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NEWS: Virgin Atlantic’s tribute to Queen, BA no longer sending cards/tags? and Silver Avios bonus missing?

Virgin Atlantic’s tribute to the Queen

Virgin Atlantic has named its newest aircraft in honour of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. The airline’s brand-new Airbus A330neo will have the name ‘Queen of the Skies’ with royal registration G-VEII, in tribute to the late monarch.

The move marks the second time the name Queen of the Skies has been used on a Virgin Atlantic aircraft. Back in 2004, her late majesty unveiled an Airbus A340-600 with the same name at a ceremony in Toulouse. The event was part of a state visit to France to celebrate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale.

Virgin Atlantic has a long history of naming its planes after famous, strong women, including ‘Diana’ in tribute to Princess Diana. Accompanying ‘Queen of the Skies’ in Virgin Atlantic’s current fleet include ‘Lady Emmeline’ (G-VLIB), which pays homage to the founder of the Suffragette movement and women’s rights activist, Emmeline Pankhurst.  ‘Fearless Lady’ (G-VEVE) celebrates the life of the mother of the airline’s founder, Eve Branson.

 

British Airways no longer sending replacement Executive Club items?

I had been seeing a few people getting error messages when trying to order Executive Club replacement items like physical cards. These seemed to be typically Silver Club members. However, today when I went to investigate it as even a GGL member, they have now completely removed the option to order a replacement card or luggage tags. Given that tags get lost on checked-in luggage extremely regularly by BA’s own baggage handlers, I think this is pretty stingy. There was always a limit on how many you could order, which was fair enough. 

Now the only option for me is to order a digital card by email, saving or printing. 

So it appears that the error messages were being caused by the fact they were about to remove them altogether! 

In early 2020, British Airways stopped automatically sending Bronze, Silver and Gold Executive Club members physical membership packs in the post. However, you could still get luggage tags and a physical card by requesting it in your membership area. 

 

BAEC status cardholders not getting bonus Avios?

Another email I had from a reader this week was about getting fewer Avios than expected as a Silver card holder. I thought this was also isolated, but then another query popped up on Flyeralk for the same thing. 

The online calculator has also been showing the same tier points for Blue as for any other status, which is incorrect. 

You should receive the following bonus Avios for your status:

  • Bronze – 25% bonus Avios
  • Silver – 50% bonus Avios
  • Gold – 100% bonus Avios

I do wonder if this is related to the promise that BA will be moving to revenue-based earning for Avios on flights in 2023. However, assuming they follow the Iberia model, you would still get more for having status. Or it may be yet just another “feature” of BA’s IT system. 

If you notice you are missing Avios in this situation or any other, here is what you need to do to claim:

  • Claim via this page
  • If that doesn’t work call British Airways Executive Club
  • As a last resort, there is someone on Flyertalk called BAmissingAvios who you could message and used to do claims, but they have been unresponsive recently, so it is not clear if they are still doing it.

Let us know if you have experienced the same issues in the comments below. 

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20 comments

  1. BA getting a computer thing wrong, wow, never! Years ago a friend was a computer programmer for BA, he was so proud when we went to events, he always had his head held high like he worked on “the” BA system. I wonder how they feel now.

  2. I am Gold and I managed to order bag tags and a physical membership card a few days ago.

  3. The bean counters creep even further into benefits “for your comfort” 🙄

  4. I just tried and was able to successfully order a bag tag as a Gold member. It said Max 3 per year and that I’d receive it within 28 days.

      1. It might be a glitch, I got the same message but succeeded on the second attempt.

      2. I’m Gold and successfully ordered some more bag tags this morning- they certainly get battered quite quickly!

        1. It seems be ok for some golds but not working for most silver and GGL. Very random.

  5. Hi Michelle – that reader you mention with the issue with avios who mailed is me – I’ll explain a bit more below, just to see if anyone else has had this issue.

    In brief, with all my BA flight & Hotel bookings, my partner, who is also silver, gets all the bonus avios points (e.g. the ones you get for hotel bookings) despite the fact it is booked through my exec account & I am paying the bill & I am the lead passenger. He also seems to get all the comms from BA.

    Example for me next weekend – BA Club Europe Flights, plus two nights in hotel; both will get 80 tier points, I will get 4166 avois & he will get 5206. The correct Avios for the flight is 4166 – but the hotel attracts a bonus and that is what he is getting (the 5206 number) This is showing in my app and the website. Seeing as we had a few BA Holidays last year, I checked back, and the same is true for all of those. And it’s the same for my future bookings too.

    I wonder if somehow he is down as the main account holder and not me – even though he has his own BA account, his own silver membership and his own bookings. Ive checked the settings, cleared him as a travelling companion etc.

    I’ve contacted BA via web form (missing avios) and they said they couldn’t help me, contact the service centre; rang silver line selected avios option – person on end of line told me what I’m telling them is “impossible” and I said I’m afraid it’s not. It felt like it was an offshore contact centre who unfortunately have to stick to a script and a standard process. Raised a further webform, this one hasn’t been responded to yet. Tried the twitter route, the agent told me she can see the difference in points, but has no idea why this is, advised me to travel then contact them again when I’m home.

    Anyone had something similar? Appreciate it does sound a bit first world problems, but I do use BA holidays for the bonus avios that I’m not getting.

    Thanks

  6. No option to order Silver tags. I’ve just dropped from Gold. Also, I applied for the Uber 25 free Avios before Xmas. Got 14 instead!!

  7. Hi Michele- similar to the above and I wonder if anyone can advise. Other half and I on Silver did four 80 point leg BA HOLIDAYS DOUBLE TIER POINT trips before his Tier point year ended. So that’s 320 TP x 4 = 1280TP. I’ve been trying to get BA to issue Gold for him as they have for me. I’ve even written to Doyle by Recorded Delivery and NOTHING. This has been going on since OCTOBER. Any thoughts anyone. BA are SHOCKING at the moment.

  8. Hi Michele Have over a period of 3 days ordered for my wife 1x Bag tag, 1x Bag tag and Gold Card, 1x Gold Card (can only order 1 item per day from drop down menu and cannot reorder same item in same year).
    Presume this is due to my wife becoming Gold for 1st time and suspect will NEVER be allowed to reorder in coming years.
    I have till July to attain Gold (different BA anniversary) so will keep you updated if still available once tier points in bag!

  9. Hi Doc had similar experience but thankfully with better outcome but took lot of calls while in Dubai (free phone no while using Du sim)
    Booked BA 5 day hotel within 14 day BA booked hols to Marrakesh in Nov from Aberdeen also flights to Dubai for Dec/Jan bt knew this would trigger Gold for wife but once again BA posted wrong tier point amounts.
    Correct ABZ- LHR- RAK but because after 5 day BA hotel we moved to other better hotel on return they did not add extra tier points!
    On ABZ-DXB we were supposed to fly ABZ- LHR – HEL – DXB to gain the rest of tier points required but BA flight to LHR delayed so they put us on direct DXB flight and we had to organise (Original Routing Credit – ORC).
    in UK was pointless calling BA as takes forever (so raised written complaint) but in Dubai speaking within 2 minutes to BA (India call centre) got bit run around during first few calls but eventually on 3rd call……Girl was fantastic and identifed complaint no and raised to a priority after I complainted her return flight to ABZ from DXB via HEL /LHR in Jan as Gold would not be honoured unless mistakes sorted.
    Within 2 days received email from BA saying wife now Gold and ORC being sorted out with Finnair.
    So please stick with it and if travelling check out BA within that country to see if easier to speak with centre

  10. Hi, I have the same missing Avios problem, as a Silver member. Just completed Osl – Sez – Lhr with Qatar in business, my BA tier points are correct, but the Avios awarded is Economy lowest. The ticket was booked through Qatar ( P class ), not sure if that makes a difference ? But surely not to the lowest Avios ?

  11. Hi Michele,

    You reminded me about needing to replace my bag tags, and fearing the worst I just emailed BA GGL and was surprised to find they said sure, no problem, will be with you in 28 days and assured me the website had the option to do this on it.

    I’m GGL but I think you are too so that shouldn’t be a difference. At first I couldn’t find the Exec Club/Exec Club Items web page other than to print my GGL card, but today hey presto it’s back.

    So hopefully an IT glitch. Although the benefit of the GGL bag tags are not entirely consistent (last bag off on recent NY flight, first bag off on more recent AA flight!), so a small win. 🙂

    1. That’s good news. I did notify BA so hopefully they fixed it. It seemed to only affect Silver and GGL weirdly.

  12. I too want to get Silver luggage tags. There is no option to order them via my executive club account – – I can only download digital versions. Please tell me how you contacted BA by email. They do not supply an address.

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