Terrible experience with Virgin Australia and ignored at check-in

[ThanhN1991]

I recently flew from Perth to Kalgoorlie on a Virgin Australia flight and had a shocking experience with VA ground staff. I would like to share what happened with other frequent flyers to prevent yourself from experiencing the same thing.

What happened:
On arrival at the Perth (T1 domestic) airport, i went to line up at the priority check-in area where no staff were serving customers, there was only 1 staff member serving customers in the economy check in area. The lady was serving a few customers in the economy check-in area so I waited to be served. After she served a group of customers she continued to serve customers without bothering to either serve me in the priority check-in area or at least inform me that this area will not be served at this time, you can line up in the economy check-in area.

After she continued to serve 2 other groups of people in the economy check-in area, I gave up and went to line up in the economy check-in area. After it was finally my turn as she came back and saw me, she randomly went to another customer behind me and said "sir were you looking for me" then proceeded to help another customer behind me. After this came back to me and saw I had 1 baggage and 1 big cardboard box (clearly oversized baggage). and says first thing with no greeting or a how can I help you is "you can use the machines to self check-in". I replied okay however, I am not sure how i check in this oversized baggage. She then walks away from me and goes to another customer and starts helping another customer. She then comes back to me and says "you can use the service counter at the end". At this point I am well and truly pissed off and interrupted her mid way and said "Is that not the priority check-in counter over there where I was lining up". She replies with " that counter is currently closed right now". I said are you not meant to attend to people in the priority check in area regardless if it is closed, her reply was "I have lots of passengers here I have to look after, you can use the service counter". I then walk away and go to the service counter to finally get assistance with check-in, baggage drop and can move on from this incident.

After getting to the service counter the lady asked me to provide ID to check-in for a domestic flight. After providing ID and she checks it she puts it on the counter and doesn't say a thing. She doesn't hand it to me, like how i provided it to her initially. She then asks me how many bags i am checking in and i said i have 1 baggage and 1 oversized baggage. She then says "chuck your first one on" I was a bit surprised but complied anyways and I put my first luggage on the belt. Normally, staff say 'can you place your luggage on the belt' or 'you can place your bag on' it was a first time for me to chuck on my luggage. Afterwards she says to me "do you know how much your second baggage weighs", my reply was "yes, but aren't you going to make me weigh it anyways I will just put it on the belt for you". Overall, this lady was significantly better than the first so I am thankful for that.

Overall, given this is my second VA flight after 'trialing VA gold', it was a joke and very unpleasant. This incident has reminded me that you can save around $50 or so on a VA flight compared to Qantas and just get ignored, spoken to rudely and get piss poor customer service. At this point, I question why even continue using VA gold and how I am going to cancel and get rid of my 2 upcoming flight bookings.

After raising this to VA guest relations they have said they will pass the feedback to their Ground Operations team and that's it. I guess at least their customer service is consistent across different areas of the business.

 

[jase05]

Doesn’t sound great but have flown with VA years and over 100’s of flights I’ve very rarely encountered this type of behaviour and I’d say it’s the exception rather than the rule. Unfortunately can happen on any airline

 

[Ade]

@ThanhN1991 - sorry about your experience with VA.

Re: the first VA staff at check-in - this is really weird. Usually there will be Priority and General queue operating at check-in, especially, given that you are flying out of PER (a big domestic port compared to KGI, I'd think). Me thinks the non-availability of the Priority counter was more of a staffing issue at the ground (someone did not show up for their shift or called in sick). However, that being said, IME so far with VA, even if the Priority queue isn't operating (either at check-in or at boarding gate), the VA staff that is operating the General queue will stop working the General queue and ask the Priority pax to step forward. This happened to me Thursday last week at CBR and has happened a few times in the past at other ports as well. Not saying that this is SOP for VA ground operations, but it certainly is a nice thing when it works, makes loyalty valued. I certainly understand where you come from.

Re: VA customer feedback - Were you able to catch the name of the VA staff at check-in. May be providing their name to VA customer feedback might assist in providing a tailored & targeted feedback?

Re: Holding on to your ID at check-in - I don't think I see/read anything that is incorrect here? happy to be told/pointed to otherwise. Usually at domestic check-in, the frequent flyer card, or valid photo ID or digital boarding pass is used to identify and verify the pax. Some staff might hold on to the ID until the check-in process is completed. Just a manner of habit, I'd think.

Re: chuck your first one on - it might just the way that staff member spoke. It's like saying "grab a magazine on your way out" or "would you like to grab a coffee or a museli bar" I mean, you can't grab a coffee ... you grab the coffee cup.. I mean .. see I was not there, but to me, reading what is in the post, it sounds like the staff just speaks that way.

Afterwards she says to me "do you know how much your second baggage weighs",

Now, this is a thing with some airlines - which I don't necessarily agree with. Some airline staff are trained (especially at International) to ask customers if they knew how much their bags weighed. I do not know why they ask this, but they do. Recently MH staff did this at SYD and I had the same thoughts as you. The bag is with me and it can be weighed by placing on the weight scale you have, right next to you. But anyways, I did not take it too seriously. After issuing my BP, the staff then went on to say that "next time, use the scales before joining the check-in queue so that you know how much the bags weigh". I'm not even certain if I'd remember it next time

 

[Ade]

At this point, I question why even continue using VA gold and how I am going to cancel and get rid of my 2 upcoming flight bookings.

Given that you are in the Discover Gold, I assume you wanted to try VA and see if you like it. If that is the case, I'd say that making a decision (cancel and get rid of 2 upcoming flights) might be too quick? you never know, your next VA flight might be awesome-sauce and you love VA to bits.

Now, I have had amazing experiences with a variety of airlines and have had equally bad experiences from the same variety of airlines.

The customer service component in any industry is not that great these days anyways and that's how the cookie crumbles. As a customer, we are open to switch loyalties, but I'm not sure if any company is worth loyalty or would ack loyalties these days Just my 2c.

 

[theblank]

Some airline staff are trained (especially at International) to ask customers if they knew how much their bags weighed.

I travel with Golf clubs all the time. I check in at the Self Service Kiosk then find a staff member to sign off on my oversize. They always ask me how much it weighs. Sometimes they take it over to the Baggage drop and weigh it, sometimes they just take my word for it, before sending me off to oversize lodgement.

 

[Happy Dude]

Other than not being served as priority ahead of the general queue, which sounds like they were short staffed, I fail to see any issue with this experience. I would not take any umbrage with the relatively informal language used by the service desk, but then I'm not one who expects service staff to bow and scrape either.

Priority check-in is a valued benefit so please do provide feedback to VA that it wasn't provided. I've been VA plat or gold for over 10 years and have always been given priority over the general queue, even when there's only one desk open. They just stop serving the general queue and call over the next in the priority queue. You sometimes get the stink eye from those in the general queue, but I can live with that.

 

[Saab34]

I think Perth ground crews are all outsourced to Swissport. Not an excuse, but often in house staff give a better experience.

 

[Bagpuss]

To be honest Perth airport for Virgin Australia, you just as well use the normal economy check-in. There's not even a manned priority check in counter usually, whilst it does exist.

 

[trisreed]

I think Perth ground crews are all outsourced to Swissport. Not an excuse, but often in house staff give a better experience.

I believe they are. I’ve had issues checking in before and found them to be unhelpful to say the least - I presume the lounge staff are outsourced as well but found them (in Perth at least) to be much more helpful. Thankfully was only travelling with carry on.

 

[Saab34]

I think each Lounge does have a rep from VA, potentially all front desk staff on the VA payroll? Everyone else contracted.

 

[Quickstatus]

Welcome to AFF @ThanhN1991 !

At this point, I question why even continue using VA gold and how I am going to cancel and get rid of my 2 upcoming flight bookings.

All i can say is the grass is not greener on the other side

 

[N860CR]

TIA sadly. This Is Australia.

We are not a country that is good at customer service. We’re good at paying exceptionally high wages to low end staff, but that doesn’t result in good service. You could well end up with this same experience at any other Perth checkin desk.

 

[ThanhN1991]

@ThanhN1991 - sorry about your experience with VA.

Re: VA customer feedback - Were you able to catch the name of the VA staff at check-in. May be providing their name to VA customer feedback might assist in providing a tailored & targeted feedback?

I agree that the situation was probably just a once-off issue since they were probably understaffed or the lady was having a bad day.

I didn't catch the name of the lady but the feedback has apparently been passed on. At the time I was checking in there was only 3 staff on counters including the lady so it shouldn't be too hard to pass on tailored feedback.

 

[PERLHR]

Unless using simple self check in at Perth it can be a bit rubbish. First thing you do notice at the vast check in area, lack of desks open and lack of staff. Priority at Perth is a joke. Non existent or indeed it's one desk at the far end close to escalators to security. Talking of which, massive sign up there saying Virgin fastrack. On ALL of my flights ex PER never seen it open.

 

[fly2earth]

Given that you are in the Discover Gold, I assume you wanted to try VA and see if you like it. If that is the case, I'd say that making a decision (cancel and get rid of 2 upcoming flights) might be too quick? you never know, your next VA flight might be awesome-sauce and you love VA to bits.

Now, I have had amazing experiences with a variety of airlines and have had equally bad experiences from the same variety of airlines.

The customer service component in any industry is not that great these days anyways and that's how the cookie crumbles. As a customer, we are open to switch loyalties, but I'm not sure if any company is worth loyalty or would ack loyalties these days Just my 2c.

Well technically you get what you pay for. The advantage over JQ is that they don't weigh luggage at the gate and slap you with a 50 dollar fine. But if you're travelling light choose whichever option is cheapest. Now I put off arriving at the airport until the last minute don't even want to go to the lounge to utilise the benefit for their Cole-slaw or home-made spaghetti which I can make at home by myself. Or buy it at Coles for 3 dollar a box.

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

Customer service in Australia is poor at the best of times and only continues to get worse.

 

[PERLHR]

Well technically you get what you pay for. The advantage over JQ is that they don't weigh luggage at the gate and slap you with a 50 dollar fine. But if you're travelling light choose whichever option is cheapest. Now I put off arriving at the airport until the last minute don't even want to go to the lounge to utilise the benefit for their Cole-slaw or home-made spaghetti which I can make at home by myself. Or buy it at Coles for 3 dollar a box.

Well sometimes people have to pay a lot even on VA, especially from Perth

 

[fly2earth]

Well sometimes people have to pay a lot even on VA, especially from Perth

Wait so you mean people pay a premium to fly a budget airline?

Pay $400 to fly a budget carrier or pay $500 to fly with a kangaroo with the included safety tax, free meal, onboard entertainment (not factoring seat comfort, service, brand recognition, nostalgia)... Decisions decisions

 

[PERLHR]

Wait so you mean people pay a premium to fly a budget airline?

Pay $400 to fly a budget carrier or pay $500 to fly with a kangaroo with the included safety tax, free meal, onboard entertainment (not factoring seat comfort, service, brand recognition, nostalgia)... Decisions decisions

Nostalgia and brand recognition with QF? You mean when they used to represent a decent airline? Well that's funny. Both VA and QF on the Kalgoorlie route as used as an example here by the op cost a fortune. QF ops out of Perth are no better than VA unfortunately.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Unless using simple self check in at Perth it can be a bit rubbish. First thing you do notice at the vast check in area, lack of desks open and lack of staff. Priority at Perth is a joke. Non existent or indeed it's one desk at the far end close to escalators to security. Talking of which, massive sign up there saying Virgin fastrack. On ALL of my flights ex PER never seen it open.

Unfortunately, Perth is Qantas's worst airport. Their operations are slow and disjointed there—priority baggage is a case in point. This is especially evident at the Qantas 'Premium' Check-in, which is far from what you'd expect from a premium service.

I don't get it - I have the best reception at their International Lounge -