Virgin Australia goes fully inclusive on PER flights

[fewings85]

I don't think they label themselves as such. Full Service and Fully Inclusive are terms others use.

fair call

i would love them soo much more if they included baggage but!

 

[Jama]

fair call

i would love them soo much more if they included baggage but!

If they included baggage there would be no incentive to pay $200 more for a flexi.

 

[pauly7]

i just hope they eventually if not with this roll out included checked baggage. If they want to label themselves as full service they need to include this, especially to truly rival qantas. In my books they are not completley full service til they do this.

Have to agree with you here.

 

[DJ332]

Virgin Australia Group Executive Alliances, Network and Yield Merren McArthur said: “Enhancing the travel experience from the East Coast to Perth is an important part of our strategy to become the airline of choice in Australia.

“We have listened to our guests and we understand that consistency of product and services, a competitive schedule and inclusive catering and entertainment make a real difference on these longer journeys.


I laughed

I did too. This merely increases the inconsistency of product offerings across the DJ network! But it's certainly a step in the right direction. I think it's only a matter of time before we see full catering for J and Y across the board.

 

[toowongman]

If they included baggage there would be no incentive to pay $200 more for a flexi.

Points upgrade!

In the next year or so I forsee Virgin morphing into a full-service airline with some international sectors as they do now, and a lot of code-sharing. But at a lower running cost. Over time, just by improving service and product - one little bit at a time, more people will switch from QF to VA. Slowly slowly catchy monkey.

 

[anat0l]

Well this certainly steps it up a notch.

I wonder if the service will mirror Qantas, viz. hot meal and ice-cream dessert. Not that it's important, mind you. I just hope that DJ does a good job on the meals, because the meals I had in J when C2C services on the A332 were just inaugurated last October were rather.... bland. I assume they have improved significantly since then.

I guess their hot meals will mirror that of their VA Y long haul service, my guess. It does shut a bit of a gap between Flexi and Saver (unless Flexis somehow will get a better meal - doubt it - or free selections from the buy-on-board menu perhaps), except the former does get a free checked bag. I know it won't affect most on the board, because with a minimum Silver status you get the free bag anyway. Wonder if that means that Flexi prices will decrease?

What's more interesting is that you get your hot meal and then I still assume that anyone on board can still get something (by payment) from the normal buy-on-board menu. Or, will the latter be abandoned (especially on smaller aircraft, albeit all C2C services are slated to become A332s in the short term, which should have enough space to pack it all in)?

I don't doubt DJ's FAs' abilities to take on this new system. NZ's FAs were reporting some difficulties at first in transitioning into the S2S service in the first month(s) or so; I think they have it down like clockwork. DJ is superior to NZ in taking on change so I don't see this as a big deal for them.

 

[Baguss]

I notice today flights from Perth - Sydney have a lead in price of $215
Yesterday it was $195, so the price has gone up $20 overnight.
Melbourne is also $215, I think the lead in price was $195 also.

 

[drewbles]

I notice today flights from Perth - Sydney have a lead in price of $215
Yesterday it was $195, so the price has gone up $20 overnight.
Melbourne is also $215, I think the lead in price was $195 also.

There was a 'sale' on which ended at midnight last night, so i'm guessing it's this. That's about the right price though ($190-250 is the general range for one way; I do the east/west trek far too often).

 

[Baguss]

There was a 'sale' on which ended at midnight last night, so i'm guessing it's this. That's about the right price though ($190-250 is the general range for one way; I do the east/west trek far too often).

$195 was the standard lead in price, not the sale price. Sale pricing is normally approx $159 ish. But there were $129 fares (which I also snapped up) for next year.

 

[Must...Fly!]

There was a 'sale' on which ended at midnight last night, so i'm guessing it's this. That's about the right price though ($190-250 is the general range for one way; I do the east/west trek far too often).

Sale was $165 when I was looking the other day.

No surprise to see the increase, will be interesting to see who gets more customers & revenue per seat

 

[fewings85]

well looks like they have raised lead in prices to cover the change, lead in was $195, so in reality the meals arent free. We are paying 20 extra in the fare price. still lead in price for qantas is 248 isnt it? but if you add in 30 for baggage if you have no status then price becomes 230 each way. Still slightly under qantas.

 

[Must...Fly!]

$209 lead in on QF I believe, but they're sometimes hard to get, $248 is probably more realistic. That said, could have got $209 for MEL-PER departing in the next few weeks on certain flights.

 

[fewings85]

i have never seen a lead in of 209. always 248 (not syaing there isnt just always only seen 248) 199 sale price.

EDIT: actually come to think of it this is quite annoying, the article from the west the virgin spokes person said they fare prices will not be affected. This is a blatant lie! any way to contact this man to complain

 

[drewbles]

well looks like they have raised lead in prices to cover the change, lead in was $195, so in reality the meals arent free. We are paying 20 extra in the fare price. still lead in price for qantas is 248 isnt it? but if you add in 30 for baggage if you have no status then price becomes 230 each way. Still slightly under qantas.

Fares change. Things vary. Yesterdays lead in price is not necessarily todays. That's true of all airlines, not just DJ.

You should have booked yesterday

 

[fewings85]

im already booked for what i need, dont need anything more atm . i think its more then just more then a yesterdays lead is not todays. Anyway im not complaining was just having abit of a joke. its not gonna affect me

 

[Robert Qld]

A step in the right direction.

Hopefully they will roll it out to the rest of there flights and include baggage. Cause at the moment in my view (other then a special or two) they're just a very expensive budget airline!

If and once they do, I would consider looking at DJ for flying (QF certainly hasn't been winning many favour lately - but at least they are still consistantly full service)

 

[oz_mark]

well looks like they have raised lead in prices to cover the change, lead in was $195, so in reality the meals arent free.

No they're not free. The word Virgin used was 'inclusive'.

(and even on Qantas, 'complimentary' doesn't really mean free!)

 

[smit0847]

I would expect to see regular $149 sale fares on VA - they have a hell of a lot of seats to fill up.

 

[Danger]

No they're not free. The word Virgin used was 'inclusive'.

(and even on Qantas, 'complimentary' doesn't really mean free!)

Just like 'enhance' must be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[fewings85]

I would expect to see regular $149 sale fares on VA - they have a hell of a lot of seats to fill up.

seems to be some up now already.