Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for 2.

[Fruitcake]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

In seat power - Not happening

I believe the BSI aircraft do have seat power. But that's a very small proportion of the narrowbody fleet, so you can't count on it being there.

 

[lovestotravel]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

I believe the BSI aircraft do have seat power. But that's a very small proportion of the narrowbody fleet, so you can't count on it being
there.

I have not noticed it on the 2 that I have flown on, but I wasn't really looking and I haven't seen it posted..

Can anyone else confirm this ?

 

[DrAndyC]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

Small rant. Had "half" a J-fare today. Flew CBR-ADL with a J ticket today. (there is only 1 direct flight a day so it was actually CBR-MEL-ADL).

J cabin for CBR-MEL, but the MEL-ADL was changed to a 737-700 so squashed 3 each side in row 1 (with a prominent Canberra politician also on the MEL-ADL sector). Slightly irritated, as all the other "business passengers" had been contacted...(and allegedly offered discount/refund etc) .I hadnt. I suppose I had half a J-trip. Still doesnt change the fact that I wouldnt have paid the J fare if Id known.

This may be a gap in the system that virgin still needs to fix when a multisector booking has an aircraft downgrade.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

(with a prominent Canberra politician also on the MEL-ADL sector).

Seems like the pollies are starting to try DJ. Just the contracts they'd dearly love I would have thought. Wonder what the "prominent" Federal polly thought of being crammed in zoo class with us plebs?

 

[Mak404matt]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

I have not noticed it on the 2 that I have flown on, but I wasn't really looking and I haven't seen it posted..

Can anyone else confirm this ?

Can confirm that the BSI I was on (Didn't catch Rego, was DJ694 PER - MEL on the 13/04) did have in-seat power in J.

It was a standard 240v looking socket, did not test it however.

 

[serfty]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

VH-YVD - Virgin Australia - data.flight24.com

I wonder how many have in-seat power and how many don't?

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/VOZ694/history/20120413/0920Z/YPPH/YMML

 

[pauly7]

Seems like the pollies are starting to try DJ. Just the contracts they'd dearly love I would have thought. Wonder what the "prominent" Federal polly thought of being crammed in zoo class with us plebs?

Ummmm they've been forced to for some time now Hardly the politicians trying them out of choice hahah!!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

Ummmm they've been forced to for some time now Hardly the politicians trying them out of choice hahah!!

They have? Is this out of competitive neutrality (that's not realy the term I need but it'll give the idea)? What about the public service?

 

[greenfish]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

They have? Is this out of competitive neutrality (that's not realy the term I need but it'll give the idea)? What about the public service?

All of the government departments I've worked with have a BFOD policy, generally using CWT for bookings (I'm in the private sector but have spent the last 14 months working with various federal government departments).

Interestingly, every time I've flown on a WOAG (government) fare, the QF and DJ fares have been nearly identical (and quite a bit cheaper than on the retail sites) - the only exception being the DJ business fares which have been very cheap indeed (though irrelevant, as the travel rules where I've worked preclude domestic J).

With the CWT online booking engine, I have had to justify any deviation from BFOD.

 

[markis10]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

Interestingly, every time I've flown on a WOAG (government) fare, the QF and DJ fares have been nearly identical (and quite a bit cheaper than on the retail sites) - the only exception being the DJ business fares which have been very cheap indeed (though irrelevant, as the travel rules where I've worked preclude domestic J).

With the CWT online booking engine, I have had to justify any deviation from BFOD.

I had the same feedback re the fares, the clincher being the cost of baggage on DJ pushing it higher!

 

[Princess Fiona]

Ok, I'm a bit befuddled and would like some help.
I'm flying MEL-NTL in J early May.
DJ are selling J on the flight. Flight is a 737-800 but the seat map looks like PE ? Currently selected 1A and C with a black shadow in between them.
Will this be a J class service or not?

 

[Fruitcake]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

I believe the BSI aircraft do have seat power. But that's a very small proportion of the narrowbody fleet, so you can't count on it being there.

My belief has now taken a bit of a dent, I was on a BSI aircraft last night and it had no power in J. Or at least, I couldn't find it!

 

[mickeyc747]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

Ok, I'm a bit befuddled and would like some help.
I'm flying MEL-NTL in J early May.
DJ are selling J on the flight. Flight is a 737-800 but the seat map looks like PE ? Currently selected 1A and C with a black shadow in between them.
Will this be a J class service or not?

It will be J as that is what has shown up on all my sectors and the last 6 have been J not PE.

 

[Fruitcake]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

It will be J as that is what has shown up on all my sectors and the last 6 have been J not PE.

I agree with mickeyc747 - the seat map for J shows a 'blank' in the middle. My aircraft was switched last Friday night to a 73G, and the seat map I was presented with at checkin showed occupied seats in 1B/2B and 1E/2E rather than the 'blank'. When I requested a move to the earlier flight, it reverted to what Princess Fiona describes.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Thanks guys
Was getting a little bit worried there

 

[777]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

I had the same feedback re the fares, the clincher being the cost of baggage on DJ pushing it higher!

I'm surprised that Govt fares don't include baggage given that they apparently include lounge access. Would strike me as an easy thing to offer and relatively cheap given how few would need it.

 

[greenfish]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

I'm surprised that Govt fares don't include baggage given that they apparently include lounge access. Would strike me as an easy thing to offer and relatively cheap given how few would need it.

The government fares do not include lounge access (unless in J), nor do they earn miles, although status credits are still accrued.

The fare structures otherwise appear to follow the retail offering, so if you buy a DJ saver, you also miss out on food, where the QF red e-deal includes food and baggage.

However the flexi fares from both airlines are often very close to their saver/red e-deal fares so I suspect many people just book the flexi and hence baggage and food becomes a non-issue.

 

[markis10]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

I'm surprised that Govt fares don't include baggage given that they apparently include lounge access. Would strike me as an easy thing to offer and relatively cheap given how few would need it.

Nope, my flat mate works for the ATO and no lounge or baggage on the trip last week, so it was QF.

 

[muppet]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

Nope, my flat mate works for the ATO and no lounge or baggage on the trip last week, so it was QF.

Well he booked the wrong fare.
Gov D class includes lounge, meal and bags. Is often no more than a saver fare.

 

[serfty]

Re: Virgin Business Class Lottery - Pay for Business, get Premium Economy! Now 0 for

My belief has now taken a bit of a dent, I was on a BSI aircraft last night and it had no power in J. Or at least, I couldn't find it!

What you'll find with these is a rectangular indentation ('blank') at the front of the seat under the middle armrest - just the right size for a power socket - were one to be installed.