Yesterday we completed the 4 French visa applications via the Platinum appointment upgrade. What became apparent quite quickly even though I am dead against paying for any type of upgrade normally I am glad I had.
We had a morning booking time and after having to go back home and fetch the grand kids who we were originally told were not required to attend everything went smoothly. When we arrived at the offices we noticed here was a queue of around 50 people waiting in line and this was the oral standard line and not the express service.
We were welcomed into our own lounge with a coffee machine and pastries on offer. One of the agency's employees is assigned to tending to your requirements including making sure the paperwork is filled out correctly.
This is done in full view of those standing in the standard queue and after roughly 3 hours which was mainly having to drive the extra 150 km round trip to fetch the grand kids we were done. The cost was a hefty $300 which is for two people because the grand kids are under age and free.
The standard queue which hadn't moved very much over the 3 hour period are only paying $50 with the hidden extras like photographs even if you have taken them yourself or had them done elsewhere are never up to their standards because this is a business and everyone has to have their photographs retaken. Add another $10 per person with a day written off and suddenly the $150 each doesn't seem that bad.
The aim from what I could see is to highlight the Platinum option and to make your day as miserable as possible so the next time you will always select the upgrade. All I was thinking is what a genius, but nasty business model by upsetting your customers on purpose in order to grow your future business. You cannot make this stuff up and I watched it being fascinated whilst the time I was there.
When I went to fetch the kids our assistant was stressing as our papers and passports needed to be at the airport by 2pm in order to meet their standards of offering the express service. We are expecting the visas and passports back on Friday which I will collect because I refused the courier delivery and balked at the $60 fee on top of what we had already paid. A local priority delivery of this type of package would cost you 25% of what they are charging and just did not make financial sense to pay thee extras.
The British Visas are next so I will need to drop my rods and bend over again for another shafting because I expect this will be even pricier because they have a proper menu of various option including a 10 year visa for $1K. From what my daughter was telling me last week is the French visa was cheap and less complicated of what we are going to do next. The British wanted 6 month bank statements and a whole host of other things including letters from employers with their obvious concern of people not wanting to return and going for good.
If all goes to plan we are now looking at flying on the 10th or the 17th May depending on how long the British take issuing their visas. My mother is not going to be getting any better so I find this time lost as frustrating and so unnecessary. This process has taken more than 4 months to get to this point and what I have learned is to never let your passport expire and be ahead of the game.