Business Class Fares - Dropped in Price

[777]

You don't discount products that are selling well!

I don't disagree with that. However trying to find the optimum price point (where yield and revenue is greater) does not necessarily mean that "J is not performing as well as hoped."

You are making asumptions about what the "hope"/ plan for domestic J was. Neither of us know the plan but my assumptions about the point of domestic J all along is that it was as much about sending a signal to corporate clients as it was to specifically fill seats to paying passengers.

Check out recent VA reports and profit guidance to look at just how effective it has been at improving yield. Something is working.

 

[mardy]

Was on J MEL-OOL yesterday (full price) and it was full. But then again it is Easter...

 

[lovestotravel]

Was on J MEL-OOL yesterday (full price) and it was full. But then again it is Easter...

All flights are pretty much 100% full MEL-OOL-MEL over the next few days!

 

[DJSYD81]

Most of the transcontinental flights I've been on have had about 80% loads in J.

East coast flights have been a mix but I haven't seen any empty cabins thus far. Mostly 4-5 pax with some ful and then the odd flight with 1-2 pax.

I don't think you can expect the J cabins to be full straight away. They have been in operation for less than a year and need to be given time to build clientele.

As for the pricing, perhaps they have taken on some feedback about the price point they had or have indeed reviewed their loads and figure that if they are let's say having 1-2 pax per flight in J at that price, then if they change the price and can have 6-8 pax per flight then they are somewhat better off possibly.

Anyway, the only ones that know the true picture are VA, the rest is pure speculation.

 

[Casual Class]

This thread got me excited for a moment. I am doing OOL-MEL and back next weekend, haven't yet booked. Fired up the VA website to book and J flights for this week are $509. Out of curiosity, I changed the dates to June and direct OOL-MEL J flights are $459, however flights via SYD (OOL-SYD-MEL) are $509. In my experience DJ J & PE fares have been constant on a single route. I wonder if this would effect the flexibility of J fares. It does make the direct connection rule less reasonable, IMO if you pay more for non-direct flights and still have Velocity credited as a direct flight.

So personally I have missed out on cheaper J fare and latest double status offer

 

[Noob]

You don't discount products that are selling well!

Unless you want to increase Quantity Demand...

 

[markis10]

This thread got me excited for a moment. I am doing OOL-MEL and back next weekend, haven't yet booked. Fired up the VA website to book and J flights for this week are $509. Out of curiosity, I changed the dates to June and direct OOL-MEL J flights are $459, however flights via SYD (OOL-SYD-MEL) are $509. In my experience DJ J & PE fares have been constant on a single route. I wonder if this would effect the flexibility of J fares. It does make the direct connection rule less reasonable, IMO if you pay more for non-direct flights and still have Velocity credited as a direct flight.

So personally I have missed out on cheaper J fare and latest double status offer

DJ do seem to be pricing the non directs more now, hopefully that results in a SC earn change to reflect flights rather than point to point.

 

[MarkD]

DJ do seem to be pricing the non directs more now, hopefully that results in a SC earn change to reflect flights rather than point to point.

That would be nice if that happened, and soon

 

[ywwol]

I think it is merely a sale price that will revert back to normal after 11 April.

 

[Justchecking]

I think it's a little bit skewed perspective to say....I fly this route a lot and the J cabin is always empty, therefore J isn't doing well. Do you fly the entire network everyday? Do you fly every schedule on your chosen route everyday? No. So how do you know that the later or early flight isn't packed in J, or that your particular route just doesn't have a high demand for it? You are seeing only a minute fraction of the entire picture on one flight, in a single slot.

 

[lovestotravel]

I think it is merely a sale price that will revert back to normal after 11 April.

What makes you thing it will change on that date ?

 

[oz_mark]

What makes you thing it will change on that date ?

There is a current sale on until 11 April. While the sale page tells you the prices for economy, if you look at the availability dates for the cheaper J fares, there is quite a similarity!

 

[ywwol]

If you listen to the dates that people post, it conincides with the sale dates. Ie. not next week, up until 14 September, etc (Visit best fares on Virgin page as I am unable to post link) Therefore, I think they just dropped fares across the board by a percentage, and when the sale ends midnight, the discount will be removed and normal fares will resume.

 

[lovestotravel]

There is a current sale on until 11 April. While the sale page tells you the prices for economy, if you look at the availability dates for the cheaper J fares, there is quite a similarity!

Thanks, I'll lock in a few more J flights then on Tuesday, shame as it's a few days before the end of my billing cycle

 

[anat0l]

Well, if anything, hopefully they will continue these Business Class sales with their regular ones. Would be a useful boon for those who want to fly upfront and don't mind handing over some cash for it.

 

[oz_mark]

Thanks, I'll lock in a few more J flights then on Tuesday, shame as it's a few days before the end of my billing cycle

Not saying it is a sale, but the co-incidence is remarkable!

They appeared on 5 April - the start date of the current sale.

The sale dates match the sale

As an example, Melbourne-Brisbane has sale dates of

[TABLE="width: 192"]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 3"]22 Apr, 2012 - 22 Jun, 2012[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 3"]24 Jul, 2012 - 14 Sep, 2012[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


If you look outside those dates, J is $799, while during those dates it is $659

 

[rowdy]

It's even better value with the 25% off Amex offer which is still valid

 

[Blackswan]

It's even better value with the 25% off Amex offer which is still valid

I must have missed this offer. What's the details?

 

[rowdy]

I must have missed this offer. What's the details?

It may be a Centurion only offer;

Experience more for less with 25% off Virgin Australia’s Premium Economy or Domestic Business Class fares until 31 May 2012.

 

[markis10]

It may be a Centurion only offer;

i don't believe so.