VA Cancellations, Delays growing?

[kamchatsky]

I haven’t flown domestic flights in 4 years. Reading this thread has made me nervous on my upcoming VA925 SYD-BNE departing at 9am on Boxing Day. I need to connect (separate ticket) to CX156 at 00:40 next day. What is the chance of of cancellation of flight and then they place us to next day flights, hence missing my CX flight?

I posted this 2 weeks ago, and the news of strike action has made me even more nervous about my upcoming flight to BNE on Boxing Day. I have been conservative with my bookings but even I am unsure if I can get to BNE in time. I cannot believe the current state of VA as I used to fly with them a lot pre-covid and like their services. Is this what the domestic airline industry has come to? Constant cancellations and massive delays?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I posted this 2 weeks ago, and the news of strike action has made me even more nervous about my upcoming flight to BNE on Boxing Day. I have been conservative with my bookings but even I am unsure if I can get to BNE in time. I cannot believe the current state of VA as I used to fly with them a lot pre-covid and like their services. Is this what the domestic airline industry has come to? Constant cancellations and massive delays?

Yeah, pretty much

I don’t know about Qantas, but certainly with VA the next available flight might not be well until the next day. My colleague was in the 4pm from MEL, got offered 9am the next day. When flight cancellations are announced in the lounge, lots of folk queuing up to get told their flights won’t be until the following day.

It’s not great.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hearing this ‘live’ from CC chatting in the galley… VA crew being offered $150 a day to show up during december, but you lose the whole lot if you strike once.

Commentary… ‘they can take their $150 and **** it’.

However… really pleased that the attitude is not transferring to the pax in terms of service, like some of the other CMs.

 

[Saab34]

Apparently the cabin crew who only do day trips only earn 50/55k. For a 24/7 roster that isn’t great.

If you go back 10-15 years, they will find the number has barely moved. I can understand the frustration. That sort of wage is just pocket money in 2023.

Virgin still has Pilots to deal with also.

 

[33kft]

VA crew being offered $150 a day to show up during december, but you lose the whole lot if you strike once.

Not sure this is well thought out. Given 1000 cabin crew (seems to be about 90% of VA's total cabin crew? Hard to be sure with all the numbers thrown around in articles) voted for work stoppages, I can't imagine this incentive is going to end up being very useful. It gives the compliant 10% a chance to get extra money for something they were planning on doing anyway, with zero incentive for anyone else

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Not sure this is well thought out. Given 1000 cabin crew (seems to be about 90% of VA's total cabin crew? Hard to be sure with all the numbers thrown around in articles) voted for work stoppages, I can't imagine this incentive is going to end up being very useful. It gives the compliant 10% a chance to get extra money for something they were planning on doing anyway, with zero incentive for anyone else

So, 12 hour shifts and 40 hour week equals about three days working a week. $450 a week or $1800 for the whole of december, before tax. Worth it? probably not in the long run

 

[RooFlyer]

I posted this 2 weeks ago, and the news of strike action has made me even more nervous about my upcoming flight to BNE on Boxing Day.

For my VA flight next week, to catch international next day, I've made a duplicate QF booking. I'll decide on the day. It'll probably be QF regardless, as the refund on the VA booking is better.

This contrasts with a year ago, when I used to make duplicate VA bookings for any QF flights which then were especially prone to cancellation. Pretty safe bet due to VA's refund policy. Once, I got the whole amount back on my CC the same day!!

 

[justinbrett]

I posted this 2 weeks ago, and the news of strike action has made me even more nervous about my upcoming flight to BNE on Boxing Day.

It could be worse. You could be booked on Bonza.

 

[papeto]

I think the chickens have come to roost for Bain. As a private equity player, you sweat the asset. That translate into cutting costs, defering capex as far as possible and putting lipstick on it before flogging it to some unsuspecting suitor. Problem is Bain employed a CEO with zero empathy in a people business to sweat this asset. She couldn’t get it listed last year, so now they are stuck. Bain cut pilots salaries by 20% post Covid, cabin crew probably the same, and they had to accept worse employment conditions. You can through money at it, but the CEO has trashed the company culture too, so you can expect little to no compassion from employees. Im interested to see where the pilot IBA goes. A good pilot friend of ours left Virgin a few months ago to fly for an American cargo carrier. His getting double his Virgin salary better conditions, so was worth moving the whole family state side. Jane has a bit of history for being a bull in china shop. There wasn’t any tears when she left Jetstar.

 

[RooFlyer]

She couldn’t get it listed last year, so now they are stuck

I largely agree with what you say there, (especially about treating their staff badly) but don't join the dullards here who occasionally comment archly on the VA float. It wasn't so much of 'she didn't get it listed last year' as 'it wasn't worth listing last year with the state of the IPO market and considering it was making good money for Bain.' IPOs this year too have been very rare for a reason; and those that went haven't done well. Qantas is the current benchmark for airline equity in Australia, and its share price completely tanked.

Eventually one assumes they will have to 'go' at some stage (next year the current target), but I reckon Bain are smart enough not to go to IPO just for the hell of it.

 

[MooTime]

I think the chickens have come to roost for Bain. As a private equity player, you sweat the asset. That translate into cutting costs, defering capex as far as possible and putting lipstick on it before flogging it to some unsuspecting suitor. Problem is Bain employed a CEO with zero empathy in a people business to sweat this asset. She couldn’t get it listed last year, so now they are stuck. Bain cut pilots salaries by 20% post Covid, cabin crew probably the same, and they had to accept worse employment conditions. You can through money at it, but the CEO has trashed the company culture too, so you can expect little to no compassion from employees. Im interested to see where the pilot IBA goes. A good pilot friend of ours left Virgin a few months ago to fly for an American cargo carrier. His getting double his Virgin salary better conditions, so was worth moving the whole family state side. Jane has a bit of history for being a bull in china shop. There wasn’t any tears when she left Jetstar.

Many pilots left QF too for yankie shores.
Well publicized offers and conditions in US.

You think only Bain with VA have cut costs, my goodness that's rather narrow vision.

Trashed the company, good ol stretch that line. Just another case of staff wanting a pay rise, is there any sector that hasn't gone thru this banana bender.... ambo's, teachers, coppers to name just a few. The dial has stopped at the airline sector this time, and rightly so from all reports.

We know Bain will pay up last minute and all will be settled, they'll play the PR card, look at us blah blah it's all the game each side has to play, not nice, but happens everytime the same.

 

[TheInsider]

Trashed the company, good ol stretch that line. Just another case of staff wanting a pay rise, is there any sector that hasn't gone thru this banana bender

Do you think what they are earning is good enough?

 

[Zanzaid]

Anybody know exactly how much the Cabin crew are asking for??

10% pay increase etc etc
I mean salary freeze for 3 years is pretty stiff (pun intended).

I sure hope Bain/VA management come to the party.

This is what i saw on the news today

They said that the union had knocked back an offer of a 15 per cent base salary increase worth $50 million over three years, instead demanding a 29 per cent wage increase.

 

[MooTime]

Do you think what they are earning is good enough?

I don't know what their earning, how many hours they work, conditions nothing, but a pay freeze for 3 years is just in UnAustralian.
I'm hardly going to believe a figure someone posts here. Yes I understand you are much more well aware of these figures.

Post automatically merged: Dec 4, 2023

This is what i saw on the news today

30% decent increase.

 

[PERLHR]

I don't know what their earning, how many hours they work, conditions nothing, but a pay freeze for 3 years is just in UnAustralian.
I'm hardly going to believe a figure someone posts here. Yes I understand you are much more well aware of these figures.

Post automatically merged: Dec 4, 2023

30% decent increase.

Remind me then who gets a 30 percent increase these days in the customer service environment?

 

[MooTime]

Remind me then who gets a 30 percent increase these days in the customer service environment?

I wouldn't know, not too many I dare say.

 

[papeto]

Remind me then who gets a 30 percent increase these days in the customer service environment?

Well 20

Remind me then who gets a 30 percent increase these days in the customer service environment?

We if you got cut 20% after Covid and getting 30% now, thats a net 10%, so not that flash.

 

[MooTime]

Well 20

We if you got cut 20% after Covid and getting 30% now, thats a net 10%, so not that flash.

We're talking about cabin crew here, that's the current dispute. Your getting mixed up with your pilots cut.

Pilots issue to follow.
Care to share your pilots got 20% pay cut link?
Thanks in advance.

 

[PERLHR]

Well 20

We if you got cut 20% after Covid and getting 30% now, thats a net 10%, so not that flash.

That's the great thing about stats ...can always be manipulated to suit.

 

[papeto]

We're talking about cabin crew here, that's the current dispute. Your getting mixed up with your pilots cut.

Pilots issue to follow.
Care to share your pilots got 20% pay cut link?
Thanks in advance.

We're talking about cabin crew here, that's the current dispute. Your getting mixed up with your pilots cut.

Pilots issue to follow.
Care to share your pilots got 20% pay cut link?
Thanks in advance.

Sure - here you go VIRGIN Pilot Federation – Issuu