Blue holidays - Could it be harder?

[malmacdowall]

So planning a trip to Fiji and was attempting to book flights and accommodation via Blue holidays... Looking to use my points to pay got some of the booking...

Mistake #1- using the iPad to try to book... Searched for the dates I wanted and the Accomadation. Selected the package and went through to putting in passenger details.... I am a velocity gold member so the "select baggage" section gets greyed out ... On trying to complete the booking the website demands you select the baggage (that you can't select)... Frustrated after trying it 3 times..
Mistake #2- calling the velocity call centre, having them replicate the problem and finally saying "that's odd" but can't do anything . Can't book via the call centre as they can't use the points... Try online in another day or 2? Gave it up for a few days then tried again...
Mistake #3 trying on the iPad again and getting the same select baggage issue...
Mistake#4 - call the velocity call centre who explain that I can't use my points directly with blue holidays but Dan redeem for vouchers that can be used (once I receive them within 10 business days)... Price of package has allready gone up since the first attempt....
Mistake #5 - call blue holidays who explain that they have to charge to do the booking...$30 each. 150 total .. After some discussion they proceed to try the booking and explain that I need to use a Pc to book... I also discuss that the accomm has "kids under 12 stay & eat free" but the blue holidays site has kids at 11 and under... So the cost of the package is higher via thier system... Pretty annoyed by now, but the nice man tells me how to back door the system and also suggests separating flights from accommodation bookings.
Mistake #6 - try doing the accomm booking online, search ok, availability ok, put all details in ok (now accepts the velocity number) and press GO... then get "accommodation not available -please select new accommodation ".... Not happy jan... Now 4 hrs wasted and still nothing ... Flight prices have increased so I book them via the velocity call centre....
Mistake#7 call the blue holidays call centre back ... Wait on hold , explain the issue... Wait got them to replicate and get the same cough result....(but he did confirm that I can do points plus pay online)... He said he would check and call me back shortly... Waited 4 hours and called back to be told that the property doesn't have availability... Pick something else....

In the meantime, called the accommodation in Fiji, had a quote from them....

After all this and wasting 6hours, I will just book the holiday directly with the accommodation in Fiji .

Thanks for nothing blue holidays... Would have been nice to use the $1000 credit for my holiday... Damn....

Has anyone else found it this hard? Maybe I just had a bad run ...?

 

[Justchecking]

On the iPad issue a least it seems a lot of business websites dont play nice with them. My all-time frustration with iPads being the auto-detect re-routing of my ipad to a sodding 'mobile' version of the website. Yes folks I love interracting with a website thats been optimised for a 3" screen on my iPad....:evil:

Airline websites are mostly pretty dire on them. Interesting features like my onscreen keypad covering the drop down menus but the drop down menus disappeaing when I tell the keypad to go
away.

For some real fun just try checking out an item on eBay with paypal on an iPad. Keeps me amused for hours.

 

[odysseus]

The problem there would be ipad using a non-standard browser config. Web sites have to then customise specifically for it, but that takes time and isn't always paid for/worth it.

 

[malmacdowall]

On the iPad issue a least it seems a lot of business websites dont play nice with them. My all-time frustration with iPads being the auto-detect re-routing of my ipad to a sodding 'mobile' version of the website. Yes folks I love interracting with a website thats been optimised for a 3" screen on my iPad....:evil:

Airline websites are mostly pretty dire on them. Interesting features like my onscreen keypad covering the drop down menus but the drop down menus disappeaing when I tell the keypad to go
away.

For some real fun just try checking out an item on eBay with paypal on an iPad. Keeps me amused for hours.

totally agree..... How frustrating...... And the MOBILE version that you automatically get referred to has about 10% of the info and functionality. .... Many sites don't even give you the choice of mobile or standard..... Ggggrrrrrr....

 

[leemin]

Wouldn't it have been easier to try it on something other than an iPad after the first shot?

 

[malmacdowall]

Wouldn't it have been easier to try it on something other than an iPad after the first shot?

Hindsight always has 20/20 vision..... Plus I'm stubborn ..... I found it unusual that other than this one item, the entire site was otherwise functional ..... Normally an incompatible site will be pretty obvious as it has limited or no function....
Live and learn. "just can't brung myself to blame the iPad 2" ;(

 

[elbarto]

So planning a trip to Fiji and was attempting to book flights and accommodation via Blue holidays... Looking to use my points to pay got some of the booking...

Mistake #1- using the iPad to try to book... Searched for the dates I wanted and the Accomadation. Selected the package and went through to putting in passenger details.... I am a velocity gold member so the "select baggage" section gets greyed out ... On trying to complete the booking the website demands you select the baggage (that you can't select)... Frustrated after trying it 3 times..
Mistake #2- calling the velocity call centre, having them replicate the problem and finally saying "that's odd" but can't do anything . Can't book via the call centre as they can't use the points... Try online in another day or 2? Gave it up for a few days then tried again...
Mistake #3 trying on the iPad again and getting the same select baggage issue...
Mistake#4 - call the velocity call centre who explain that I can't use my points directly with blue holidays but Dan redeem for vouchers that can be used (once I receive them within 10 business days)... Price of package has allready gone up since the first attempt....
Mistake #5 - call blue holidays who explain that they have to charge to do the booking...$30 each. 150 total .. After some discussion they proceed to try the booking and explain that I need to use a Pc to book... I also discuss that the accomm has "kids under 12 stay & eat free" but the blue holidays site has kids at 11 and under... So the cost of the package is higher via thier system... Pretty annoyed by now, but the nice man tells me how to back door the system and also suggests separating flights from accommodation bookings.
Mistake #6 - try doing the accomm booking online, search ok, availability ok, put all details in ok (now accepts the velocity number) and press GO... then get "accommodation not available -please select new accommodation ".... Not happy jan... Now 4 hrs wasted and still nothing ... Flight prices have increased so I book them via the velocity call centre....
Mistake#7 call the blue holidays call centre back ... Wait on hold , explain the issue... Wait got them to replicate and get the same cough result....(but he did confirm that I can do points plus pay online)... He said he would check and call me back shortly... Waited 4 hours and called back to be told that the property doesn't have availability... Pick something else....

In the meantime, called the accommodation in Fiji, had a quote from them....

After all this and wasting 6hours, I will just book the holiday directly with the accommodation in Fiji .

Thanks for nothing blue holidays... Would have been nice to use the $1000 credit for my holiday... Damn....

Has anyone else found it this hard? Maybe I just had a bad run ...?

Some how blue holidays confused an o in my surname to be an a. So when I checked in at the Sheraton in Fiji the staff had a little bit of difficulty in finding my booking. Now I know my hand writing is bad, but in made this booking online so I couldn't figure it out!

 

[Virgin Australia]

So planning a trip to Fiji and was attempting to book flights and accommodation via Blue holidays... Looking to use my points to pay got some of the booking...

Mistake #1- using the iPad to try to book... Searched for the dates I wanted and the Accomadation. Selected the package and went through to putting in passenger details.... I am a velocity gold member so the "select baggage" section gets greyed out ... On trying to complete the booking the website demands you select the baggage (that you can't select)... Frustrated after trying it 3 times..
Mistake #2- calling the velocity call centre, having them replicate the problem and finally saying "that's odd" but can't do anything . Can't book via the call centre as they can't use the points... Try online in another day or 2? Gave it up for a few days then tried again...

yes, for both points - it has just come to light that there is a problem with Gold and Silver Velocity members where the inclusion of baggage isn't registering. We are currently working to rectify.

Mistake #3 trying on the iPad again and getting the same select baggage issue...

iPad, shouldn't be a problem. Its currently our system though, which we are addressing.

Mistake#4 - call the velocity call centre who explain that I can't use my points directly with blue holidays but Dan redeem for vouchers that can be used (once I receive them within 10 business days)... Price of package has allready gone up since the first attempt....

This is incorrect information given by Velocity call centre. Our vouchers only take 72hrs to distribute. We have advised Velocity call centre to have staff updated and trained again. Apologies.

Mistake #5 - call blue holidays who explain that they have to charge to do the booking...$30 each. 150 total .. After some discussion they proceed to try the booking and explain that I need to use a Pc to book... I also discuss that the accomm has "kids under 12 stay & eat free" but the blue holidays site has kids at 11 and under... So the cost of the package is higher via thier system... Pretty annoyed by now, but the nice man tells me how to back door the system and also suggests separating flights from accommodation bookings.

You can book via our GCC, the team would have been happy to waive to phone booking cost due to our system error. GCC may have thought it was a search engine problem or the fact it was an iPad, again incorrect information given. We have followed this up with the call centre team. With more details we would be able to better uncover.

Mistake #6 - try doing the accomm booking online, search ok, availability ok, put all details in ok (now accepts the velocity number) and press GO... then get "accommodation not available -please select new accommodation ".... Not happy jan... Now 4 hrs wasted and still nothing ... Flight prices have increased so I book them via the velocity call centre....
Mistake#7 call the blue holidays call centre back ... Wait on hold , explain the issue... Wait got them to replicate and get the same cough result....(but he did confirm that I can do points plus pay online)... He said he would check and call me back shortly... Waited 4 hours and called back to be told that the property doesn't have availability... Pick something else....

In the meantime, called the accommodation in Fiji, had a quote from them....

After all this and wasting 6hours, I will just book the holiday directly with the accommodation in Fiji .

Thanks for nothing blue holidays... Would have been nice to use the $1000 credit for my holiday... Damn....

If you PM your email and a phone number, we'd like to get to the bottom of some of those other points, and also see what else we can do for you.
Apologies again.

 

[malmacdowall]

Thanks Virgin Australia for the response and following this up... Although it wasn't my intent, it is still appreciated that VB take an active interest in resolving issues...

This is incorrect information given by Velocity call centre. Our vouchers only take 72hrs to distribute. We have advised Velocity call centre to have staff updated and trained again. Apologies.
.

Regarding being told that the vouchers take a week to come out.... The Call centre told me that I couldn't do "points plus pay" on Blue holidays booking.... blue holidays tells me that this is incorrect.... Points plus pay is available on Blue Holidays and there was no need to even consider vouchers....

QUOTE=Virgin Australia;443967]
You can book via our GCC, the team would have been happy to waive to phone booking cost due to our system error. GCC may have thought it was a search engine problem or the fact it was an iPad, again incorrect information given. We have followed this up with the call centre team. With more details we would be able to better uncover.
[/QUOTE]

Eventually the rep spoke to a team leader and agreed to waive the booking fee but couldn't process it using the points plus pay..... And still had the availability glitch issue...

In addition to this it is very frustrating to do a specific search for dates and requirements.... Fill out all the details for the travelers ONLY THEN to get the not available message....

On calling the resort directly the checked dates and had availability..... So with airfares and no way of booking through Blue Holidays, I had to book direct....

Even more frustrating was; A. not being able to use any points (and save $1000 cash) and B. Missing out on 19,000 points I would have earned on the accommodation alone......

QUOTE=Virgin Australia;443967]
If you PM your email and a phone number, we'd like to get to the bottom of some of those other points, and also see what else we can do for you.
Apologies again.[/QUOTE]

Again thanks for your willingness to assist. Will PM you my details and hopefully it will save others the same hassles.....