Has any QFF's switched over to Virgin, or may?

[Jack Melon]

So just curious, will any of you, be switching to the new virgin australia for business travel now or in the future when the complete new product is rolled out?

 

[TonyHancock]

So just curious, will any of you, be switching to the new virgin australia for business travel now or in the future when the complete new product is rolled out?

At the moment I'd have to say no. http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ram/whats-stopping-you-leaving-qff-31741.html

 

[connieguy]

So just curious, will any of you, be switching to the new virgin australia for business travel now or in the future when the complete new product is rolled out?

With DJ's new anytime lounge access and a domestic priority boarding system that works, I now have a foot in both camps. There are others here who have done likewise.

 

[Moopere]

I'll certainly look at it when:

- They join a major alliance
- Have consistent seat class product
- Lounges start opening up (not just domestic)

 

[antycbr]

Yes, after a status match in 2010. On track to earn more than 500 domestic and TT status credits with VA.

Reasons for changing:
- Continual erosion of benefits
- Increasing fares ex-CBR for Qantas
- Genuine customer service on the ground and in the air
- Newer fleet
- Being a bigger fish in a smaller pond - in CBR there's heaps of QFF
- Changes to credit cards, with Amex Platinum Edge offering a decent earn rate (3-2-1 earn) into Membership Rewards and convertible to Velocity for almost 1/3 the annual fee of the Amex Qantas Ultimate and Virgin Flyer card with 2-4-1 flights
- Attitude of VA reps in the forums - genuinely trying to help.

 

[connieguy]

Attitude of VA reps in the forums - genuinely trying to help.

Yup. They are good value. As an example when the forum members asked to see the anytime DJ Gold lounge access in print (on the DJ web site) they reacted and shortly there after it happened. Likewise the issue with the PP cards and DJ Lounge access ending. After some discussion on this forum, they sorted it very quick.

 

[medhead]

Yes. I'm in the process of switching my flying. 50% to virgin of my work flights, unfortunately their timetable is no good for the other 50% of my work flying. Leisure flying I've also switched and have about 75% of my recent leisure flying on VA.

Just hit silver requalification after a status match in 2010. Only took the match with the intention of retaining gold.

 

[pshepvic]

For me it was work that has led me to fly VA. Company policy. At first I wasn't happy, but VA is genuinely improving their product, so much so that I'm now directing a significant amount of my leisure travel their way as well. It's looking very likely I'll hit Velocity Platinum this year.

And after today's appalling effort by Qantas from BNE-MEL, I'm considering directing all my personal Y class travel to VA.

A last minute change from a 738 to a 734 (which I never would have booked), those ridiculous convertible seats in row 4 (my partner is not large and could barely sit in the middle seat), an absolutely full flight (so nowhere to move), a downright rude CSM with a bad attitude, boarded 20min late (and no announcement until 15min after the scheduled board time), no priority boarding, a crowded J lounge full of screaming children, and numerous other issues. Mr Joyce, your time is up. Mr Borghetti, well done.

 

[Jack Melon]

For me it was work that has led me to fly VA. Company policy. At first I wasn't happy, but VA is genuinely improving their product, so much so that I'm now directing a significant amount of my leisure travel their way as well. It's looking very likely I'll hit Velocity Platinum this year.

And after today's appalling effort by Qantas from BNE-MEL, I'm considering directing all my personal Y class travel to VA.

A last minute change from a 738 to a 734 (which I never would have booked), those ridiculous convertible seats in row 4 (my partner is not large and could barely sit in the middle seat), an absolutely full flight (so nowhere to move), a downright rude CSM with a bad attitude, boarded 20min late (and no announcement until 15min after the scheduled board time), no priority boarding, a crowded J lounge full of screaming children, and numerous other issues. Mr Joyce, your time is up. Mr Borghetti, well done.

Love the "Mr. Borghetti, well done"

 

[connieguy]

...It's looking very likely I'll hit Velocity Platinum this year...

:shock: :shock: DJ WP? :shock: :shock:

Who you been talking to? Come on we are all good mates here with open ears.......

Is it time to repaint the logo on the 3 tails of the Connie?

 

[pshepvic]

:shock: :shock: DJ WP? :shock: :shock:

Who you been talking to? Come on we are all good mates here with open ears.......

Haven't been talking to anyone. But I don't think it's too hard to work out what the qualification level will be, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to bolt it in anyway (so there's a buffer if it's a bit higher than expected).

 

[munitalP]

LOL, LMAO, WTF and any other acronyms that can be summed up.

DJ / VA are still a LCC/NWA or what ever they want to call themselves.

Anyone who thinks that they have a hard product that matches QF have their heads in the clouds. Seriously.

My DJ experience tonight has underscored my doubts that DJ will be competition for QF anytime soon. Lets have a reality check - FA has changed with DJ today as it was apart from 12, 24 or even 36 months ago. At least QF has remained constantly ordinary. Business travelers such as myself know what I'm saying...

munitalP

 

[medhead]

:shock: :shock: DJ WP? :shock: :shock:

Who you been talking to? Come on we are all good mates here with open ears.......

Is it time to repaint the logo on the 3 tails of the Connie?

Well and truly time to repaint. DJ Plat was announced some time ago, just waiting for the details.

 

[medhead]

LOL, LMAO, WTF and any other acronyms that can be summed up.

DJ / VA are still a LCC/NWA or what ever they want to call themselves.

Anyone who thinks that they have a hard product that matches QF have their heads in the clouds. Seriously.

munitalP

The question of the thread is hardly about hard product alone. Where I sit the hard product is the same and the service blows qantas away. Why? Consistency! Priority boarding and friendly helpful staff. Hell on Friday night they even let me stow my bag in the crew reserved locker when in PE.

 

[richie9x]

It is very tempting to switch some, or even most of my domestic travel to Virgin. Next weekend I should reach platinum with QFF. But there is not much incentive to keep pushing my status credits that way for the rest of my QFF year (which I am half way through).

The three alternative benefits at 2400 aren't much value to me. Although the extra points would come in handy, but not much extra reward for 1000 SCs worth of travel. At a stretch I might be able even be able to make platinum one. But I doubt its benefits will be that great. Probably the only main attraction of the Qantas FF is the potential of life time gold further down the track.

It would be of much more benefit to me personally to move a couple months travel to Virgin so as to get gold status. As for my personal flying out of Brisbane there are two direct flights that only Virgin do direct that Qantas does not do. So lounge access would come in handy.

And going forward if my work travel drops significantly it will be a lot easier to maintain gold with Virgin.

 

[connieguy]

LOL, LMAO, WTF and any other acronyms that can be summed up.

DJ / VA are still a LCC/NWA or what ever they want to call themselves.

Anyone who thinks that they have a hard product that matches QF have their heads in the clouds. Seriously.

My DJ experience tonight has underscored my doubts that DJ will be competition for QF anytime soon. Lets have a reality check - FA has changed with DJ today as it was apart from 12, 24 or even 36 months ago. At least QF has remained constantly ordinary. Business travelers such as myself know what I'm saying...

munitalP

Sorry but I do not agree. I did 3,200 SCs last year and very little was on the QF "hard product". Why? Because it is, IMO, over priced and under performing. QF can't even get a simple thing like domestic Priority Boarding working or get their web site to say the same thing about that benefit. Their J / F prices are the highest in the world, well the highest I know of and still they can not make money internationally.

I have never been greeted by name or given a Priority Express card (inbound or outbound) without asking for it. Twice I did have a CSM ever come to say HI. I can only guess that was because when I fly QF long haul, I fly in the first -Y exit row.

If someone else was paying for my flying them I might agree as WTF it is not my dollar. But it is my dollar and I vote with my feet as to which aircraft I fly on and who gives me the best value for money.

One exception is the FLounges. Totally exceptional places to wait for a long and boring taxi ride in the sky.

 

[connieguy]

Well and truly time to repaint. DJ Plat was announced some time ago, just waiting for the details.

The devil is in the details.

Will sit back and watch as DJ releases WP and QF releases WP1. Which one will go first? Time for some more hot buttered popcorn as we wait for the old and new dogs on the block to stop circling each others and pawing at the ground. Time for some action and BLOOD! As a good Aussie punter, I have an each way bet.

 

[notzac]

I've switched my flying to Virgin and their partners. Was QF Platinum, have since dropped to QF Gold. Currently VA Gold; status matched, requalified and should have Platinum in the bag when it gets launched if my guesswork is anywhere near right.

Soft product is much better as compared to QF; a few years ago service on QF was generally pretty good but it would seem the relationship between front line staff and management keeps finding new and exciting low points. Hard product on DJ is fairly awful, save for the few BSI planes they've got going (which are several kinds of awesome)! Really like the VA hard product in whY+ (hard product in J isn't the greatest, but work doesn't pay for J anyway) and the Europe schedule with EY is v v convenient for work (direct flights in to DUB without going anywhere near LHR). If VA had direct flights to SFO, it would be just about perfect for me!

So, plenty of reasons to not fly with QF. It's a shame really, because I definitely like the oneworld network (admittedly, it's mostly just the QF F lounges and flighting with AA) .. but Virgin seem to be building a compelling alternative. Really looking forward to trying out NZ sometime!

 

[Noob]

Honestly, I think it is not in one's best interest to fly solely with one airline - I say pick the one you like more and give them the majority of your flights (for point/status accumulation) and continue to fly some legs with other carriers. It allows you to keep an eye on other airlines, what they are offering, and how it compares to where the majority of your business is going.

Also, I can not stress enough the fact that Virgin Australia does value feedback, and do follow it up!

When the entire Boeing 737-800 fleet has been reconfigured by the end of this year as is planned, and shortly latter when the entire Embraer E-190 fleet is reconfigured - Virgin Australia will have Australia's newest, best, and most consistent domestic Business Class across their entire fleet. With the same hard product in every aircraft, except the wide body A330 which has a more spacious J product due to the nature of the routes it primarily runs.

No information has been given if Business Class will be the 18 new ATR-72 aircraft, However, this may be beneficial for the SYD-CBR shuttle(?)

 

[markis10]

No information has been given if Business Class will be the 18 new ATR-72 aircraft, However, this may be beneficial for the SYD-CBR shuttle(?)

While they are capable of having J, you wont see it initially, the economics presented in the announcement centred on an all Y config, however that may change when they go from the 500s to 600s next year.