is awful anyway), especially after having it for 8 years, to suddenly have to get in that big queue at security in T2 is a real kick in the balls.
Ryanair fly to all my UK destinations, and will most likely land there on time, so I can just add DAA fast track to my booking and I'm done.
I think loyalty to Aer Lingus is well and truly over!

Noxegon

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I've between 4-6 UK return trips planned for the next 60 days,
I know they'll almost get me up to silver level, but where is the incentive to fly Aer Lingus without fast track security/check in? (Forget about the lounge which is awful anyway), especially after having it for 8 years, to suddenly have to get in that big queue at security in T2 is a real kick in the balls.

I don't know that I'd describe the lounge as awful. It's not as good as some, certainly, but it is an oasis of serenity amidst the chaos particularly in the mornings.

Like you, however, the lack of fast track eliminates the main incentive I had for flying Shamrock on anything other than transatlantic – FR is adequate for just about all of my European needs these days.

AndyBoBandy

Ok maybe not awful, but as lounges go, it's certainly middle to lower tier, and the offerings are measly

I agree though the peace and quiet there in the mornings is it's best attribute.
That and the soup they sometimes have.

billy few mates

Just got an email telling me I've been given another 100 points of some description or other, I immediately placed them in the bin along with the 350 points.
When Smart wants to be a member of a loyalty scheme, Smart joins a loyalty scheme where that loyalty is valued, this isn't one of those schemes, for that reason I'm out...

CaptainSkidmark

billy few mates wrote: »

Just got an email telling me I've been given another 100 points of some description or other, I immediately placed them in the bin along with the 350 points.
When Smart wants to be a member of a loyalty scheme, Smart joins a loyalty scheme where that loyalty is valued, this isn't one of those schemes, for that reason I'm out...

Its ridiculous, They have short changed me and my colleagues so many times this year. about 600-900 points is the average short changing. Its silly to call it a Loyalty program when Aer Lingus are not being loyal to us.
Our company and another Irish company have now moved away from Aer lingus for 2017, we are now alternating between Lufthansa/Aeroflot and BA/Korean Air to get to Sakhalin. No more Aer Lingus to Amsterdam. Not just for that, lots more reasons i wont go into as i'm sure i'd be accused of "Airline Bashing"
They wont transfer our bags in Amsterdam any more either and you cant use the check in machine there either as i was told by the check in staff that KLM and Aer Lingus no longer work together.

Pedro deNada

Seems the days of the national 'flag carrier' are over and we now have BA baby 'loyalty scheme' run by a 'David Brent' type from a call centre in Swindon.

Inquitus

Pedro deNada wrote: »

Seems the days of the national 'flag carrier' are over and we now have BA baby 'loyalty scheme' run by a 'David Brent' type from a call centre in Swindon.

Be alright if it was part of the one world scheme but this is just pure muck.