Flew J MEL-ADL on Saturday afternoon using points + pay (6,900 + $34 -
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....y/very-cheap-business-class-points-35741.html ). Lounge was certainly better than the Adelaide DJ lounge but hardly somewhere I long to spend my weekends in - they all seem so impersonal and I would rather have lunch at home than get to the airport early to simply sit in there and eat. Polite but fairly impersonal welcome (no asking if been there before, no offer of tour etc). The entire Carlton football team were in there and while very nice to look at some of the boys it meant that the staff were flustered. Found it very odd that every single person working in the lounge wore a different uniform (some of the people bussing tables looked like contracted bathroom cleaners).
The welcome aboard was simply a 'welcome back Mr xx_x' with no acknowledgement that I was business class or even where my seat might be. Had pre-selected 2A. Delighted to find a overweight, heavily tattooed, rough-as-guts bogan in a singlet in 2B. He looked a lot like Uncle Fester. Lovely. The seats are wide and comfortable. J load 5/8.
It was a very hot day at both departure and destination cities but cabin crew were flustered and very untidy (sweating, hair everywhere). I swear the VA cabin crew gets older and less attractive with every flight I take - hardly the embodiment of the virgin brand. The Carlton team were on my flight as well and the cabin crew seemed very pre-occupied with that. I guess being the start of the season (and the first season VA is the sponsor?) they haven't met the players before and are like giggly school girls. Very weird seeing AFL footballers looking enviously at me in J as they walked back to row 10 and 11. Offered OJ or water before take off. No mention of this mocktail people seem to enjoy. No newspapers. Cabin was hot from start to finish.
After previously observing a breakfast J service from row 3 and the
painfully slow CSM (took approx 35 minutes for her to get the trolley out) I was stunned with how quickly my CSM whipped the meals out on this flight - I was served my meal within 5 minutes of the seat-belt sign being turned off. Being an afternoon snack the meal was the cold rolls and a carrot cake. They tasted quite good - it reminded me of food you would get at a cafe in a suburban shopping centre - nothing you can't make yourself at home but slightly better than junk-food. The salt and pepper shakers were very cute. Thought the paper napkin was very cheap - a simple cloth napkin would be a much more appropriate option.
Ordered a beer which had to be sourced from the back - this was warm (despite feeling cold on the outside). Tea and coffee orders quickly taken (hardly anyone had one because it was so hot). This was all completed within 30 minutes of take-off. Trays collected, no more drinks offered. No digiplayer offered at any stage. There was nothing wrong with the service, but it was very forgettable and robotic - I didn't really feel like the CSM wanted to be there (serving and calling someone sir who was at least 10 years younger than him probably didnt help!). No one from Y attempted to use the J toilet. When we landed a Cabin Crew member retrieved all of the J items from the overhead while we were still seated which I thought was a nice touch. CSM turned away as I walked out without offering any farewell.
Conclusion - based on all the other J reports it sounds like I was reasonably unlucky with my trip. Was I impressed? Not really. It was certainly better than Y but not really what I was expecting Business Class to be. I'm a regular Silver (all paid for myself) that flies this route monthly and is now looking to burn some of the many points I have accumulated. I find it absolutely hilarious that VA charge $499 for what I received - if they charged $100 more than the flexi fare of $199 (i.e. $299) I still would think it was a bit overpriced. I would much, much, much rather spend $99 on a Saver fare and then $400 on a very nice hotel room or a very nice dinner in Adelaide that night than pay $499 for J. I wouldn't bother to waste 6,900 points on this leg again unless it was for a special occasion (maybe Christmas Eve). I'm very keen to try the A330 J service and would rather save my points for an international J flight.
I will go out on a limb and bet that most VA cabin crew have never flown in J as a passenger and have a pretty limited knowledge of service delivery that is expected. QF don't always deliver but it is not because they don't know what to do.
