Falling out of love?

[bullerdude]

I find the lack of flexibility for Platinum (and to some extent probably Gold) to be quite frustrating.

I was chatting to the Lounge angels in Adelaide on the weekend about it and they agreed. I had wanted to upgrade to business as I was quite tired and wanted to extra space to sleep but alas no reward seats available :-/

Now there were seats in business available but there was nothing they could do as they are hamstrung by systems and policies. (The did mention something about another system upgrade to improve this??? maybe in 2020 I suspect...)

On the plane there were 6 business seats free..... Some flexibility in allowing high status members to upgrade to these seats (for points of course) would be really beneficial in my view - I mean how hard can it really be :-/

 

[Grimace1]

On the plane there were 6 business seats free..... Some flexibility in allowing high status members to upgrade to these seats (for points of course) would be really beneficial in my view - I mean how hard can it really be :-/

I know how you feel, I recently wanted to upgrade my Sydney to Cairns using points upgrade, I called Velocity up three weeks prior and was told no rewards seat availability. I found that odd but very possible too, I was advised to check the website daily so check availability, for which no "available" seats ever became available.

Upon boarding the plane, all 8 business seats were available and were available the entire flight

Pretty poor form IMO. (I was Silver, at the time but now Gold!)

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Falling out of love? No.
Fallen out of love? Yes, definitely.

Possibly more importantly for me, the decline of the VA promise (expectation?) has clearly removed the loyalty I used to show them. I now fly either airline and I can say status handcuffs aren't working anymore. I'm pretty much sick to death of the VA lounge offering and I often prefer to sit out in the terminal. I haven't jumped over to QF as I don't believe they deserve my loyalty either, so I use both of them when it suits me and VA have lost at least some of my cash......albeit probably not enough to bother them too much .

 

[Fantic125]

<snip> ... and I often prefer to sit out in the terminal. <snip>

It really depends on how much benefit you get from lounge compared to terminal.

To me, if your'e doing more than 30 flights a year with VA it's worth buying BFOD and paying for (tax deductible) Lounge membership.

Planning ahead is the key.

 

[quokka77]

If you're doing more than 30 flights per year (with VA) you might already be in the lounge (with Gold card). Qantas is rarely cheaper than VA, either at peak times, or at peak discount. So unless you're willing to slum it with Jetstar or Tiger...

 

[medhead]

No dig at at anyone. That's not my style. I'm merely pointing out that I know there are many people who don't agree with me.
I will continue to compare the QF J Lounges with the VA Lounges as that's what I have access to as a WP on each airline.

That may be what we have access to, but the VA lounge is competing in the qantas club market not the J lounge market. I'm more concerned about VA overall inability to compete at a platinum level, than I am to make a mismatched comparison.

Without trying to be rude, the CC was only part of the decision, the OP says that I work within the industry and am continually disappointed on certain points of the VA experience.

The credit card was one of the things that "really hit the nail on the head". That sounds like a key decision point to me.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

It really depends on how much benefit you get from lounge compared to terminal.

To me, if your'e doing more than 30 flights a year with VA it's worth buying BFOD and paying for (tax deductible) Lounge membership.

Planning ahead is the key.

I used to agree with your comment, but I now know there is another factor.....variety. The lounge offers mediocre food, I can get far better out in the terminal. The lounge offers free grog, despite some of my jocularity displayed here on AFF, I often have no grog and when I do, it maxes out at maybe two small glasses of wine (I do like the sparkling water on tap though). I have internet available without the lounge but generally couldn't be bothered. So in actual fact the lounge offers a seat and a newspaper. Given the lounge these days in BNE (where I fly from often) is packed to the rafters and a lounge does not exist in many of my most frequented airports, the lounge is actually not as big a plus factor as I used to tell myself. I do understand what you mean though and yes when in the terminal, I do have to pay for F&B but I then have choice of some nice offerings rather than bloody soup and ham toasted sandwiches. The change to the lounge food is not evident in BNE on most of my flights (yes, in excess of 30 per year) and to be honest, I think it's only been one morning flight I noticed the bacon, but due to the crowding of the lounge, I didn't get any!

My comment was not about the value of the lounge membership, I'm a plat and get it complementary, it was about how boring the offering is these days. (Hang, I can't even recall the last time I saw the dreaded hot dogs........how sad is it when you start wondering where those gourmet delights with the stale buns, went?)

 

[JohnK]

I used to agree with your comment, but I now know there is another factor.....variety. The lounge offers mediocre food, I can get far better out in the terminal.

Agree with most of your comments.

Can do without the alcohol and the food in lounges is generally not worth it. OOL anyone? If you are really hungry buy something you want to eat and sit and buy 1 beer and drink it while people watching.

My biggest concern would be checked luggage. Is it $23 per bag or more? For 15-20 flights a year the cost adds up? Does VA lounge membership provide checked luggage like Gold? Probably not. Do you get luggage allowance as Silver? Seat selection it doesn't matter if you are in row 7 or row 11.

 

[Scarlett]

i have found when my expectations are lowest i am happiest!!!

You're happy on JQ???

 

[ozbeachbabe]

My biggest concern would be checked luggage. Is it $23 per bag or more? For 15-20 flights a year the cost adds up?

Does VA lounge membership provide checked luggage like Gold? Probably not. Do you get luggage allowance as Silver? Seat selection it doesn't matter if you are in row 7 or row 11.

What about an EY status match to your QF WP which gives you lounge access & checked luggage foc?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I find the lack of flexibility for Platinum (and to some extent probably Gold) to be quite frustrating.

I was chatting to the Lounge angels in Adelaide on the weekend about it and they agreed. I had wanted to upgrade to business as I was quite tired and wanted to extra space to sleep but alas no reward seats available :-/

Now there were seats in business available but there was nothing they could do as they are hamstrung by systems and policies. (The did mention something about another system upgrade to improve this??? maybe in 2020 I suspect...)

On the plane there were 6 business seats free..... Some flexibility in allowing high status members to upgrade to these seats (for points of course) would be really beneficial in my view - I mean how hard can it really be :-/

I know how you feel, I recently wanted to upgrade my Sydney to Cairns using points upgrade, I called Velocity up three weeks prior and was told no rewards seat availability. I found that odd but very possible too, I was advised to check the website daily so check availability, for which no "available" seats ever became available.

Upon boarding the plane, all 8 business seats were available and were available the entire flight

Pretty poor form IMO. (I was Silver, at the time but now Gold!)

So even at the airport any seat in the J cabin isn't fair game when it comes to ODU's?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

So even at the airport any seat in the J cabin isn't fair game when it comes to ODU's?

No, not in my experience.

 

[maninblack]

Was never in love with VA. They are just another airline and across the board provide a generally acceptable but fairly unimpressive product.

 

[medhead]

My biggest concern would be checked luggage. Is it $23 per bag or more? For 15-20 flights a year the cost adds up? Does VA lounge membership provide checked luggage like Gold? Probably not. Do you get luggage allowance as Silver? Seat selection it doesn't matter if you are in row 7 or row 11.

No checked baggage does not cost $23. Buy a saver fare instead of a saver lite. On ADL-SYD the difference is generally about $10-$15. The difference SYD-BNE/ool should be about the same.

Then there is the cheaper price on with VA. My average fare is about $24 lower on VA than QF.

 

[Justinf]

As a self-funded flier I have reached Gold status for two years running by doing a few status runs to get me there.
When my Gold status expires July 2015, I will most probably not try to requalify.
From then on, it will be any airline that tickles my fancy at the time.

 

[AL1CE]

So even at the airport any seat in the J cabin isn't fair game when it comes to ODU's?

Not with VA, yes with QF. Priority given to P1, WP. VA suck at this!!

 

[carwashhair]

As a self-funded flier I have reached Gold status for two years running by doing a few status runs to get me there.
When my Gold status expires July 2015, I will most probably not try to requalify.
From then on, it will be any airline that tickles my fancy at the time.

This has been my story too, but my SG status has just lapsed. I would characterise my two years as a nice vacation from reality. However if gold status IS your reality (eg work travel) then I can see clearly how quickly it would turn into its own kind of grind.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

if gold status IS your reality (eg work travel) then I can see clearly how quickly it would turn into its own kind of grind.

I think a lot of people who don't fly frequently, miss this very important fact that you've pointed out. My interpretation of status benefits are perks that lure frequent flyers to an airline because those perks help to make the frequent flying more bearable. It does become a grind and it does become tiring. To be able to drop into a lounge and get some semi-decent food and a quiet place to relax for a bit is important, yet many airlines seemed to be making status something available to all and sundry (probably because it's a business in itself). I'm not a big believer of that. Perhaps "status" is not the appropriate word to use and "frequent flyer" should actually mean frequent flyer......not the occasional flyer who's "lucked" into a status tier by DSC offers, cheap ASAs on the back of credit card spend or by credit card SC promos. I'm actually glad to see QF making changes to reduce the huge number of those type of infrequent, frequent flyers and I'm also glad that VA seem to have woken up to the huge disservice they were doing to their genuine frequent flyers by their continual SMs and "gift" SCs and awarding status renewal which was unearned by large margins (I'm not against it if someone only missed by 5 SCs or so) and the like.

I also know my viewpoint will not be liked by many on this forum!

 

[dfcatch]

I spread my loyalties between VA and QF. QF for all international and VA for the majority of domestic. If I were to be brutally honest though I don't think VA have lived up to the early hype. Unless I'm flying J I may as well be VA Red as far as the service is concerned. As for the lounges they are light years away from the QF domestic J Lounges. I am aware that this opinion isn't universally popular here.
To cut a long story short if I were forced to choose between the two it would be an easy decision and not in VA's favour.

I would say the VA lounges are light-years behind the domestic QPs.

VA "can" do so much better.

That said they are currently my domestic airline of choice and QF my International one.

If QF wasn't Jetstarising everything (and/or gave me an incentive to fly JQ), then I would dump VA completely.

That's the irony.

 

[dfcatch]

VA do not release the J seats for late upgrades.

They strictly inventory control them the whole way through.

Silly IMHO but they are concerned about devaluing them.

Personally - I think you can keep it tight but then open them up to allow ODUs.