Sydney lounge - I’m upset

[leon_rex]

Hey guys,

I have a full fare J ticket booked SYD-BNE-DRW this morning. Left Sydney 0700 and currently in BNE.

I live 100km from the airport and I got a flat tyre driving in today & missed check in. My fault, absolutely.

I finally get to Mascot and park up, and figure it would be quicker to go to the Lounge than the Service Desk and get help there. So I brave security and rock up at the Lounge at c. 6.33am.

I show the lady at the Lounge my ID and apologise and ask if she can check me in as I have no checked luggage. She says no, the aircraft is almost fully boarded (they started early) and I need to go back out through security and to the Service Desk.

After being helped by a couple of wonderful ladies out there they call the gate, send me through security again and I get to the AC at 6.49am. Sixteen minutes of stress, a run to Gate 45 and p*ing off everyone in line ahead of me. The ladies asked why the woman in the Lounge didn’t help me. I checked at BNE and they told me she absolutely could have checked me in without my having to go back outside.

Also, I was very polite and apologetic at the Sydney Lounge but the lady there was totally dismissive and didn’t want to know me at all.

I’m reaching out to any Virgin experts to find out whether this is normal service. I had to have a glass of bubbles on board to calm down.

 

[serfty]

I have a full fare J ticket booked SYD-BNE-DRW this morning. Left Sydney 0700 and currently in BNE.

I live 100km from the airport and I got a flat tyre driving in today & missed check in. My fault, absolutely.

I finally get to Mascot and park up, and figure it would be quicker to go to the Lounge than the Service Desk and get help there. So I brave security and rock up at the Lounge at c. 6.33am.

I feel for you having to run around like that and the Staff member who would not assist you should be counselled.

However, did you attempt to perform on-line check in?

Since you had no baggage to check and assuming you have a smart phone, that would have been appropriate as soon as you realised you have a flat tyre.

You can do that up to at least 45 minutes before the scheduled flight.

Check-in information

Find information on Virgin Australia's check in options, including online and at the airport.

www.virginaustralia.com

 

[leon_rex]

I didn’t, which is my fault. I always just check in at the Lounge and was on auto pilot… so to speak. Happy to wear the blame. Just think that since she wasn’t busy and had the tools at her disposal to help me that sending me out past security was lousy behaviour.

Anyway the CSM more than made up for it and I’ve changed my sweaty shirt

 

[kpc]

I didn’t, which is my fault. I always just check in at the Lounge and was on auto pilot… so to speak. Happy to wear the blame. Just think that since she wasn’t busy and had the tools at her disposal to help me that sending me out past security was lousy behaviour.

Anyway the CSM more than made up for it and I’ve changed my sweaty shirt

Some agents just don't want to be helpful whereas others are angels. Glad you made your flight.

 

[ben95]

I think she’s playing by the book to not check you in. The system locks out the check in at T-30min and requires a manual override which seems like it’s what you got at the end.

I think what went wrong was she tried to send you back out of security and have someone else deal with you. She would have all the tools needed to charge you the late fee and rebook you to the next flight or call the gate to confirm the override and check you in like the service desk at check in did.

 

[ChrisMars]

Would going to the gate, instead of the lounge, have been a better decision? That's what I would have tried in this situation, granted I have no idea whats the best strategy.

 

[Brissy1]

Last month at the bne va lounge desk...I was positioned back from the counter but the CSM asked the usual "can I help you" and I explained that I was just checking in first to which she said " oh I can do that for you" (however it was >T-30)

 

[Steven of Mysore]

I feel for you having to run around like that and the Staff member who would not assist you should be counselled.

However, did you attempt to perform on-line check in?

Since you had no baggage to check and assuming you have a smart phone, that would have been appropriate as soon as you realised you have a flat tyre.

You can do that up to at least 45 minutes before the scheduled flight.

Check-in information

Find information on Virgin Australia's check in options, including online and at the airport.

www.virginaustralia.com

True. It is a rather odd thing to not check in via the App when you have no luggage.

 

[leon_rex]

I wasn’t worried about rebooking fees or anything as it was a full J fare. I don’t think she even looked. She just looked at me and decided she didn’t like me, and while she sat there and kept doing nothing she made work for two far busier people out the front. Kinda just unnecessary to prove a point and it didn’t even do that because I was sitting in my assigned seat at takeoff. I guess I need to work on my charm routine. Oh well!

 

[Steven of Mysore]

I wasn’t worried about rebooking fees or anything as it was a full J fare. I don’t think she even looked. She just looked at me and decided she didn’t like me, and while she sat there and kept doing nothing she made work for two far busier people out the front. Kinda just unnecessary to prove a point and it didn’t even do that because I was sitting in my assigned seat at takeoff. I guess I need to work on my charm routine. Oh well!

That's dreadful. Currently travelling in India and staying in Taj hotels. getting people to look up is problematic everywhere - and I lived here for seven years

 

[justinbrett]

Not excusing the lounge dragon, but I think you should have gone to a staff member at check in. I assume VA have agents floating around the kiosks? I have done this with QF and they were very helpful, as soon as someone knows you're about to miss a flight they should put you at the top of the queue, and they can phone the gate to say you're on your way.

It seems strange to add the time to go through security before you spoke to a human.

 

[jrfsp]

Knowing you’re going to be late I would have checked in online knowing I can go straight to gate giving as much buffer as possible.

 

[leon_rex]

I dunno, I never do at QANTAS. I know the Dragons have magical powers and in the past they’ve been able to do all sorts of changes at the J lounge with just a flick of the wrist.

TBH that’s just the way I’ve always done it. Guess it doesn’t work that way in T2.

I mean I thought the whole point of the Lounge having check in was that it is a regular check in, a perk, if you will.

Not excusing the lounge dragon, but I think you should have gone to a staff member at check in. I assume VA have agents floating around the kiosks? I have done this with QF and they were very helpful, as soon as someone knows you're about to miss a flight they should put you at the top of the queue, and they can phone the gate to say you're on your way.

It seems strange to add the time to go through security before you spoke to a human.

 

[leon_rex]

Knowing you’re going to be late I would have checked in online knowing I can go straight to gate giving as much buffer as possible.

I didn’t have the option because it had already excluded me. The crux of the matter is that this woman at the Sydney Lounge was in a perfect position to wave her wand (on a pretty expensive ticket) & check me in but instead she told me to go back outside and get someone else to do it. There is no logical reason for her to do that. The ladies at the Brisbane Lounge confirmed that it would have presented them with no problem at all. With full acknowledgment that I was disorganised, I still believe she was being nasty.

 

[justinbrett]

I dunno, I never do at QANTAS. I know the Dragons have magical powers and in the past they’ve been able to do all sorts of changes at the J lounge with just a flick of the wrist.

TBH that’s just the way I’ve always done it. Guess it doesn’t work that way in T2.

I mean I thought the whole point of the Lounge having check in was that it is a regular check in, a perk, if you will.

But you’re checking in after the cut off time.

You actually would have been in time to check in normally at the kiosks / manned service desk.

 

[Blinky]

I went straight to the gate in SYD when running very late. It worked a treat.

 

[servicerequired]

I'm more impressed that you were late, managed to park the car - go through security, into the lounge - back out, and through security again - and still make your flight.

Well done.

But, I would strongly consider familiarizing yourself with online check-in in order to prevent scenarios such as this.

 

[moa999]

know the Dragons have magical powers and in the past they’ve been able to do all sorts of changes

Depends.
For moving flights forward with Qantas you are probably better going to the service desks (eg in Melbourne the one near Gate 2).
They can see our status and being where they are have better visibility of the gates and know you will go straight there and not delay a flight.

But in the OPs position - lesson learner to online check-in.

 

[Lynda2475]

There is no downside to checking in online; you have 23 hours to do so and it removes the stress of needing to find an agent at the airport.

If you want to fly forward or later, having checked in online and not checked in any luggage doesn't prevent you from requesting this at the airport if you have time.

Whilst the lounge dragon was unhelpful, it was an entirely avoidable situation.

 

[lovestotravel]

I always check-in online as soon as I can, so 48 hours before hand.

With recent flights being so full I feel safer being checked in early.