VA Launch Economy Space + on 777 routes

[bullerdude]

So basically Platinum no longer gets access to the first rows of the economy cabin ?!?!?!

Its all charged as space+

Just wow... certainly not a good way to treat your frequent customers travelling in economy

 

[Cryptarcadian]

Just did a dummy booking while logged in, and it's $135 to select any seat in rows 20-26 or 39 as a WP.

Pretty lame way for VA to treat their platinum passengers, really.

I we are flying Y, we may as well fly on the DL codeshare next time, or even... someone else?

 

[Muppet501st]

Just did a dummy booking while logged in, and it's $135 to select any seat in rows 20-26 or 39 as a WP.

Pretty lame way for VA to treat their platinum passengers, really.

I we are flying Y, we may as well fly on the DL codeshare next time, or even... someone else?

I had been meaning to try this. The row 20 had been great for my family of 5 ( no way I can afford to pay for us all in Y+ or J )

Have another trip to book early next year for the family, and will definitely be looking at other airlines. Airnz seem to look after VA WPs very well and if the price is right,,

 

[Ralphie]

Mr Ralphie and I are heading over next year and had decided to go PE as wanted some perks without having to save too hard for business class. Now with this offering, we'll just do Economy space. It seems this idea would be at detriment to the earning from Premium Economy.

 

[Denali]

Mr Ralphie and I are heading over next year and had decided to go PE as wanted some perks without having to save too hard for business class. Now with this offering, we'll just do Economy space. It seems this idea would be at detriment to the earning from Premium Economy.

My 2cents, PE is a mini cabin of 24 with their own dedicated toilet and 2 x seats available for couples - for me, PE would be the min I would fly SYD>LAX

 

[clipped_wings]

Husband and I are locked into the new PE Ultimate (my term for the A/C or H/K seats) in August. I can't seem to find any trip reports yet from anyone who has flown it. Not sure if the cabin has one or two toilets. There is conflicting graphics on the booking page and seat maps on VA website. I'll assume that there is one official toilet for PE on starboard side and unofficial access to the port side one at the front on Y+

Will definitely post a TR on this experience, for the benefit of future travellers.......

 

[Ralphie]

The access to a toilet was one of the things that had made me consider staying flying PE but the seat maps do suggest that the front economy space cabin does have access to one at the front. Now there's nothing to stop others walking up to it, I imagine but the easy access looks good.

While the couple seats are excellent, I just can't quite see how I'd justify an extra $3k for that when space seems to have near identical perks for everything else. (Better food in PE of course.)

I guess I think I'm going to upgrade from economy now, I might as well go straight to business. (But then there's the justification of spending so much more versus how else I could spend that money on the trip.)

Very much looking forward to your report clipped_wings.

 

[Quickstatus]

So Y+ in first 5 rows of economy and exit rows get first dibs at meal times. I would have thought these rows get first dibs anyway as trolleys start from front to back. Another service item that used to be free and now sold as a perk. WP used to get these rows free. Not now. Just another enhancement

 

[newmarket]

So Y+ in first 5 rows of economy and exit rows get first dibs at meal times. I would have thought these rows get first dibs anyway as trolleys start from front to back. Another service item that used to be free and now sold as a perk. WP used to get these rows free. Not now. Just another enhancement

Used to get first choice of meals too.

 

[johnnyfive]

Will be interesting to see if these seats open up to Plats and Golds for free at 48 and 24 hours before departure, or maybe check in? If the flight is full these seats will be allocated to some for free anyway. Why not let your loyal customers get first dibs...

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm just going to echo the sentiments of others.......VA are selling WP perks to everyone and shafting the WPs.

Let's take a step back in time, when VA wanted to entice QF status over to the dark side. They did so with absolute distain for their own hard earned WPs. This is just history revisited......except the QF lure was demonstrated to be a folly (I told them so) and this also has the potential to be a folly. Fancy a company with an apparant group of people running it with an individual IQ slightly higher than a turnip, believing a "once in a lifetime" flyer is worth knifing your loyal customers over one hundred and something bucks.........sheer stupidity VA.

JB, mate........you've lost your marbles! You had a vision and that vision was blurred very early on in the piece, now you're walking with a white cane and opaque eyes. I'd wager JB is in the midst of the final act before the fat lady sings.

 

[Quickstatus]

Will be interesting to see if these seats open up to Plats and Golds for free at 48 and 24 hours before departure, or maybe check in? If the flight is full these seats will be allocated to some for free anyway. Why not let your loyal customers get first dibs...

First dibs means at at ticket purchase
WP will have second or third dibs.

 

[newmarket]

AirNZ has always done a great job in recognising VA platinum, at least Trans Tasman. How do they do trans PAC?

 

[farstar]

Still deciding if I should requalify for WP seems like VA don't care about me. VA SG seems like a sweet spot unless they can give some better WP benefits than they do now, free seating to economy space would help.

 

[MarkD]

AirNZ has always done a great job in recognising VA platinum, at least Trans Tasman. How do they do trans PAC?

They are exceptional. Far superior to VA in every way

 

[newmarket]

Thanks Mark.

I just bought some tickets on VA for next month, but I'll go with them on my July / Aug trip!

 

[johnnyfive]

If you're flying economy and book the SYD-LAX DL codeshare you can grab some Comfort+ for free at T-72. Not to mention you get premium economy SCs if you pay for Comfort+ on DL! Am I missing something here or do they want us to fly DL across the Pacific as they treat us better than VA does.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Am I missing something here or do they want us to fly DL across the Pacific as they treat us better than VA does.

You're probably not missing anything, more that you aren't missing what VA believe/hope most punters will miss. As anat0l pointed out in another thread, they continue to get people to fly with them!

 

[newmarket]

I think DL are fine. I took a family trip with them and I thought that the economy service was little different to VA.

I am interested in trying out ANZ though. They do a great job recognising status over VA at least Trans Tasman.

 

[clipped_wings]

Just flew VA 1 in row 21ABC the first left hand side row. Now apart from the bassinet row (which he had for miss 6.month old) it has a generous room to the bulkhead which is a toilet. Now this toilet is curtained off but FA told us to skip through.

Do you think the FA allowed this because of the distance you'd have to go to the Y toilet, leaving your baby? Or is it a perk that front end Y pax (or parents) enjoy. I thought the port side toilet was for Y+ anyway, as it's denoted in red on the Virgin Australia seat map....