A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my airline status update for 2021. While I am still researching for my Hotel status update, an interesting thing happened last week, and I just thought I’d write an update for that one small thing.
I’ve been in and out of Uttar Pradesh a lot over the past one month or so, and SpiceJet was one of the two airline options for me (IndiGo being the other one). Alliance Air also runs a flight for Air India, but they fly an ATR over a jet, and price their flights double than IndiGo and SpiceJet. While I am not a big fan of SG, because of the state of the maintenance of their aircraft, they’ve quietly climbed to the Number 2 airline in India per their marketshare (to slip to Number 3 again recently).
SpiceJet runs a loyalty programme since 2020, called SpiceClub, which morphed from an e-wallet sort of system to a proper loyalty programme. SpiceClub now runs 4 tiers: Classic, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
To qualify for SpiceJet Silver, one needs to fly 5 flights in one year on the airline, and make sure to claim them from the airline. One also needs to clock a minimum of INR 20,000 in terms of spends on the airline. The status upgrade is instant as you arrive on your fifth flight, and I checked the app on arriving in Delhi, to see the Silver status. Like you can see, now I could get free You 1st service, which means priority treatment on the airline
However, been a week, still have not received even a welcome email from the airline. I mean, how is one supposed to know about their status if the airline does not even send you a cursory email with benefits. Most people don’t even know about the programme in the first place.
Not just that, when the airline messes up, things do go unresolved for a long while. For instance, just to remind me perhaps that I was patronising SpiceJet, they canceled my flight one fine day, and rebooked me on the next morning’s flight. So, it took them about 20 days and 4 follow-up emails before they would credit the flight to SpiceClub.
To move from SpiceClub Silver to Gold, however, seems to be a big ask of me. From here on, I need to give SpiceJet 15 flights, and INR 60,000 worth of business in a year. And I’m not sure how that would work out given the generally poor experience I have on the airline.
Has anyone been climbing the SpiceClub Elite Tier ladder recently? What has been your experience with them?
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Ive been a member since start and dont even bother logging my points on spice as I avoid flying it whenever I can. They do not make you feel any more different no matter the tier of membership you have unless you pay them extra for Max. and that too the special feeling ends at luggage check in.
Nothing else I think I can say on it.
As the famous philosophers the Spice Girls would say:
“If you wanna be my lover
You gotta get with my friends.
Make it last forever,
Friendship never ends.
If you wanna be my lover
You have got to give.
Taking is too easy, but that’s the way it is.”
🙂
hey, I used to travel DEL-LHR frequently back in the day. now that will again be the case and since then Vistara has added that sector as well. I used to fly Virgin but also have Vistara Gold. comparing the two, I feel redemption, points earning and upgrades on Vistara is exorbitant, and compared to the virgin, Vistara loyalty is useless. should I go with virgin or Vistara what do you suggest?
Virgin is what I would recommend, as redemption is a lot more beneficial for flyers in comparison to Vistara.
I personally feel Vistara has the best services to offer when you’re residing in India. Their fleet and sectors are expanding like anything. The services are mind blowing. Being a Gold member and holding a Axis Infinite card myself, have been quite happy. They also allow the award flights to be upgraded with the upgrade vouchers.
Moreover, I find earn quite easy for vistara.
hey aviation geek and vatsal for your reply.
I was keen to give Vistara a try but the redemption is literally ridiculous. for one-way business class ticket virgin is 37,500 + 11,800inr. the same for Vistara is around 1,00,000 cv points + taxes. how to justify this even if you earn cv through axis infinite card.
coming to service, Vistara is no doubt good but even with virgin I never had any issues. now virgin is back to 787s but in between they started servicing del-lhr using the latest 350s with newer business class seats. hope they bring them back soon