OTT "RSA" in the PER lounge

[Sprucegoose]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

Serves you right flying virgin

 

[hummel]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

The staff in Perth should be sacked and the lounge shut down and the cost savings be used to fix up the East coast lounges where 99.99% of important people are living. If we have to travel to Perth we should just be made to suffer which is all we deserve if we choose to travel there anyway.

Agreed...I've only been to the Perth lounge when doing HKT-PER-MEL it was enough having to catch the bus!

 

[drewbles]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

The staff in Perth should be sacked and the lounge shut down and the cost savings be used to fix up the East coast lounges where 99.99% of important people are living. If we have to travel to Perth we should just be made to suffer which is all we deserve if we choose to travel there anyway.

I'm biased in that i'm from Perth. I may live on the correct side of the country now, and consider Melbourne to be more of a home than Perth ever was, but I lived there for 21 years.

If I'm being forced to see family 5-6 times a year, the least the bar tender can do is furnish me with plenty of alcohol prior to boarding, to dull the pain of having had to have visited the family

(in short: don't you dare close the lounge )

 

[drewbles]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

There's a Sri Lankan guy (Graham) behind the bar in the PER lounge and he is an absolute ripper. One of the best across all ports I have been to. Don't taint everyone with the same brush.

Actually, I think that's the one. Perhaps he just likes you

 

[drewbles]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

Serves you right flying virgin

When QF improves it's trans-con J offering to be anywhere near as good as VA's, i'll think about going back to QF

 

[777]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

I had the same issue with the bartender in Perth. I suspect he's under instructions probably due to previous issues or even contracts with the FIFO set. I agree it could be handled much better.

 

[EvanC]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

I've copped the same from the bartender in Perth. I was there with my wife, and I'd picked up a beer and she was after a cider (first for the day). She was reading a magazine some distance away and he told me that he would not serve me two. I explained that one of them was for my wife whom I gestured to, and who waved back (there were around ten people in the lounge in total). He told me that he will only serve one drink at a time and that she would have to come up and get it. So, I took my drink over to the table and placed it down, and then returned to order a second drink. Of course, he again refused service.

RSA or no RSA, that's utter bollocks. Everywhere else has to operate under the same RSA rules, but manage to do so without rude staff (he was either rude, or simply very abrupt depending on your interpretation) and without limiting service to a single drink in a particular period, particularly when the second drink is patently for another patron.

I wrote a letter of complaint to VA on this topic (and a couple of other maintenance issues in the same lounge), but received no reply other than a generic "we are sorry we did not meet your expectations this time, we look forward to doing so next time" malarkey.

That was the day he wouldn't give me two bowls of chips. Chips!

 

[notzac]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

That was the day he wouldn't give me two bowls of chips. Chips!

Lol, that must be his RSC (Responsible Service of Chips) kicking in. On a more serious note - this bartender appears to need retraining in a little thing called customer service - has anyone contacted Virgin about it?

 

[drewbles]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

Maybe VFF need to issue us 'Bar Passes' showing we're not part of the FIFO group, and let us order multiple serves of salty snacks and chilled libations.

Lol, that must be his RSC (Responsible Service of Chips) kicking in. On a more serious note - this bartender appears to need retraining in a little thing called customer service - has anyone contacted Virgin about it?

I believe webslave did contact VA and they replied 'sorry it didn't meet your expectations'. Poor form really. Understand the FIFO groups there and the need to police things, but he is totally out of line with his attitude.

 

[tuapekastar]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

I think I know the chap you all mean. Am I right in thinking wine in PER lounge is not self serve? I cannot recall a refusal of service but a little uneasy feeling comes to mind when recalling this chap. Am there in Feb so will be interested to see how it goes.

 

[Bofter]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

I have no trouble getting seconds from this gentlemen shortly after my first order. Sure this relates to a (mini) bowl of chips while I await my hot drink. I don't understand why these have to be behind the bar in Perth as although the licencing rules seem to be quite peculiar here I think chips might be just outside of their coverage. At least Perth still had the chips on last visit, they disappeared from Melbourne on recent visits.

Tuapekastar - yes, wine is bar service only at the PER lounge.

 

[samh004]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

All I can say is that I'm glad I don't fly Virgin

 

[atreides]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

Although the manner in which the restrictions are being enforced may be heavy handed, at least VA are trying to control the outrageous behaviour displayed by some of their members.

If that means tighter RSA, than good work VA. I'm sure more than one person here has had their lounge visit in PER ruined by drunk cretins, be it QP or VA. Therefore, anything to help keep the lounge a civil place where some quick business and a drink can occur, rather than a two hour drinking competition with mates, is welcome.

All customers should be treated with respect, especially VA's valued ones. Though, having one rule for Joe and his mates and one rule for Joe and his wife would open the door for "why was he allowed two drinks". Initially I agreed with the OP, however under consideration, I applaud VA for making a strong stance on RSA in a port that has known issues. Good work.

On another note, the bar for SG and WP is too low on VA and should be increased.

 

[markis10]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

All I can say is that I'm glad I don't fly Virgin

Perhaps its a case of "glad I don't fly to perth", it's not a dissimilar experience in the QP.

 

[Ewing]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

All I can say is that I'm glad I don't fly Virgin

I just don't go to PER. Problem solved

 

[RB]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

Perhaps its a case of "glad I don't fly to perth", it's not a dissimilar experience in the QP.

Yes I seem to recall that in 2012 in the Darwin QP a similar system was in place. Each of our group had to go & get their own drink-our first drink carrier came back with only his own drink

 

[drewbles]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

Although the manner in which the restrictions are being enforced may be heavy handed, at least VA are trying to control the outrageous behaviour displayed by some of their members.

If that means tighter RSA, than good work VA. I'm sure more than one person here has had their lounge visit in PER ruined by drunk cretins, be it QP or VA. Therefore, anything to help keep the lounge a civil place where some quick business and a drink can occur, rather than a two hour drinking competition with mates, is welcome.

All customers should be treated with respect, especially VA's valued ones. Though, having one rule for Joe and his mates and one rule for Joe and his wife would open the door for "why was he allowed two drinks". Initially I agreed with the OP, however under consideration, I applaud VA for making a strong stance on RSA in a port that has known issues. Good work.

On another note, the bar for SG and WP is too low on VA and should be increased.

I've been in the PER lounge over a dozen times this year and I've not once seen anyone being rowdy or 'out of order'.

Likewise last year, but there's no chance that anyone here has experienced that as you suggest with this guy behind the bar.


This is *not* RSA. RSA is about making sure you don't enable drunks. I've never seen a bar anywhere in the world limit an "order" to one drink per person. People do get drinks for other people. It's a very very poor interpretation /implementation of it here IMHO.

 

[drewbles]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

I just don't go to PER. Problem solved

I'm screwed. I fly to PER and only on VA

 

[Hvr]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

Of course we could just stop serving alcohol and add diet lemonade and diet lemon soft drinks. :mrgreen:

The teetotaler now runs for cover.

 

[Fruitcake]

Re: The disgraceful state of the MEL Lounge with no end in sight

Of course we could just stop serving alcohol and add diet lemonade and diet lemon soft drinks. :mrgreen:

Indeed. Bring back all the weird juices that the Golden Wing Lounge used to offer!