Idea for VA - ditch the CC fee for using a Velocity card

[Warks]

FYI - the response from VA.

Thank you for your feedback and taking the time to let us know of your recent experience with Virgin Australia.

It is with regret to learn that we have not met your expectations with regards to our credit card fees on your recent flight booking. I sincerely apologise for any disappointment this has caused.


Mr Warks, we do try and make every effort to make our policies and procedures as clear as we can both on our website and through our Guest Contact Centre and I have copied below the information as displayed on our website, in the international booking process.


Prices are quoted per adult in AUD and include taxes and fees except for the booking and service fee of $ 30.00 which is charged per passenger per booking for payments made with a credit or debit card and PayPal.
Fares exclude any local taxes that are payable at the airport.
In line with industry practice, Virgin Australia introduced a surcharge for fares paid via credit cards. Payments made by a credit card attract a charge of the percentage of monies paid, which as a company we are then charged. This amount differs for each banking institutions card and credit type. We made the decision to apply a flat fee per person per booking as an average cost, to streamline the ease of payment calculation for our guests and our accounts, regardless of which card is used.


I appreciate you are disappointed with the fee paid, in view of you having taken up a credit card offer with Amex through our frequent flyer programme Velocity. This was a bank product and the concerns you have raised have been shared with our Velocity and E-commerce management team for internal review.


I can advise that we are continuously looking at ways to improve our services, and I can assure you that changes are directly influenced by the feedback we receive from our guests.


Your present feelings are appreciated. I apologise once again for anydisappointment caused, and thank you for taking the time to bring this experienceto our attention, and providing us with the valuable opportunity to enhance ourguest experience for the future.

Kind regards,
Christine Pinto

They responded. My bold/underline. I wouldn't hold my breath but at least their attention is drawn to it for one meeting.

It has to be a bit rich they charge for debit cards and Paypal as well though. I can understand there's a cost with the credit card that they are allowed to charge back but there's no real cost with a debit card is there? I never use debit cards but I can sympathise.

 

[SimonF]

Like I said some clowns in Australia allowed it and now it's the " industry practice" once it's become this and they are making money on it is very hard to go back.