VA and QF Plat. Now we choose one

[calmelb]

No, it is not (from very recent experience, see the appropriate thread).

The one positive of their incompetence is sometimes this can work in your favour (it looks like I will avoid the change fees).

I’ve personally always had good experiences on the premium line in NZ/ Hobart (just remembered that still exists), hit or miss for the other ones

 

[jase05]

QF Platinum CAN request reward seats be opened up which can help for popular routes like LAX. Does VA offer anything similar?

I have had domestic award seats opened up for us in the past. It’s not guaranteed and they don’t actively promote it but it does happen.
There is also a benefit where WP’s and SG’s get a guaranteed reward family trip in Y for up to 4 pax, I have never tried that though.

 

[jase05]

Price is the biggest (and the most important by far) separator here.

Maybe it is because I am PER based but VA is always significantly cheaper. Since 2015, QF has never equalled or beaten VA in price in any flight I have booked.

Same for ADL.
Our most frequent routes are to MEL, SYD or CBR from ADL and VA is always atleast $20-50 cheaper in Y but J is where the big difference comes into play. It’s nearly always about $300-400 more expensive to fly J with QF to any of those 3 cities for what I think is an inferior product

 

[rattler]

Been a VA PLT and QF Gold for a few years - last year decided to chase PLT on both and achieved it earlier this year (thanks but no thanks to significant domestic work travel). Here's my list:

Lounges: If you are after good selection of food/beverages - Qantas wins hands down.
But I personally prefer VA for lighting in the lounge, coffee, service, dedicated security lanes (Mel/Syd) - and lastly may be I am use to those lounges after years of using them.

Flying internationally, Qantas has the edge again - but the house lounge which VA is using in Melbourne after AirNZ split is awesome too (when not full)

Get Home Early: VA wins here without a competition. Not sure if this is important for other people - but the nature of my travel demands flexibility on return flights .
In Virgin I can pick Elevate which is cheaper than flex (VA or QF) - but still show up at lounge early and request to fly early. Have had success with this almost 99% of time. Also the rest 1% - you can use one of the complimentary J upgrades if a seat is available.
With Qantas - I have struggled even with Flex - forget about flying early on a cheaper fare (especially when I was gold - PLT didnt improve this much)

Family Benefits and Pooling - Virgin here - Easy to gift gold to the spouse - and also potential to make her fly crazy routes when she's flying individually to get more status credits when required.

Maintaining status & Velocity Points: Its not only easy to maintain VA PLT based on total no of required points - you also get more credits and a heaps more velocity points (800 points in QF vs ~3500 on VA for equivalent price) when flying domestically.

Upgrades: Slight edge to VA when flying domestic (4 complimentary) or to LAX (as they are not as full as QF flights generally)

International: VA is getting better - but QF is far more connected. So if my work involved a lot of international travel - I would pick and stick with Qantas.

Crew & Premium Boarding: As others have pointed out - prefer VA here.

Redemptions: Have had better luck with VA (but only with economy)

Call Centre: Had awesome experience with VA - never paid a single penny for changes/cancellations etc , always accomodating. QF always tries to stick you with a few hundred dollar charge (I might be biased as most of this negative experience is from when I was gold) - havent had to do any changes on calls since I became platinum.

IT Systems: From mobile apps to website - QF is far far better experience. VA has problems still when I am using chrome to pre-fill cc details to book , so I have to get the card every time when I need to book. As an upside, now I remember my amex card number. Here's another example of VA's coughpy website: Virgin Australia's Website Doesn't Work. A while back, I also had pricing errors on VA website (where the total was incorrect)

I guess we are lucky to have two awesome airlines - these are nitpickings! Both are awesome, but I have come to prefer:
- VA for heavy domestic travel & occasional international flights.
- QF for heavy international travel

EDIT: Fixed some sentences.

 

[Dannyism]

Good thread. Lots of points raised and good food for thought.

My thoughts on the lounges are that VA is good domestically, however really struggles when flying with partner airlines internationally. I really like flying with Singapore airlines to Europe and Asia, with Virgin I can only use their lounges in Singapore, not in other parts of Asia or Europe. In this regard, I much prefer Qantas gold having sampled OW lounges in Spain, Thailand, England, Indonesia etc.

Exceptions are travel around the USA with their partners and to long haul locations such as LAX and Hong Kong. Final note is that it hurt to lose the Air New Zealand partnership.

I am in the lucky situation of being able to maintain gold with both VA and QF. However if I stop travelling so much with work I will return to VA gold/plat as it is much easier (cheaper) to retain. Priority pass can be used to fill the lounge access gap.

Edit: As other members have pointed out below, lounge access is not unavailable 'in all other parts of Asia or Europe', lounge access is unavailable 'most other parts of Asia and Europe'

 

[jase05]

I really like flying with Singapore airlines to Europe and Asia, with Virgin I can only use their lounges in Singapore, not in other parts of Asia or Europe.

You have access in HKG, BKK, KUL, TPE and MNL aswell but yes the lounge situation isn’t great and don’t get me started on the terrible SIN KrisFlyer Gold lounge

 

[jpp42]

I really like flying with Singapore airlines to Europe and Asia, with Virgin I can only use their lounges in Singapore, not in other parts of Asia or Europe

As Virgin Gold I've never had an issue getting a lounge invitation flying SQ from India. I think I had one in TPE too. Compare this to Qantas Platinum flying on codeshare Jet Airways - they do allow you to use the premium check in, but that's about it - no chance at the lounge. Not that many lounges in India are anything to write home about - the Air India one in MAA (used by SQ) is no bigger than my lounge room at home!

I will note that Virgin's IT issues are a pain - as best I can tell I qualify for Platinum but somehow it isn't recognising my qualifying sectors. But I'm not too fussed as it makes no difference given most of my flying is on SQ, which offers no additional benefits to Plats over Gold. That's another huge plus to Qantas - Platinum gets you access to all the OWE lounges.

 

[serfty]

I really like flying with Singapore airlines to Europe and Asia, with Virgin I can only use their lounges in Singapore, not in other parts of Asia or Europe.

You have access in HKG, BKK, KUL, TPE and MNL aswell but yes the lounge situation isn’t great and don’t get me started on the terrible SIN KrisFlyer Gold lounge

LHR Silverkris lounge is also available when flying SQ.

 

[stm1sydney]

LHR Silverkris lounge is also available when flying SQ.

Not to mention the SQ Silverkris lounges in Australian ports. The SYD lounge is really nice.

 

[Ekka]

I flew VA24 last week and the content has improved significantly (it could not have gotten much worse).

Got, as an Australian would say.

 

[RichardMEL]

Lounges: If you are after good selection of food/beverages - Qantas wins hands down.
But I personally prefer VA for lighting in the lounge, coffee, service, dedicated security lanes (Mel/Syd) - and lastly may be I am use to those lounges after years of using them.

Re dedicated security lanes. QF have priority securiy lanes at MEL/SYD/ADL(kinda) and PER(IIRC). Not always manned in MEL but definitely there for J/elites. BNE has the Premium Entry anailable to Gold and above with dedicated security right up to the lounges.

Isn't VA MEL lounge still prior to security (like QF broom closet in HBA)?

 

[serfty]

Isn't VA MEL lounge still prior to security (like QF broom closet in HBA)?

Yes, in MEL the premium security can only be accessed from the VA lounge. No lounge access, then no premium security.

BNE has Premium security with direct entry to the VA lounge as well.

 

[Maca44]

If you do not take sufficient flights to obtain lounge access with Virgin, you can still purchase 'life time membership' with them (albeit $9750-00), although to do so would suggest you do fly a lot . Qantas ceased lifetime membership possibly five or six years ago, and I purchased it in about 1991 so I really have had my monies worth over the years, since I have only reach gold on one occasion. One of the benefits is when you fly Y on American, and business class pax on AA can't access their lounge because of the class of travel, but even if in Y I can access the lounge due to my Qantas Club membership. Even with QF lounge access, I tend to fly VA domestically due to costs.

 

[justinbrett]

My honest opinion is that most people have a strong preference towards Qantas or Virgin, not unlike the Apple v Samsung debate - and any such comparison of the two airlines will be heavily biased towards their preferred airline, even under the premise of a fair, comprehensive review. It is quite rare to find a completely objective review - even from industry sources.

The fact is the things you are comparing are mostly subjective things (how do you quantify comfort, service, food quality etc).

 

[SYD]

As a WP with both airlines (VA since initial SM and QF much longer - plus LTG), I gravitate towards QF. The additional benefits of WP/OWE do seem add up.

My work travel is primarily VA for domestic / EY international (although QR is creeping in more). Personal travel is invariably QF/OW.

As someone (and +1) doing more and more personal long haul travel, those perks are most welcome!

Until VA can sort out a proper and consitent alliance arrangement, I don’t value my VA WP status as much as QF.

 

[RichardMEL]

I feel Juddles has a absolutely valid point on how subjective many of these valuations are. It could even come down to the coffee beans used in the lounges (I am not a massive fan of what QF serves .. but it's better than nescafe or machine coffee )...

and I also feel it's so heavily dependent on one's travel patterns and use. As pointed out above... QF's alliance partners and OWE benefits can be amazing and most useful when flying say AA in the US or CX through HKG or even EK through DXB (EK F lounge) and so on. However if one hardly flies international, or just to SIN or say NZ then one's options are more limited and one may find the VA offering better. Same with domestic flyers.. if you're ADL based, for example, VA may appeal far more, and we know that QF out of PER is a sore point for many locals in many respects.

and finally if airline/alliance X flies where you want/need the most and works the way you want, then at the end of the day that will probably make up for the coffee in the lounge, the security line access or the sad toastie on board.

 

[kermatu]

Agree with most of the sentiments here. VA product is far superior of late — food, baggage, boarding, service. Fleet variability lets it down a bit. QF relies a lot on its network and greater frequency of flights on my common routes to get my business. Internationally QF wins but only because of OW and particularly for me EK relationships.

 

[kermatu]

Yes, in MEL the premium security can only be accessed from the VA lounge. No lounge access, then no premium security.

My last few flights out of Melbourne the premium security lane has been open to anyone — no checking and not accessible from the lounge. That said, it always has few people in it.

 

[jakeseven7]

My last few flights out of Melbourne the premium security lane has been open to anyone — no checking and not accessible from the lounge. That said, it always has few people in it.

Has been discussed a lot in another thread somewhere. VA seem to close it in non peak times basically the security staff seem to let anyone use it if they judge that it’s not that busy...

 

[Ausbt]

VA for me. As a Plat, when I've complained, they have listened and compensated. I don't feel QF would do the same (though I never got beyond SG). In terms of lifetime status, had I of still been with Q now I would have had 8 years as SG rather than 8 as Plat with VA and estimate 2/3 of the way to LTG but I'm still doubtful I would have made it given reduced flying now. Will be a struggle to maintain VA Plat in 12 months time.