Virgin flights to Bali require technical stop in Darwin

[jakeseven7]

The QF services is basically a glorified 'cashed up' bus for those that have the $$ 'but don't wanna fly Jetstar

(or Virgin or Garuda etc)

Yup, thats exactly how they position - as a premium offering and its up to their customers to decide whether its worth it. Many do hence their success.

 

[HS-TQE]

(or Virgin or Garuda etc)

Yup, thats exactly how they position - as a premium offering and its up to their customers to decide whether its worth it. Many do hence their success.

Garuda uses a widebody on their single daily service.

I'll bite, I was referring to the destination and the Qantas 737 aircraft used to the destination itself being a 'cashed up bogan bus' but thanks for hijacking another Virgin thread with the wider Qantas advertising as per usual

 

[jakeseven7]

Garuda uses a widebody on their single daily service.

I'll bite, I was referring to the destination and the Qantas 737 aircraft used to the destination itself being a 'cashed up bogan bus' but thanks for hijacking another Virgin thread with the wider Qantas advertising as per usual

It was pretty clear what you were referring to I thought but no need to thank me as I don’t really see how pointing out different brand positioning of airlines is advertising for anyone / any airline… people will fly whatever airline they are happy with, that’s why in pretty much every brand category there is a range of offerings fro premium to ultra budget to mid range to luxury. Just the way things are.

Using a budget (or luxury for that matter) offering doesn’t make anyone less right or wrong about their choice - it’s what fits their purpose.

Anyway, have VA2 now corrected their website with thre Darwin stop over? If so I guess it is now buyer beware!

 

[SeaWolf]

For those that are curious about how this works in practice, I was on VA63 last Friday. It's pretty simple, the plane lands at Darwin and taxis to a remote stand. Everyone is asked to unbuckle their seatbelts but remain seated. The ground crew hooks up the fuel pumps and loads up the tanks. Stairs are pushed up to the door and a ground crew member then boards with the paperwork for the pilots. Ground crew leaves and you buckle up again and get another safety demonstration. The aircraft then taxis back to the runway and takes off again.
Total time on the ground was about 30 mins and it all seemed pretty smooth. It's not ideal but also not that big of a deal really. If you'd happened to be asleep at the time you could have slept through the whole process and not even noticed.

 

[twinaisle]

For those that are curious about how this works in practice, I was on VA63 last Friday. It's pretty simple, the plane lands at Darwin and taxis to a remote stand. Everyone is asked to unbuckle their seatbelts but remain seated. The ground crew hooks up the fuel pumps and loads up the tanks. Stairs are pushed up to the door and a ground crew member then boards with the paperwork for the pilots. Ground crew leaves and you buckle up again and get another safety demonstration. The aircraft then taxis back to the runway and takes off again.
Total time on the ground was about 30 mins and it all seemed pretty smooth. It's not ideal but also not that big of a deal really. If you'd happened to be asleep at the time you could have slept through the whole process and not even noticed.

That's how it's supposed to happen
Darwin stops this week from what I hear

 

[HS-TQE]

It was pretty clear what you were referring to I thought but no need to thank me as I don’t really see how pointing out different brand positioning of airlines is advertising for anyone / any airline… people will fly whatever airline they are happy with, that’s why in pretty much every brand category there is a range of offerings fro premium to ultra budget to mid range to luxury. Just the way things are.

Exactly. If Qantas did the same thing with a sudden one-stop due to technical reasons and people pointed that out with advertising their favourite airline doing alternate methods to Qantas as an example, you'd be defending them as well.

That's just the way it is.

Using a budget (or luxury for that matter) offering doesn’t make anyone less right or wrong about their choice - it’s what fits their purpose.

Exactly. That's why there are numerous Indonesian and Malaysian FSCs and LCCs on the Bali 'Bogan' bus routes from many Australian cities. The FSCs, regardless of carrier, are also regarded as a 'cashed up bogan bus'.

Bogans to Bali are just a way of life and that's just the way is.

Anyway, have VA2 now corrected their website with thre Darwin stop over? If so I guess it is now buyer beware!

It was corrected as required. Sure they could've warned those well in advance but it's not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be.

 

[jakeseven7]

Bogans to Bali are just a way of life and that's just the way is.



It was corrected as required. Sure they could've warned those well in advance but it's not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be.

I'm not making it a big deal, its not any deal to me because I'm not flying to Bali anytime soon, but I wouldn't presume that it would or wouldn't be a big deal to people because everyone has individual circumstances.

But good to hear that they have corrected the error, so anyone moving forward cannot claim they didn't know about the 'suprise' stopover

I don't necessarily believe the label Bogans to Bail is that accurate - there is certainly some very high end resorts there now, but I know many people believe it, but again that's your personal interpretation based on your personal experiences in Bali.

 

[jase05]

I'm not making it a big deal, its not any deal to me because I'm not flying to Bali anytime soon, but I wouldn't presume that it would or wouldn't be a big deal to people because everyone has individual circumstances.

But good to hear that they have corrected the error, so anyone moving forward cannot claim they didn't know about the 'suprise' stopover

I don't necessarily believe the label Bogans to Bail is that accurate - there is certainly some very high end resorts there now, but I know many people believe it, but again that's your personal interpretation based on your personal experiences in Bali.

The ones with money fly with GA or go via another Asian port just to avoid the garbage narrow bodies on that route
Hopefully QF put some of their new aircraft with lie flat seats on that route in the future.
We travelled there quite a bit pre pandemic and avoided VA and QF for that reason

 

[AIRwin]

We travelled there quite a bit pre pandemic and avoided VA and QF for that reason

QF used to deploy the A330 between SYD and DPS...

 

[HS-TQE]

QF used to deploy the A330 between SYD and DPS...

Between March 2019 and March 2020 with the latest product. QF actually had spare A330 capacity to put the 'bling' for the 'cashed up' passengers on the route.
QF are clearly lacking the widebody capacity now though, thus its back to the 737.

Prior to that SYD-DPS had the last remaining Skybed Mk 1 A330 aircraft, which was allocated specifically/dedicated for this route. IIRC it was funny reading the complaints from the cashed up bogans complaining why they aren't getting the 'latest' product although fares were a bargain in those days.

 

[jase05]

QF used to deploy the A330 between SYD and DPS...

Yes but only just before pandemic did they have the half decent product.

 

[HS-TQE]

Yes but only just before pandemic did they have the half decent product.

QF put the latest product on SYD-DPS between March 2019 and March 2020 when they had some surplus of A330 aircraft.
Before that they had the last Skybed Mk 1 Slope-Flat aircraft (also for a year IIRC) that was dedicated specifically for the SYD-DPS route. Prior to Skybed Mk 1 the first few years were on QF's domestic 737s.

 

[jakeseven7]

The ones with money fly with GA or go via another Asian port just to avoid the garbage narrow bodies on that route

No, most people don't even care / check. Only the AFF crowd check

 

[HS-TQE]

I don't necessarily believe the label Bogans to Bail is that accurate - there is certainly some very high end resorts there now, but I know many people believe it, but again that's your personal interpretation based on your personal experiences in Bali.

The high ends has been reported to not necessarily have been filled up with Australians. They were reported to be filled with mostly Europeans and Russians pre-Covid.

But now with the individual situations in Europe and Russia, there's a high chance of heavy discounting at those resorts making it within reach of the cashed up bogan crowd.

 

[Scarlett]

I’m overnighting close to DPS tonight for $50. And I’m arriving on a LCC… oh no, I might be a bogan?
<checks self> ahh, enclosed footwear and sleeves on my shirt - I’m safe.

Back on topic: I’m going to book Mrs and Mstr Scarlett on VA from Australia to DPS next month. Have VA organised access to a lounge in BNE for their international departures?

 

[jakeseven7]

I’m overnighting close to DPS tonight for $50. And I’m arriving on a LCC… oh no, I might be a bogan?
<checks self> ahh, enclosed footwear and sleeves on my shirt - I’m safe.

Exactly.... its a very broad and inaccurate generalsiation. I suspect sometimes used by people who could just be a little bit jealous of others

Clearly you though didn't have the surprise Darwin stop over

 

[HS-TQE]

Broad generalisations tend to made on the forums all the time especially when it comes to the Big 2 airlines of QF and VA and the way people like to get behind their carriers.

Numerous cities, their markets and generalised market assumptions of every carrier from budget to high yield luxury carriers are no different

What's there to be jealous of? They are either large scale observations through the wider media or opinion, even if people don't agree and people have the right to not agree.

Moving on

 

[HS-TQE]

Back on topic: I’m going to book Mrs and Mstr Scarlett on VA from Australia to DPS next month. Have VA organised access to a lounge in BNE for their international departures?

On last check there was no lounge at the time, with reports of vouchers issued. although arrangements may had changed recently.

VA's former contracted lounge in BNE, Swissport (formerly My Lounge) is still closed. No ETA given on reopening if that reopens at all

 

[Scarlett]

Exactly.... its a very broad and inaccurate generalsiation. I suspect sometimes used by people who could just be a little bit jealous of others

Clearly you though didn't have the surprise Darwin stop over

I’m definitely not jealous of those who I am very comfortable naming as bogans: they generally self select with inappropriate clothing, inappropriate swearing in public, or inappropriate topics of conversation; often all three at once.

You’re correct, no DRW stop as I was flying domestically KOE-SUB-DPS. Citilink are the pick of the LCC domestically in Indonesia, more so if you can get the extra (or in my case, needed) legroom of row 1 or the exit rows. Row 5 was a little cramped. Masks still compulsory in airports and all flights here too.

 

[HS-TQE]

Citilink (QG) also flew AVV-DPS and PER-DPS with the A320neos, replacing Garuda mainline in both cities prior to COVID.

Considering GA's focus on SYD only for now, I do wonder if QG will make a return to AVV and PER eventually down the track. QG also loaded once-weekly OOL-DPS briefly but was wiped not long after, largely assumed by observers to be on GDS testing only.