DJ introduces leg room for Biz Pax

[notzac]

Well I've never had cause to interact with ground crew much at QF but I have always been served promptly and with a smile when asking for seat changes or anything else even as a lifetime NB.

Maybe I've asked at the wrong time/place - I've learnt that asking for a nice seat (note - not asking for a freebie upgrade or even an ODU, I'm not that silly) at the either the MEL or BNE QP service desk is a good way to get your head bitten off.

Unlike at DJ where I was at the desk at the gate to enquire about a seat change and then ignored while the attendant turned around, walked away to be in view of the aircraft (this was in ADL) and make obscene sexual gestures to the baggage crew down below...that experience has put me off ever booking another DJ flight.

I can certainly understand why - that's completely unacceptable behaviour by anyone in any part of the service industry. Did you speak to a supervisor or provide feedback re. this?

 

[anat0l]

One alternative may be for DJ to take out a row of seating to allow more pitch for the forward-of-exit-row seats? Otherwise, it'll be a bit of tweaking possibly with PE (0.5 in or 0.25 in hither and thither).

I wonder if this means the whole forward-of-exit-row seats will be called a "Blue Zone" or a new kind of "Zone" (i.e. perhaps if you are on a Go! or Blue Saver fare, you must pay extra, but if you are Flexible or Corporate, no charge and auto-allocated for you). Of course, that would be a lot of seats at the front which I can't see all filled with Flexis and Corporates, then we also need to consider the DJ Silvers, Golds, cross-alliance equivalents who are travelling on various fare types too (including the fare types that are sold with bundled multi-airline itineraries).

Surely a DJ Gold will still be able to get access to the front section even if they are on a Go! fare; DJ Silver, no idea....

 

[Must...Fly!]

Maybe I've asked at the wrong time/place - I've learnt that asking for a nice seat (note - not asking for a freebie upgrade or even an ODU, I'm not that silly) at the either the MEL or BNE QP service desk is a good way to get your head bitten off.

I have asked at the MEL QP before (using invite from a QP PS relative of mine) and been served with a smile...although I think I got some looks from QP regulars for even being in there alone! ("hmm whats this 18 year old doing in my exclusive club !" )

I can certainly understand why - that's completely unacceptable behaviour by anyone in any part of the service industry. Did you speak to a supervisor or provide feedback re. this?

I did not as I was on an early flight out of PER and was heading on to MEL (qf wanted $440 or so for the direct flight so i though i would go dj and get on the e190 again) so I was pretty tired and just wanted to get to my hotel room...

I figure what goes around comes around...

It's made my willingness to book another flight on Virgin Blue zero. Only compunded by the fact that if I pay for a Go! or Blue Saver fare it would appear as though with the changes they are implementing I am shoved into a seat with less legroom than before for the same price. JQ is the same/cheaper (usually) and I'll still get the same seat no matter what row I'm in (unless exit of course!). Not to mention the single digit rows actually show up on JQ OLCI...

I value my SC's at about $5-$7 each, so QF can be about $100-$150 more for me for a Per-Mel flight than DJ/JQ and I will still book it. I'll never get enough in a ff year to get status, but every SC counts towards LTS.

Being a student and self funded traveller I'll pay a premium, but obviously I have a limit and red e-deals are my friend!

 

[markis10]

I did not as I was on an early flight out of PER and was heading on to MEL (qf wanted $440 or so for the direct flight so i though i would go dj and get on the e190 again) so I was pretty tired and just wanted to get to my hotel room...

Am I reading your post to say you got an E190 PER_MEL????

 

[Must...Fly!]

Am I reading your post to say you got an E190 PER_MEL????

PER-ADL-MEL E190 all the way.

 

[dajop]

I value my SC's at about $5-$7 each, so QF can be about $100-$150 more for me for a Per-Mel flight than DJ/JQ and I will still book it. I'll never get enough in a ff year to get status, but every SC counts towards LTS.

So when comparing DJ & JQ fares do you place a value on velocity points? With the addition of VA, the Velocity program is increasing in appeal over time, and personally I usually settle on the 1c/point figure (ie 5c for every $1 spent on DJ - more if you think you'd get enough for a J class redeem on VA). I suppose this isn't that big a deal, but all else being equal (departure times etc) if JQ and DJ had the same fare I'd settle on DJ every time. Although PER-east coast flights, due to their length are probably little more complicated and tend to lead people to either QF or the lowest possible fare.

 

[anat0l]

I have to admit of all the staff on the QP/domestic J Lounge network:

• BNE: QP staff are OK, but a little apathetic. JL staff are nice.
• SYD (T3): QP staff are nice (barring thewinchester's latest run-in). JL staff are nice but quite firm and strict.
• MEL: QP staff are OK. JL staff are dragons .
• ADL: QP staff are OK. One very nice lady there, however.
• PER: QP staff are OK.
• CBR: QP staff are pretty strict, but not rude nor dragons.

Being a student and self funded traveller I'll pay a premium, but obviously I have a limit and red e-deals are my friend!

+1 here: both a student and I fly pretty much on only Red e-Deal fares, since I have no incentive nor the funds to fly on flexible fares.

The premium is not entirely big when you consider most DJ fares, but I do try and avoid refreshment flights on QF when I can (for obvious reasons).

 

[Must...Fly!]

So when comparing DJ & JQ fares do you place a value on velocity points? With the addition of VA, the Velocity program is increasing in appeal over time, and personally I usually settle on the 1c/point figure (ie 5c for every $1 spent on DJ - more if you think you'd get enough for a J class redeem on VA). I suppose this isn't that big a deal, but all else being equal (departure times etc) if JQ and DJ had the same fare I'd settle on DJ every time. Although PER-east coast flights, due to their length are probably little more complicated and tend to lead people to either QF or the lowest possible fare.

No I don't because to me the benefits of Velocity status is nowhere near the benefits of QF status, especially at the lower tier.

Plus the options on QF for award redemptions are better, more routes, and V Aus don't fly out of Perth anyway.

 

[anat0l]

No I don't because to me the benefits of Velocity status is nowhere near the benefits of QF status, especially at the lower tier.

Plus the options on QF for award redemptions are better, more routes, and V Aus don't fly out of Perth anyway.

Many will be surprised to hear and/or agree with you on all of those points!

 

[dajop]

No I don't because to me the benefits of Velocity status is nowhere near the benefits of QF status, especially at the lower tier.

Plus the options on QF for award redemptions are better, more routes, and V Aus don't fly out of Perth anyway.

Yes, but I wasn't talking about QF vs DJ, that's a no brainer - QF has the trump card there (although I think over time Virgin Blue will continue to improve their offering).

I was talking Virgin vs Jetstar - on which all but their highest fares give you no points and no contribution to status at all. If the price was the same, I'd still take DJ to get some points that may or may not have value some day, over writing them off straight away which is what you are effectively doing flying Jetstar. And I am assuming from what I read the legroom on the two carriers will be the same - ie that Virgin Blue have had more legroom than JQ but have decided noone wants to pay for that, so now will have the same legroom as JQ except for those paying the high fares.

Going a bit OT, I also believe that DJ haven't yet worked out how to make transcontinental flights work for them. They're matching QF frequencies on the eastern seaboard, are expanding on the western seaboard, but still stuck with the same frequencies (inferior to QF) they've had for a while between the two sides of the country - they will need to do something to make it work at some point.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Many will be surprised to hear and/or agree with you on all of those points!

Well say I get to Silver status on DJ costing $4000 in flights...

Lounge pass
free checked baggage 23kg
+1 point per $1 spent
+25% bonus on VAus flights
+1 SC per $1 spent
priority checkin queue
y+ checkin for vaus flights
baggage tags
priority phone

QF need 350 status credits...which on Transconteinental flights on red e-deals at $230 a piece is just a tad over $4000.

QP pass
25%+ points on QF flights
J check in
+10kgs baggage
seat select
baggage tags
priority phone

they're almost the same, but for almost the same qualification cost on discount whY i'm getting QF service and more baggage too. and J check in across the network (and oneworld)

it's hard to see the value in the DJ programme.

 

[samh004]

they're almost the same, but for almost the same qualification cost on discount whY i'm getting QF service and more baggage too. and J check in across the network (and oneworld)

it's hard to see the value in the DJ programme.

To play devils advocate for a second, don’t DJ have a few partnerships with US-based and other carriers worldwide, that while not comparable to OneWorld, do give you a slightly larger network of services?

 

[Must...Fly!]

To play devils advocate for a second, don’t DJ have a few partnerships with US-based and other carriers worldwide, that while not comparable to OneWorld, do give you a slightly larger network of services?

From the velocity website;

• Priority Check-in is available at major airports in Australia, NZ and Bali.
• When flying V Australia you can access Priority Check-in at the fast-moving Premium Economy counter.
• When flying Virgin Atlantic, you're entitled to Priority Check-in through the Premium Economy counter.

Not for priority check in.

But yes they do have various partnerships like most award programmes but the oneworld alliance is far larger and gives better benefits in terms of J check in and other things outlined above.

 

[drron]

I have top say my DJ experiences are better than some here.If travelling by myself I get an exit row at checkin 75% of the time and not just at MCY where I am known.has occurred in SYD,BNE,ADL but not in MEL.
My feeling is better leg room on DJ cf JQ.So even if I end up sitting down the back even with these changes i will only end up the same as on JQ.
So with at least some form of loyalty program DJ wins out over JQ-and seeing my home port is MCY QF is out of the picture.The only other theoretical option for me is TT to MEL-and it will remain theoretical.

 

[N860CR]

DJ do currently have the best leg room of any of the domestic carriers, so basically what we'll get is the more expensive seats will maintain the current superior leg room where as the cheapies will revert to QF/JQ standard.

Why this is a reason for people to scream "now I'll never fly DJ" is beyond me. Although there does seem to be a general trend towards that whenever any changes are announced.

 

[markis10]

DJ do currently have the best leg room of any of the domestic carriers.

Blue Zone legroom is pretty good, but with the shortest seat pitch at 30-31 inches of pretty much any airline in the world I am not sure how you can say they have the best leg room.

Virgin Blue 30-31" Pitch 17" Width 737-700
Qantas 31" Pitch 17" Width 737-800
ANA Domestic 31" Pitch 16.5" Width 737-800
Southwest 32-33" Pitch Width 17" 737-700
Ryanair 30" Pitch Width 17" 737-800
Delta 31" Pitch Width 17.2 737-700

They do beat Tiger's 29 inch though!

 

[anat0l]

They do beat Tiger's 29 inch though!

They aren't the only ones with that wretched pitch either.....

 

[markis10]

They aren't the only ones with that wretched pitch either.....

Who else has got that pitch, danielribo's comments got me interested in who realy was the worst carrier and it was hard to find any sub 30", this was a handy reference though even if it is wrong for DJ:

Airline Seat Guide for Airlines in Australasia / Pacific

http://www.airlinequality.com/Product/seats_europe.htm

 

[anat0l]

Who else has got that pitch, danielribo's comments got me interested in who realy was the worst carrier and it was hard to find any sub 30", this was a handy reference though even if it is wrong for DJ:

Assuming that list to be correct, then my hunch was confirmed: Air Asia also has 29" pitch.

easyJet also has it.

They are the only well-known ones that have that pitch, but I knew at least someone else in the world had it.

 

[N860CR]

A while ago, crazydave posted a diagram that clearly compared the legroom on QF/DJ. I'll have a search. From memory, every single seat on DJ offers more legroom than QF do.

** Located: http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...diagrams-side-by-side-seat-pitch-analysis.pdf