Virgin announces change to VS points earning rate effective 1 August

[MKB]

The Virgin Trains Loyalty Manager has been busy today. In addition to his email downgrading Traveller benefits, he sends this:

We’ve recently reviewed our partnership with Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club, and as a result are making some changes to the benefits it offers.

After careful consideration, we are changing the reward value to 1 Mile for every £1 spent with Virgin Trains.

So you can still earn Miles, and enjoy the great Virgin Trains experience when you travel with us…

• Our complimentary onboard entertainment service, BEAM
• Automatic Delay Repay
• Our paperless, ultra-easy, time saving m-tickets
How will this work?
1. This email, sent on 5 July 2017 constitutes the start of a 26 day period that notifies you about this change.
2. Virgin Trains will honour the current reward value of ‘£1 spent earns 2 Miles’ on all bookings made for journeys to be taken before midnight on 31 July 2017.
3. After the 26 day notice period, customers will no longer earn 2 Miles for every £1 spent on bookings. From 1st Aug 2017, the reward value will change to '£1 spent earns 1 Mile'.
4. Bookings made during the 26 day notice period, for travel from the 1st Aug 2017, will earn 1 Miles for every £1 spent.

We hope you will continue to enjoy earning Flying Club miles when you travel with us, and we look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.

Either this gentleman has a very odd idea of how to engender loyalty, or Virgin Trains is desperate to cut costs.

 

[HH]

Either this gentleman has a very odd idea of how to engender loyalty, or Virgin Trains is desperate to cut costs.

Based on the problems at VTEC I expect that the latter is true. If rail is a herald of the economy, as some hold, then we'd better start the belt-tightening now.

 

[All Line Rover]

Not sure how scrapping complimentary tickets that people wouldn't otherwise purchase saves money, but hey.

As for the reduction in flying club points, can I hear the pips squeaking?

 

[BigCj34]

Guessing that will affect Nectar points as well?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not sure how scrapping complimentary tickets that people wouldn't otherwise purchase saves money, but hey.

Some people will be using them to do trips that they would have paid for. And in 1st they will be consuming freebies.