Virgin Blue - Live2air TV Update

[alien]

My flights Sydney to Perth each month have worked fine (the ones without live2air) however other interstate flights have not. Luck of the draw I think.

 

[jad01]

On PER flights, thats a 50% increase. That's much.

Well lets do a little fare comparison.....looking at the lowest fare (excluding sales and mid week minifares etc).

MEL-PER one way (around 4hrs flying time depending on weather and direction)

QANTAS - Watch main cabin screen and usually get a 'snack'
Lowest fare is usually $265

VIRGIN BLUE -Watch a variety of Foxtel channels and sleect what you eat.
Lowest fare is usually $219 + $9 Live2Air, say $12 on food, drink = $240.

That still leaves you $25 in front.

If you think $9 is too steep, then dont pay it.
Fly SYD-PER and u get Live2Air for 5hrs
Park at Sydney airport to quickly drop someone off and it costs $13......now that's a rip off.

JASON

 

[straitman]

Well lets do a little fare comparison.....looking at the lowest fare (excluding sales and mid week minifares etc).

MEL-PER one way (around 4hrs flying time depending on weather and direction)

QANTAS - Watch main cabin screen and usually get a 'snack'
Lowest fare is usually $265

VIRGIN BLUE -Watch a variety of Foxtel channels and sleect what you eat.
Lowest fare is usually $219 + $9 Live2Air, say $12 on food, drink = $240.

That still leaves you $25 in front.

If you think $9 is too steep, then dont pay it.
Fly SYD-PER and u get Live2Air for 5hrs
Park at Sydney airport to quickly drop someone off and it costs $13......now that's a rip off.

JASON

You then need to factor in people loyalty (it's important to some), lounge access or otherwise and value of the FF points.

eg I'd earn 4082 QF points (Syd - Per) which is worth anything from $20 to $145 depending how you use your points.

Suffice to say that the value will vary with the individual.

 

[leny]

I haven't had a chance to check it out because all my DJ flights didn't have Live 2 Air, so how do you find which flights do? That is - how do I figure from VH-*** what flights that aircraft operates on?

 

[Mal]

I haven't had a chance to check it out because all my DJ flights didn't have Live 2 Air, so how do you find which flights do? That is - how do I figure from VH-*** what flights that aircraft operates on?

It's random guess at the moment so you won't know until arriving at the airport and seeing your plane waiting. Eventually though Live2Air will be on all(I believe) DJ flights.

 

[leny]

It's random guess at the moment so you won't know until arriving at the airport and seeing your plane waiting. Eventually though Live2Air will be on all(I believe) DJ flights.

Ok thanks - it would be nice to be told in advance though. Great to hear that all planes will have it

 

[jazzamcc]

Last night I flew DJ895 MEL-SYD and was praying for Live2air. Suffice to say I didn't end up getting one with L2A.

 

[straitman]

Last night I flew DJ895 MEL-SYD and was praying for Live2air. Suffice to say I didn't end up getting one with L2A.

Such is life :!:

... to quote a notorious person from the past.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

You then need to factor in people loyalty (it's important to some), lounge access or otherwise and value of the FF points.

eg I'd earn 4082 QF points (Syd - Per) which is worth anything from $20 to $145 depending how you use your points.

Suffice to say that the value will vary with the individual.

You'll also get points on DJ

 

[oz_mark]

Well lets do a little fare comparison.....looking at the lowest fare (excluding sales and mid week minifares etc).

MEL-PER one way (around 4hrs flying time depending on weather and direction)

QANTAS - Watch main cabin screen and usually get a 'snack'
Lowest fare is usually $265

VIRGIN BLUE -Watch a variety of Foxtel channels and sleect what you eat.
Lowest fare is usually $219 + $9 Live2Air, say $12 on food, drink = $240.

That still leaves you $25 in front.

If you think $9 is too steep, then dont pay it.
Fly SYD-PER and u get Live2Air for 5hrs
Park at Sydney airport to quickly drop someone off and it costs $13......now that's a rip off.

Depends on your definition of a 'snack', but I could easily drink more than $12 worth on a MEL-PER flight By being a little selective on QF flights you can get a personal IFE (non AVOD, but still a choice of movies)

Airport prices are a rip off most places, but fortunately most having got to the MacBank fee levels yet.

The $2 surcharge for a taxi gets up my nose.

 

[jad01]

The $12 spending on 'snacks' was just a rough estimate.
Many people dont eat anything on a flight.

You could always spend the remaining $25 so you have $37 which looking at thr price list will buy you alot.
Unless you're talking about alcohol which going by the current pricelist you could get about 8 beers .......which raises two issues, if you consider 8 beers is a snack or drinking twice what the liver can process in that time.......then I think what IFE is available is the least of your worries.

JASON

 

[oz_mark]

The $12 spending on 'snacks' was just a rough estimate.
Many people dont eat anything on a flight.

You could always spend the remaining $25 so you have $37 which looking at thr price list will buy you alot.
Unless you're talking about alcohol which going by the current pricelist you could get about 8 beers .......which raises two issues, if you consider 8 beers is a snack or drinking twice what the liver can process in that time.......then I think what IFE is available is the least of your worries.

Hard to quantify, but there are also the other things such as being on a widebody rather that a 737 which I just find more comfortable.

(BTW I don't really have an objection to flying Virgin Blue, but being a plat member of QF I get some benefits that I find useful. Sometimes these schemes do engender loyalty and not everything in this world comes down to dollars and cents. If my employer said I have to fly DJ then so be it)

 

[Wunala Dreaming]

The following DJ 737s have Live2Air TV:

737-700        VH-VBC
737-700        VH-VBD
737-700        VH-VBH
737-700        VH-VBJ
737-700        VH-VBL
737-700        VH-VBO
737-700        VH-VBP
737-700        VH-VBQ
737-700        VH-VBS
737-700        VH-VBV
737-700        VH-VBY
737-700        VH-VBZ

737-800        VH-VOK
737-800        VH-VOL
737-800        VH-VOT
737-800        VH-VOW
737-800        VH-VUA
737-800        VH-VUE
737-800        VH-VUF
737-800        VH-VUJ

 

[Mal]

The following DJ 737s have Live2Air TV:

So 20 planes. Not too shabby at all. That's about 40% of the DJ fleet isn't it?

My next flight in DJ is only a few weeks away and is long enough to enjoy Live2Air if offered. Wonder how I'll go!

 

[jazzamcc]

Still my luck not to score a plane with Live2Air!! Though I did get to fly on VH-VBA last night, which was DJ's first NG aircraft.

 

[StevePER]

We were on VOD last week and that now has live2air installed. It doesn't work properly, but it's there. Is it $9 or $10 now on the Perth flights? I saw both prices displayed at various times.

Steve

 

[Mal]

I had live2air on a recent DJ trip of mine.

Was too tired to actually use it and just slept most of the journey anyway! Was nice to receive the free headphones, and to be able to watch their flight mapping channel.

I don't think many people were using it. Or at least I didn't see headphones being used when I looked back through the cabin. It was about a 2 hour flight, so I would have expected more people to be using it.

Did lose quite a bit of signal during taxi/takeoff and reaching cruise altitude, but worked well for the rest of the trip.

 

[jazzamcc]

Headphones were free last night, didn't have to pay the $2.50. It was the same headphones for Live2Air (I opened the metal thingy at the gate to have a look).

 

[acampbel]

.

The price was displayed yesterday at $5/$10 depending on whether the flight was under/over 2 hours duration. Looking around my part of the cabin I could see no takers.

I think the trouble is that people will take advantage of anything that's free (witness the % of QF punters who watch the woeful QF/Nine "news" squeezed between copious ads) but baulk at even a trivial charge for a more useful service. I might give it a go next time to guage whether :-

1. It is worth it
2. Whether my company will pay for it.

I guess $5 won't break the bank either way.


Cheers,

Andrew

.

 

[Wunala Dreaming]

AFAIK, all the aircraft that were supposed to get Live2Air TV now have the system. I know that there are a few aircraft on lease that will not get the system (VH-VBT).

I remember reading a post by crazydave98 that the Embraers may also feature the Live2Air TV system. Any updates?

Also, I'd like to hear the thoughts of regular Virgin Blue flyers. Have you used the L2A system and if so, what's your opinion of it? It's just I haven't heard much feedback and would like to know what experiences AFF members have had with the system.

Thanks