Virgin Australia to lease more 737s

[Saab34]

Classic airline attitude - stuff the customer!

Private Equity say no more. Staff and Customer take a back seat.

 

[deangelj]

I would be pissed if I lost Business Class. But I must say this has happened to me with Qantas out of Hobart to Melbourne in Feb 2023. We originally booked on a 2pm flight as we fly to Christchurch the next morning. This was then canned and then put on a 12 noon flight which was then canned and we were put on a 1020 flight which is a Business Class free 717. I am not impressed but the alternative is a 6am flight (need to spend a whole day in Melbourne and my wife hates the 6am flight) or a very late flight to Melbourne. At this stage we have decided to suck it up and see what amount of small compensation Qantas will give us

This happened to me on VA on my BME->PER flight in July this year. Was booked in J on a 737-800 (I think it was that type), and then they emailed me saying that it was now a Regional 320 all economy. It was too late to change dates as I had hotel and other bookings to link up with.

 

[HS-TQE]

Private Equity say no more. Staff and Customer take a back seat.

More to do with their concentration on the 2023 partial IPO (e.g between 40% to 49%) right now rather than spending the CapEx on other matters outside their current commitments.

 

[ozstamps]

This happened to me on VA on my BME->PER flight in July this year. Was booked in J on a 737-800 (I think it was that type), and then they emailed me saying that it was now a Regional 320 all economy. It was too late to change dates as I had hotel and other bookings to link up with.

Had identical issues at same time. We were all upgraded using Plat Upgrades both ways. ~3 hour flights each way. Then in comes the FOKKERS and A320s. At totally different TIMES to the booked fights, which were connecting to and from the SYD flights to make it worse.

Hotels there are $300 a night for anything even basic and fully booked in high season, paid in advance, so cannot be changed.

No-one there at Virgin gave a STUFF. Total disinterest in the whole mess of Virgin making. No apologies, no compensation, no nothing. Welcome to Tiger #2.

Check in at Broome was like something from regional Bolivia. Stupid clueless older woman was allegedly 'running' things, who did not know how to even change seats or anything else. She had us 10 rows apart. Looked like she was a bag handler foisted into gate duty. Our flights never posted. Gawd know how she coded them.

 

[N860CR]

Had identical issues at same time. We were all upgraded using Plat Upgrades both ways. ~3 hour flights each way. Then in comes the FOKKERS and A320s. At totally different TIMES to the booked fights, which were connecting to and from the SYD flights to make it worse.

Hotels there are $300 a night for anything even basic and fully booked in high season, paid in advance, so cannot be changed.

No-one there at Virgin gave a STUFF. Total disinterest in the whole mess of Virgin making. No apologies, no compensation, no nothing. Welcome to Tiger #2.

Check in at Broome was like something from regional Bolivia. Stupid clueless older woman was allegedly 'running' things, who did not know how to even change seats or anything else. She had us 10 rows apart. Looked like she was a bag handler foisted into gate duty. Our flights never posted. Gawd know how she coded them.

For interests sake, why do you fly VA? You clearly have an issue with the company, so wouldn’t it make more sense to fly with the competition? If you go into every interaction looking for a problem, you’ll find one.

 

[Harrison_133]

All white also which is weird. I thought painting was done in Asia. Otherwise Townsville got the contract perhaps.

Another albino jet to float around the network…NBP scheduled to enter service on Monday still painted all white.

 

[HS-TQE]

Not the first time an Australian airline released white jets into the network. Ansett did it for a while when their second batch of ex-Brittania 762s (the standard 2-crew version) came from the lessors after the Brittania lease finished up in the mid 90s.

Qantas also had a 763 all-white livery which was ex-Ansett (ex-VH-BZI) and operated at QF under VH-NOA, not long after the AN voluntary administration and subsequent liquidation.

 

[PERLHR]

I was on last night one of the former Silk Air 800s. No "curtain" after row 2 (I was in row 2), but those in row 3 certainly had wonderful legroom. The seats in biz different from standard VA biz, nice recline, foot extender and nice side storage. Good flight and I enjoyed the chicken and mash!

 

[simmomelb]

For interests sake, why do you fly VA? You clearly have an issue with the company, so wouldn’t it make more sense to fly with the competition? If you go into every interaction looking for a problem, you’ll find one.

I think people just enjoy discussing what moves the airline is making,, if you go to QA threads there are plenty of people disappointed about their service too.
However, I do understand where you are coming from still.
Complaining about airlines is almost a sport in this country

 

[N860CR]

I think people just enjoy discussing what moves the airline is making,, if you go to QA threads there are plenty of people disappointed about their service too.
However, I do understand where you are coming from still.
Complaining about airlines is almost a sport in this country

No disagreement there, I just don’t think anybody has such a genuine hate for a company (based on the colourful language - must be a delight to have onboard!) yet continues to frequent them so much.

 

[HS-TQE]

Perhaps the opportunity for the QF status match hasn't rolled around again yet? I mean you can fly QF connecting to a Star Alliance partner (and claim on both FF accounts) if 'the need' to avoid VA entirely on previously mentioned complaints is required.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Classic airline attitude - stuff the customer!

Yep, since they opened their "new" call center in Bangladesh.

 

[Harrison_133]

Yep, since they opened their "new" call center in Bangladesh.

I’m curious, is this actually true? The supposed existence of a Bangladesh call centre has popped up on a couple of threads from one poster, but has anybody else actually come across it?

As a data point, I rang VA today to use Fly Ahead. The Philippines call centre picked up instantly, but as soon as I said the words “Fly Ahead” I was put on hold briefly and transferred through to the Platinum line who sorted everything with their usual efficiency.

Anyway, we’re probably drifting slightly off topic…

 

[N860CR]

I’m curious, is this actually true? The supposed existence of a Bangladesh call centre has popped up on a couple of threads from one poster, but has anybody else actually come across it?

As a data point, I rang VA today to use Fly Ahead. The Philippines call centre picked up instantly, but as soon as I said the words “Fly Ahead” I was put on hold briefly and transferred through to the Platinum line who sorted everything with their usual efficiency.

Anyway, we’re probably drifting slightly off topic…

Curious as to why it would even matter that the call centre is in Bangladesh instead of the Philippines.

Sounds like a bit of blatant racism perpetuated by a single individual.

 

[simmomelb]

I’m curious, is this actually true? The supposed existence of a Bangladesh call centre has popped up on a couple of threads from one poster, but has anybody else actually come across it?

As a data point, I rang VA today to use Fly Ahead. The Philippines call centre picked up instantly, but as soon as I said the words “Fly Ahead” I was put on hold briefly and transferred through to the Platinum line who sorted everything with their usual efficiency.

Anyway, we’re probably drifting slightly off topic…

I don't believe the Bangladesh call centre is true.
I call them quite often, never once have I spoken with this supposed call centre.
Unless someone has factual info on this I'm calling it BS.
But yes, this is totally off topic now

 

[eastwest101]

I don't believe the Bangladesh call centre is true.
I call them quite often, never once have I spoken with this supposed call centre.
Unless someone has factual info on this I'm calling it BS.
But yes, this is totally off topic now

Yep - Bangladesh is complete BS - Virgin Australia do use call centers in The Phillippines, as discussed here (due to brief lockdowns in Manilla during Covid which prompted this article):

Airline Call Centres in Meltdown

Airline call centres worldwide are struggling to cope with the current surge in demand, leaving many calls unanswered and others on hold for many hours.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

As do many other organizations in Australia (Telstra and American Express for example but to be completely accurate I think Telstra is 'onshoring' all its call centers?).

 

[serfty]

Yep, since they opened their "new" call center in Bangladesh.

I’m curious, is this actually true?

I believe @AustraliaPoochie was being facetious.

 

[PERLHR]

Looks like Perth to Darwin and back to be 737 7 for Feb and Mar at least 2023.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Looks like some 737-700s in VA will have a J cabin, but yeah, it will be hard to keep chasing up to see which 737-700 series a flyer, will be on.
Into Oct VA has $549 ADL - BNE, flights, but have to go deep into the fares details to see if its the one with a J cabin type 737-700 a person is on.
They are still using the F100 without a J cabin into Oct even.
Re: where their 2nd call center, is located, I haven't had the need to call them, but the goss on here is its there.
If I have to book a "comfort seat booking" then I will have to phone them up and then ask where they are located, to write down date and time and details of call.

 

[simmomelb]

Looks like some 737-700s in VA will have a J cabin, but yeah, it will be hard to keep chasing up to see which 737-700 series a flyer, will be on.
Into Oct VA has $549 ADL - BNE, flights, but have to go deep into the fares details to see if its the one with a J cabin type 737-700 a person is on.
They are still using the F100 without a J cabin into Oct even.
Re: where their 2nd call center, is located, I haven't had the need to call them, but the goss on here is its there.
If I have to book a "comfort seat booking" then I will have to phone them up and then ask where they are located, to write down date and time and details of call.

The goss on here? Did you read all the posts? It was a joke, just to be clear.
There is no new call centre.
It's incredible how quickly a joke it taken out of context.