Another corporate account to Virgin

[travelislife]

The multinational company I work for (5000+ employees) has just signed an account with Virgin stating they were offering up to a 30% discount on fares, Qantas wasn't able to offer anything in return. Currently our company travel stats are 70/30 in favour of Qantas but now is all going the way of Virgin unless Virgin don't fly that route.

Annoying for me as all my travel has been on Qantas and am QF Gold, but will see how I go as my main route is a Qantas only route, just hope the work travel policy allows for my connecting flights to be still booked on QF and not have to change to Virgin.

Just thought it was interesting and Virgin must be out there marketing heavily.

 

[Simo]

The multinational company I work for (5000+ employees) has just signed an account with Virgin stating they were offering up to a 30% discount on fares, Qantas wasn't able to offer anything in return. Currently our company travel stats are 70/30 in favour of Qantas but now is all going the way of Virgin unless Virgin don't fly that route.

Annoying for me as all my travel has been on Qantas and am QF Gold, but will see how I go as my main route is a Qantas only route, just hope the work travel policy allows for my connecting flights to be still booked on QF and not have to change to Virgin.

Just thought it was interesting and Virgin must be out there marketing heavily.

30% discount.

What fare is that based on?

 

[pauly7]

The multinational company I work for (5000+ employees) has just signed an account with Virgin stating they were offering up to a 30% discount on fares, Qantas wasn't able to offer anything in return. Currently our company travel stats are 70/30 in favour of Qantas but now is all going the way of Virgin unless Virgin don't fly that route.

Annoying for me as all my travel has been on Qantas and am QF Gold, but will see how I go as my main route is a Qantas only route, just hope the work travel policy allows for my connecting flights to be still booked on QF and not have to change to Virgin.

Just thought it was interesting and Virgin must be out there marketing heavily.

Bad luck!

That's not marketing that's discounting

 

[serfty]

Bad luck!

That's not marketing that's discounting

Large domestic intituion I have worked for gets 20% discount across the board with Qantas.

 

[muppet]

Bad luck!

That's not marketing that's discounting

Discounting alone will not secure a contract that large. If that was the only factor then the company would already be using Tiger and Jetstar.
They have obviously convinced them that they're no longer an untrustworthy LCC.

 

[Per_Travels]

A couple of weeks ago a FIFO friend of mine was telling me that the company he works for had just shifted to qantas - so I guess it isn't all one way traffic to Virgin

 

[Berlin]

A couple of weeks ago a FIFO friend of mine was telling me that the company he works for had just shifted to qantas - so I guess it isn't all one way traffic to Virgin

My "multinationa" company has gone the opposite way as well, about two years ago we switched from Star Alliance International and Virgin Domestic to Qantas/OneWorld anywhere.

It had happened just before all the QF drama (the A380 blowout, then ash cloud issues, the the union dramas) and caused quite a bit of discussion internally but as of late I would say most people are very happy with the decision. We all travel quite a lot, particularly internationally, and there are a lot of very happy QF Platinums here - me included- who wouldn't be very happy if that changed again!

 

[11sjw]

FMG, apparently, have switched from VA/Skywest to Q Link. Haven't experienced it, I've just been told.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

FMG, apparently, have switched from VA/Skywest to Q Link. Haven't experienced it, I've just been told.

Even their charter flights (e.g., cloud break...etc...) ?

 

[pauly7]

Even their charter flights (e.g., cloud break...etc...) ?

I think QF used network aviation to help steal this from Skywest/virgin if I remember the news reports correctly.
Skywest were really livid, massive loss for them. Lucky they got the VA prop job.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I think QF used network aviation to help steal this from Skywest/virgin if I remember the news reports correctly.
Skywest were really livid, massive loss for them. Lucky they got the VA prop job.

Yes, l remember 'National Jet Systems' on the BP years ago. Points and SC still earned on 'some' flights. Blue tail - no, red tail - yes

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Interesting...

As anyone in business will tell you - its almost NEVER about price and ALWAYS about value. Virgin were clearly offerring something that Qantas doesn't understand. Finding out what that special thing is the key to unlocking WHY your company changed suppliers.

 

[travelislife]

I have no idea as to the exact reason the change occurred (but I think cost would be a big one) and not sure of the fare type that the discount is taken off. Our new policy is pretty much the following:

Ø All flights booked will be with Virgin Australia, except where Virgin do not provide a service
Ø No flexible fares will be booked
Ø All travel requests must be submitted to a travel coordinator only
Ø Ensure travel requests are submitted 7-30 days in advance for best fare options, unless requested at short notice by a client.
Ø Accommodation at our preferred hotels

They also undertook analysis of our year to date travel costs so far under the current policy and have found that on similar travels Qantas is typically 15% more expensive than Virgin, going up to 30% when it involves flexible tickets.

 

[serfty]

...
They also undertook analysis of our year to date travel costs so far under the current policy and have found that on similar travels Qantas is typically 15% more expensive than Virgin, going up to 30% when it involves flexible tickets.

It's quite simple to make most statistics indicate the result you are after.

Question - Did that 15% difference include F&B/Baggage/Seat-selection/etc. costs?

 

[Toddkurnski]

Ha... Aurecon...
Keeping costs low for clients I imagine is the biggest reason.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I have no idea as to the exact reason the change occurred (but I think cost would be a big one) and not sure of the fare type that the discount is taken off. Our new policy is pretty much the following:

Ø All flights booked will be with Virgin Australia, except where Virgin do not provide a service
Ø No flexible fares will be booked
Ø All travel requests must be submitted to a travel coordinator only
Ø Ensure travel requests are submitted 7-30 days in advance for best fare options, unless requested at short notice by a client.
Ø Accommodation at our preferred hotels

They also undertook analysis of our year to date travel costs so far under the current policy and have found that on similar travels Qantas is typically 15% more expensive than Virgin, going up to 30% when it involves flexible tickets.

Hmm sounds a bit like a part of your organisation (that should be serving a support role) really wants to justify their existence. Similar thing happening where I am too.

 

[Jim Walsh]

Typical rules created by a HR department that never has to travel.

The no flexi fares is stupid, the number of times I have been caught late with a client and missed the flight and had to book a new one because there is a no flexi fare policy. What do you say to the customer "Sorry I have to leave and not fix your issue". Or the times you finish early and get to sit in an airport for 4 hours waiting

The other stupid rule is the lowest fare on the day, which becomes the expensive fare after you buy some food and pay for a bag that the HR people forgot about

 

[Balwyn3103]

Typical rules created by a HR department that never has to travel.

The no flexi fares is stupid, the number of times I have been caught late with a client and missed the flight and had to book a new one because there is a no flexi fare policy. What do you say to the customer "Sorry I have to leave and not fix your issue". Or the times you finish early and get to sit in an airport for 4 hours waiting

The other stupid rule is the lowest fare on the day, which becomes the expensive fare after you buy some food and pay for a bag that the HR people forgot about

It's not necessarily stupid at all: the US company I work for (42,000 employees) has a lowest, non-refundable fare policy. The exceptional few times when a new fare has to be bought because something goes wrong, and the original ticket can't be used, are far exceeded by the overall savings from the policy. At least for us.

 

[pauly7]

It's not necessarily stupid at all: the US company I work for (42,000 employees) has a lowest, non-refundable fare policy. The exceptional few times when a new fare has to be bought because something goes wrong, and the original ticket can't be used, are far exceeded by the overall savings from the policy. At least for us.

One of my employers - 256,000 employees but who is counting has cheapest available on way out and flexi on the way back policy and that has worked out to be most efficient after analysis revealed in a huge majority of cases only the return was modified.

Of course being an AFF adept I always engineer a flexi both ways on my preferred airlines

 

[Princess Fiona]

One of my employers - 256,000 employees but who is counting has cheapest available on way out and flexi on the way back policy

Of course being an AFF adept I always engineer a flexi both ways on my preferred airlines

Nice work :mrgreen: