Free Water for Velocity Gold on Virgin Blue

[Deleted member 24491]

Flying back from PER to MEL on Wednesday evening - and I (along with about 5 others on-board) was given a free bottle of water before the first food/drink service. I was advised that this was because we were Velocity Gold. Has anyone else seen this before?

I know water isn't a big deal, but it was a nice touch nonetheless.

 

[N860CR]

I'm on dj this evening so I'll report back.

It was nice to check in online and allocate 4D. Seems the new system is looking after high status pax as it should.

 

[Deleted member 24491]

Yes, I've also consistently been getting 4D (or 4F) since the upgrade - which has been good.

 

[bjm76]

I am flying SYD to BNE tomorrow morning at 7am, I checked in Sunday morning at about 7:15am and I got seat 6D, was very surprised at this, as I am only Red status. However, rows 4, 5 and half of 6 were blocked out, and my sequence number was 2, so perhaps the blocked out seats are for Gold pax. Prior to the upgrade I was only allowed to select seats from row 11 back.. Will be interesting to see any differences in cabin service tomorrow morning, as I last flew with DJ in March.

 

[Justinf]

I am a silver member and flew from HBA to MEL on Sunday and was allocated 6A. I prefer an aisle seat and also saw that there were two people allocated 6B and 6C next to me so a changed to 13C. Nobody in my aisle apart from me. Not one other person in row 13 which meant 13A, B, D, E and F were vacant. Was much better than had I stayed in 6A.

 

[N860CR]

No water offered. Was only a BNE-SYD though.

 

[pauly7]

This thread is pretty funny people getting so excited over a drop of water!!! I know it has bigger future implications but still pretty funny!!

 

[bjm76]

Well I did my SYD-BNE flight on Monday this week - I didn't notice anything special being handed to particular pax by the FAs. I was addressed by my last name when I boarded the plane though. The in-flight announcements were pretty professional too.
The return flight BNE-SYD on Tuesday evening was much the same - except I was addressed by my first name when I boarded. Still didn't notice anything free being handed to any pax. Interestingly, I was on the 4:30pm departure flight and the 4:00pm flight had been cancelled, so the flight was absolutely full - the first 3 rows were being used as "normal" economy. I guess loads on the 4:00pm and 4:30pm flights must have been about half each so DJ cancelled the 4:00pm service.

 

[markis10]

I think it takes a while to change habits re first/last name after so long doing it a certain way, lets face it, QF are hardly the model of consistency when it comes to recognition of its more frequent flyers.

 

[matty744]

I've done 4 flights this week and being gold I didn't receive anything on top of the normal service and didn't notice anyone else other getting anything free. But agree with others with all 4 flights being able to pre allocate 4C or D which was good to see.

 

[MelUser]

This is ridiculous.

In Australia, all airlines should provide complimentary water for passengers.

I don't fly with Virgin Blue but it would never have crossed my mind that they would not give (ie give in the traditional meaning of the word) any passenger wanting a drink, a glass of water.

Indeed, it would be an offence under Northern Territory legislation not provide water to someone in need.

 

[StevePER]

This is ridiculous.

In Australia, all airlines should provide complimentary water for passengers.

I agree. No matter how cheap the airfare, I think they should all provide free water (especially if the flight is longer than an hour or two).

 

[dajop]

In Australia, all airlines should provide complimentary water for passengers.

Maybe complimentary tap water - if people want bottled they should pay for it. Just that if I sit on a suburban train for an hour, or even a bus trip for 3 hours, I don't get water provided (trains to regional areas, do have water available IIRC). And for domestic - there's really nothing preventing pax bringing their own water bottles on board.

If genuinely in need - I am sure water would flow.

 

[Deleted member 24491]

I agree that water should be free for all. However, knowing that Virgin Blue is a LCC in transition to a NWC, I just wanted to acknowledge it as a (small) step to Virgin recognising their frequent flyers.

 

[anat0l]

This thread is pretty funny people getting so excited over a drop of water!!

People in the hotel world get excited over free bottled water and/or plate of fruit. Or a turndown service. "It all counts".


Complimentary water? Probably should be the norm, but as long as there's money to be made in bottled water.....

 

[UP4014]

Maybe complimentary tap water - if people want bottled they should pay for it. Just that if I sit on a suburban train for an hour, or even a bus trip for 3 hours, I don't get water provided (trains to regional areas, do have water available IIRC). And for domestic - there's really nothing preventing pax bringing their own water bottles on board.

If genuinely in need - I am sure water would flow.

I know in Sydney on the really hot days Cityrail does now hand out water at major stations anyway.

I beleive anywhere liquor is served is supposed to provide free water in NSW.

Matt

 

[anat0l]

And for domestic - there's really nothing preventing pax bringing their own water bottles on board.

A rather odd quirk that remark reminds me about. Now this is drifting a bit O/T....

When travelling with QF international J - at least this is what I have seen - they give you a bottle of water (particularly for overnight flights), e.g. 600 mL Summit or whatever. You are expected (but not told) to keep the bottle (or at least keep it handy, don't discard it or throw it out), because new water bottles are not given out. Your bottle would be refilled, or you could probably get more water in a glass or the like, but you would not get a new bottle.

The last time I flew J my seat mate got caught out on this....

 

[docjames]

A rather odd quirk that remark reminds me about. Now this is drifting a bit O/T....

When travelling with QF international J - at least this is what I have seen - they give you a bottle of water (particularly for overnight flights), e.g. 600 mL Summit or whatever. You are expected (but not told) to keep the bottle (or at least keep it handy, don't discard it or throw it out), because new water bottles are not given out. Your bottle would be refilled, or you could probably get more water in a glass or the like, but you would not get a new bottle.

The last time I flew J my seat mate got caught out on this....

I asked the FA about this last time in J - apparently it's been changed due to storage issues - they dont have enough space to store masses of small bottles (both full and then empty), but they do keep some larger ones to refill the small bottles when pax request a refill. They FAs usually tell pax this when they hand them out ("Let us know and we can refill" - ie. dont throw out!)

 

[cmon0005]

I know in Sydney on the really hot days Cityrail does now hand out water at major stations anyway.

This is a small concession for their consistent coughpy service and their fleet of 'S*** box' non-airconditioned 1970's trains and the high fares we pay.

 

[albatross710]

It sounds like the original FA/supervisor whom decided on the water bottle idea may have been acting on their own initiative.

It probably needs to have been a more significant initiative to get the type of traction of which they were hoping.

That being said, if VB staff make a habit of doing many random status recognition activities then in the longer run that may be a positive. A one off may have trouble getting the traction to make a difference to the share price.