New VA Fare Structure

[esseeeayeenn]

Oh I don't deny it, it's superbly hyperbolic but it is true.
A VA plat in discount Y gets nothing except lounge access, row 3 and fly ahead and now they won't get either of the last two.

And when you're in discount Y is precisely when you need the frequent flyer benefits.
They're largely redundant when you've booked a J fare.

 

[HeavyElectricity]

My prediction on Space+ seats: Exit row seats on all aircraft (as per current situation). We know Space+ rows have/will be added to the 777s. I'd guess some rows will be added to the A330s - especially if these are going to be used on the new international routes to China. Row 3 on the 737s remains unchanged and isn't sold as Space+.

 

[Boof1]

My prediction on Space+ seats: Exit row seats on all aircraft (as per current situation). We know Space+ rows have/will be added to the 777s. I'd guess some rows will be added to the A330s - especially if these are going to be used on the new international routes to China. Row 3 on the 737s remains unchanged and isn't sold as Space+.

I agree with the A330's, but I'm afraid to say I disagree re Row 3 on the 737's. Virgin America sell Row 3 as Main Cabin Extra and I'm confident that is where this is heading for us here in Australia.

I don't see the Row 3 thing as being the be all and end all of seating in Y on VA, but I do really disagree with the fee for seating on the getaway fares as it makes VA no more attractive than JQ. Alan Joyce, in the last QF financials media briefing, pointed out JQ are taking VA's pax at what must be an alarming rate. Unless the Getaway fares match JQ (doubtful) the slide will get steeper for VA.

 

[Pleb Status]

Having had a day to absorb the proposed changes before posting, although I will be adversely affected by these changes, the world is certainty not coming to an end and my rage has subsided somewhat.

The changes really only apply to the cheapest fare class (when the * in the table are taken in account). Hopefully this is limited to sale fares and possibly the lowest standard fare class. Other fare classes are generally unaffected.

Fly ahead appears to have been abused by some (plenty of examples posted on AFF) and QF does not offer it at all (except for P1 on Flexi fares). So moving to QF will achieve nothing and fly ahead is still available if required on all but the cheapest fare class.

Paying for seat selection in the cheapest fare class will sting the most but if the cost is say $5-$7 per sector then really this will be more of an annoyance than anything else. QF put up fares more than this on a quarterly basis.... If row 3 becomes a premium seat this could be more of an issue but no mention of this yet.

Removing the status bonus on the cheapest fare class appears punitive to those with status but the points earn from domestic flying on either airline is pretty poor now.

Overall, I will be paying more to get less. However moving more flying back to QF will not achieve much as they do not offer fly ahead at all, as a WP you cannot preselect the front rows of Y either (even if you want to pay) and the simpler and fairer changes heavily reduced my points earn as well.

More information is required to fully understand the affect of these enhancements in any case.

 

[anat0l]

Alan Joyce, in the last QF financials media briefing, pointed out JQ are taking VA's pax at what must be an alarming rate. Unless the Getaway fares match JQ (doubtful) the slide will get steeper for VA.

He really said that? And that's really true?

I think I need to sit down. #whatthehell

 

[cavemanzk]

That sounds promising... hopefully they will keep the alignment of product in this instance, though part of me doubts they will in this instance unfortunately.

While hopefully, probably not with the latest pull backs made by NZ with VA.

For example on an NZ A320D everything from row 1-12 is Space+ with an 33-35" seat pitch, don't see VA doing that.
Airbus A320 (NZ Domestic) - Seat Maps - Onboard Your Flight - Air New Zealand

 

[Deleted member 29185]

No point threatening to jump the fence. They're all as bad as each other and we have to fly with someone. As I've been doing for a while now, I'm choosing to fly whoever makes the most sense to me on the day (as oppossed to BFOD). The comment AJ supposedly made rings true to me. I've been flying JQ far more than I ever have.....at VA's expense, as from where I sit they're both LCC and this latest change seems to be VA heading further back to their roots. On that score, doesn't these changes seem to be a retro move? 5 tiers of fares was what they used to have. I'm somewhat bemused at VA's recent tactics of releasing changes without real info. I wonder when we get the nitty-gritty of costs. Seems to me that VA are running around like headless chooks without any real direction. The game change plan has been a failure and they're stuggling with an identity crisis. They have no idea if they're trying to be an LCC or full service.........but IIRC, when JB started the game change plan, he did make comment along the lines that they intended to be both an LCC and full service within one fleet rather than two. TT changed that a bit, but perhaps that's what they're going to do regardless.

 

[johnnyfive]

Has anyone seen any mention of how the UpgradeMe Platinum Member Offer will be affected by these changes?

 

[johnnyfive]

I see they've also dropped "L" as a flexi fare for Long Haul, which means you won't be able to upgrade using points. And what's all this:



Even when travelling on a full fare Y ticket you will be charged a fee to call the GCC!? What about those with status?

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

He really said that? And that's really true?

I think I need to sit down. #whatthehell

Indeed he did.

Whilst VA has been targeting both premium leisure pax and Business pax in recent years, VA has alienated its traditional customer base of Value-For-Money / BFOD leisure pax that was the original core customer base of VA.

With VA ticketing in the Economy cabin, very much mirroring the pricing of QF, but without both the soft and hard product to match, VA have indeed been bleeding PAX over to LCC's, with JQ being the main beneficiary.

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

Joni Mitchell got it right 50 years ago :
"
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got til its gone"

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Are we missing the overview for short haul int (not TT)?
It appears that Freedom is the current Flexi (or as close as) so I'll be very curious to see the fares for Freedom class. If they bump them up (which I'm expecting to be the case, if not immediately, then sometime in the very near future), than I'd say they have rocks in their heads. Flexi is currently overpriced to the max and they (most likely) have ripped away row 3 for free. No mention that I can see about the four J upgrades for plats. I'm wondering firstly if they'll disappear and if they stay, will they be usable from all fare classes or just Freedom?

We need the new fares, the fees and the SCs to be released. That'll be the telling part. It may still be a win for some of us, but I'm suspecting not......

It seems the winners may be the once a year Red status (or no status) flyer on the cheapest fare who haven't really lost anything, in fact they've gained a snack, gained free ife and gained included luggage in recent years and now have row 3 access for a fee! Hang.....may as well let them have free range of the lounge as well! Seems loyal flyers are not VAs favourite pax and the disloyal, infrequent budget flyer is very attractive! Work that out!

 

[anat0l]

Joni Mitchell got it right 50 years ago :
"
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got til its gone"

So now we're paying paradise, but getting put up in a parking lot.


Sorry Joni...

 

[awkwardpaws]

Just to be prudent, (and probably unnecessarily) I have transfered 400000+ VA points to KrisFlyer. Just now.

Not seeing the 'glass half full' of all these recent changes.

vmile yeah im considering transferring my VA as well, but the 3 year SQ KF lifespan is making me think twice as I dont have my next 3 years planned just yet..

 

[HW]

I've heard from an inside VA source, row 3 will be part of Space+.

This is going to really peeve a lot of Plat and Gold, as others have pointed out the reality is not many will jump ship but 'death by many paper cuts' does not engender and reinforce loyalty.

 

[kevrosmith]

I've heard from an inside VA source, row 3 will be part of Space+.

This is going to really peeve a lot of Plat and Gold, as others have pointed out the reality is not many will jump ship but 'death by many paper cuts' does not engender and reinforce loyalty.

What will peeve me the most is if I choose not to purchase Row 3 upfront, and then they put a non-status leisure traveller in the seats at the last minute because all the other seats have filled up, rather than moving Status pax forward first. They really need to release some real info on these changes, such as the cost of Freedom fares compared to current Flexi (they both start at L class, so I'm hoping it starts at the same price point, but my gut tells me they will go up ...), and the cost of Space+ seats, particularly for Elevate and Freedom fares. I'm also waiting to see what they are going to do with credit card fees before I take the plunge and book a bunch of Flexis prior to 7 September.

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

And don't overlook the 33.3 % reduction in luggage for plats. Not important to some but important if you are in the habit
of lugging your sporting equipment (skis, golf clubs etc ).

 

[RadioBusinessTraveller]

I'm beginning to think this might be the initial influence of new VA Group Executive John Thomas (due to start in Sept) - the consultant king of ancillary revenue for the major carriers in the US.
Although I hope he heeds his own advice from a report he co-authored in 2007 on the LEK website.

 

[Boof1]

He really said that? And that's really true?

I think I need to sit down. #whatthehell

As mentioned further in the thread he sure did, you can read the article where it's discussed here: Nocookies | The Australian

If you can't read it through the paywall then google "Alan Joyce Virgin Australia" it will be the third or fourth article down.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It might make the Amex Plat charge card more attractive for some. Even though it's $1,200.00pa you see the value quite quickly when your annual free ticket on VA eg BNE/DRW/BNE is $498.00, then annual travel credit of $300.00 which you can use easily on the Amex website to offset the cost of an airfare which leaves $402.00 left. Then you get annual travel insurance, access to Virgin Lounges in Oz, Admirals Clubs on AA and Delta Sky Clubs on DL plus Priority Pass in other places plus 4 elite hotel memberships incl Hilton and Starwood plus the ability to warehouse your Amex points then transfer to 10 ff programs as needed.

The cheapest domestic economy fares having the advance seat preference fare will be interesting when the corporate travel agent booked/other peoples money customers start coming through to select seats - who will pay the seat selection fee? When that doesn't work whom will pay the assistance fee to do it over the phone?

Companies doing VA bookings don't care about their employees getting preferred seats or not. It's hard enough trying to get a company travel co-ordinator or Corporate TA to enter a frequent flyer number into the booking, never mind pre-allocating a seat even when seat selection was free so as for paying for the privilege of advanced seat selection - ain't gonna happen.

Thats correct. va do not through check even va to va on separate tickets. Recently made to recheck in perth with a mel-per and per-bme on separate tickets.

So if you're FIFO and you pay BNE/PER and employer pays PER/KTA travel HLO as otherwise you'll need to claim and recheck luggage in PER both ways which is fun on changeover days like Wednesday's and probably other times as well.

Good for some, but not for me, as I like to choose my own seat. Well, VA have lost a lot of my flight business in this case.
Back to QF I go.

Wasn't aware that you ever left QF Pooch.

Seems to me that VA are running around like headless chooks without any real direction. The game change plan has been a failure and they're stuggling with an identity crisis. They have no idea if they're trying to be an LCC or full service.........but IIRC, when JB started the game change plan, he did make comment along the lines that they intended to be both an LCC and full service within one fleet rather than two. TT changed that a bit, but perhaps that's what they're going to do regardless.

You can't chase two rabbits.