New VA Fare Structure

[Deleted member 29185]

Why would anybody try to make things right with customers like this.

You're behind the times Marty. VA had the concept of doing away with "customers like this" years ago.......trouble is, the ones they were chasing were largely not interested in the hotch-potch they were offering! Basil Fawlty learned that telling your customers they are rubbish, whilst chasing the goose that layed the golden egg has flaws. Funny thing about customers........even those "ones like this".......is that they stop a business from going belly up, but I'm sure VA will appreciate your support.

 

[medhead]

Tough crowd! What's up with you people? Velocity have just made a huge concession in response to feedback - one that will cost them $ that they clearly need - and all you can do is cry like babies about it.

Why would anybody try to make things right with customers like this.

I, for one, am grateful for the response.

It is a minor concession at best. I'd suggest they backflipped because the lost business was going to cost them more $$$

 

[Mr Pumblechook]

Great to see the news from David and a post from the mysterious VFF (thanks for at least appearing but that post added nothing to the discussion).

Anyway I'm happy to say thanks and well done for reversing this decision.

If, as it appears by the clunky resolution, the original decision was made because of IT system limitations then I hope that this has been a good corporate lesson in what happens when you let your programmers design your products.

 

[Jude Starr]

Wow! I've had a quick skim through this thread; not in depth because of the huge number of comments, but have found some good info here? I am a self funded Gold, flying mainly east coast routes (most commonly between BNE & MEL). For me, the most important benefits are Lounge access, priority baggage & boarding. Most of my SCs are from my own flights, but I may struggle to maintain my status without pooling from my husband, who occasionally travels with me. So, my biggest worry is now about what changes (if any) are going to be made to SC earning and family pooling.

We are planning two OS trips in the next 12 months, and the outcomes of the changes may well affect our choice of airlines. I await September 7 with interest, and no small amount of trepidation.....

 

[humley123]

I'm genuinely impressed that Virgin has changed their posture on this. The loss of free advance seat selection on the lowest fare was a real disappointment and with this step the airline has shown a preparedness to listen and respond to their elite frequent flyers. Forsaking revenue from all passengers while the system is configured to afford elite frequent flyers this benefit shows an even greater commitment. Great job!

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I think it is important to react positively to any positive response to our feedback.
Even if it's not all we want, it's a start. We should encourage them to keep engaging.

 

[andye]

Wow! I've had a quick skim through this thread; not in depth because of the huge number of comments, but have found some good info here? I am a self funded Gold, flying mainly east coast routes (most commonly between BNE & MEL). For me, the most important benefits are Lounge access, priority baggage & boarding. Most of my SCs are from my own flights, but I may struggle to maintain my status without pooling from my husband, who occasionally travels with me. So, my biggest worry is now about what changes (if any) are going to be made to SC earning and family pooling.

We are planning two OS trips in the next 12 months, and the outcomes of the changes may well affect our choice of airlines. I await September 7 with interest, and no small amount of trepidation.....

Nothing in any of the plans to change family pooling.
At the risk of committing the frequent flyer's fallacy that an airline's fortune depends on customers like oneself, I don't think they would dare

 

[eastwest101]

The backflip about the seat selection fee isn't a concession to customers or negative feedback, it's a realization that the VA IT team are unable to, or don't have enough resources to implement the seat selection fee.

If it was possible to implement the seat selection fee you would think that it would be done. I think it's actually quite concerning for VA management that their system/IT limitations are such an impediment to attempts to improve or change the business. It's also concerning that parts of VA floated these significant changes to VA's products in public, without checking as to what could or couldn't be actually implemented. If I was running VA, that would also concern me.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

The backflip about the seat selection fee isn't a concession to customers or negative feedback, it's a realization that the VA IT team are unable to, or don't have enough resources to implement the seat selection fee.

If it was possible to implement the seat selection fee you would think that it would be done. I think it's actually quite concerning for VA management that their system/IT limitations are such an impediment to attempts to improve or change the business. It's also concerning that parts of VA floated these significant changes to VA's products in public, without checking as to what could or couldn't be actually implemented. If I was running VA, that would also concern me.

That's not my understanding.
My understanding from the reports I've read is that the IT systems couldn't distinguish between Plat/Gold Velocity members and other pax and give the former group free seat selection while charging the latter.
They were quite capable of charging everyone for seat selection.
Can you point me to a source which says otherwise?

 

[pauly7]

Well I wish I'd put money on my prediction they'd do a 180. Hopefully maintained pressure will result in more thought out decisions in the future.

 

[dfcatch]

Tough crowd! What's up with you people? Velocity have just made a huge concession in response to feedback - one that will cost them $ that they clearly need - and all you can do is cry like babies about it.

Why would anybody try to make things right with customers like this.

I, for one, am grateful for the response.

Actually no.

You clearly don't understand loyalty programs - nor how Frequent Flyer Programs generate revenue.

This backflip isn't costing them money - it's saving them from losing massive amounts which their ill-thought changes were going to.

 

[dfcatch]

We would like to reassure members that we are aware that there is a significant amount of speculation around the details of the new “Fares for you” fare structure being launched on 7th Sep.


We’d also like confirm that the feedback provided by members on this and other forums is monitored and considered as valuable input. Please be assured that Virgin Australia and Velocity Frequent Flyer value the business and loyalty of our members.


We are pleased to confirm that Virgin Australia no longer plans to introduce an advance seat selection fee for Platinum and Gold Velocity members.


We will release full details prior to the launch of ‘Fares For You’ on 7 September 2016 and we are confident that the changes will be seen as fair, balanced and continue to protect the benefits of our most valuable members in a way that is commercially sustainable.

Too little too late VFF.

And that's a pretty BOLD prediction you've made in your last para.

Based on your performance to date - I highly doubt you'll ach

 

[eastwest101]

Your understanding that VA systems can't distinguish VA plats and gold's from everyone else may very well be the case.

But that's still an IT fail in my opinion, just a different sort of IT fail. And it's possible that's it's still a communication failure between different parts of the VA business that is borderline incompetence.

I'm sure the potential for negative feedback may also have played a part but we are all just guessing about the reasoning and actions that VA management are taking.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Your understanding that VA systems can't distinguish VA plats and gold's from everyone else may very well be the case.

But that's still an IT fail in my opinion, just a different sort of IT fail. And it's possible that's it's still a communication failure between different parts of the VA business that is borderline incompetence.

I'm sure the potential for negative feedback may also have played a part but we are all just guessing about the reasoning and actions that VA management are taking.

I'm a vociferous critic of IT fails but even I hesitate to call it a fail when an IT system can't do something it wasn't designed to do.
If their IT was asked to design a new system to charge everyone on the lowest fare for seat selection regardless of status why would they design it to make an irrelevant distinction just in case VA changed their minds?

 

[trippin_the_rift]

The backflip about the seat selection fee isn't a concession to customers or negative feedback, it's a realization that the VA IT team are unable to, or don't have enough resources to implement the seat selection fee.

If it was possible to implement the seat selection fee you would think that it would be done. I think it's actually quite concerning for VA management that their system/IT limitations are such an impediment to attempts to improve or change the business. It's also concerning that parts of VA floated these significant changes to VA's products in public, without checking as to what could or couldn't be actually implemented. If I was running VA, that would also concern me.

Totally agree.

In fact, I have my doubts on how much data was driving the thought process in the first place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNaCf_Fnp6E

 

[Princess Fiona]

I'm a vociferous critic of IT fails but even I hesitate to call it a fail when an IT system can't do something it wasn't designed to do.
If their IT was asked to design a new system to charge everyone on the lowest fare for seat selection regardless of status why would they design it to make an irrelevant distinction just in case VA changed their minds?

Ok let's take this a bit further.
VA stated in their first public back flip that the same IT system would put Plats and Golds in the lowest fare automatically into the front rows (3-6 for Platinum). Now that same IT system can't distinguish between Plats and Golds in the booking process so nobody gets charged the seat fee until it can? Seriously ??

 

[Pleb Status]

Ok let's take this a bit further.
VA stated in their first public back flip that the same IT system would put Plats and Golds in the lowest fare automatically into the front rows (3-6 for Platinum). Now that same IT system can't distinguish between Plats and Golds in the booking process so nobody gets charged the seat fee until it can? Seriously ??
View attachment 77482

I assume that VA have been planning (internally) to introduce the new seat fee for a while now and as they were going to charge everyone the fee, there was no need to write the flight booking web script to differentiate with respect to status. Now they have abruptly changed their plans, they most likely need some time to rewrite and test the booking web script to reflect the new policy.

 

[deepblerg]

Good to see VFF posting here. I'd love to see more engagement from them with this community. Sure its only a small subset of their 6 million members but its a group of VA's most loyal and vocal customers.

 

[Pleb Status]

Good to see VFF posting here. I'd love to see more engagement from them with this community. Sure its only a small subset of their 6 million members but its a group of VA's most loyal and vocal customers.

Vocal -> Yes. Loyal -> ???.

 

[williamsf1]

I assume that VA have been planning (internally) to introduce the new seat fee for a while now and as they were going to charge everyone the fee, there was no need to write the flight booking web script to differentiate with respect to status. Now they have abruptly changed their plans, they most likely need some time to rewrite and test the booking web script to reflect the new policy.

This change would be core system functionality (ie Sabre) and not web