Virgin lounge internet is a joke

[grubbidok]

Have just spent the last half an hour trying to download a 2MB PDF document in the lounge using VA's wifi. Was equally useless last week and the week before. Is this just me or does Virgin need to sort its s**t out in this regard.

I mean, this is something even cheap backpacker joints and cafes can get right, why not the premium lounge of Australia's second largest airline? </rant>

 

[Pleb Status]

If it was that bad, why not use your phone as a mobile hotspot and download it that way. Particularly if very slow WiFi is a 'weekly occurrence'.

What specific lounge is the offending WiFi located in?

 

[OzEire]

I gave up on VA lounge internet long ago. It was always horrible. Even on rare occasions when decent speed was possible the constant drop-outs would make the user experience very poor.

*not to mention the woeful security.

 

[pauly7]

Have just spent the last half an hour trying to download a 2MB PDF document in the lounge using VA's wifi. Was equally useless last week and the week before. Is this just me or does Virgin need to sort its s**t out in this regard.

I mean, this is something even cheap backpacker joints and cafes can get right, why not the premium lounge of Australia's second largest airline? </rant>

Brisbane? That is a known problem lounge, I've reported it a few times.

 

[farstar]

If it was that bad, why not use your phone as a mobile hotspot and download it that way. Particularly if very slow WiFi is a 'weekly occurrence'.

I think the point is you shouldn't need to use a hotspot and it is fair to point out if the wifi is not useful as it is advertised as part of the lounge offering. Also not everyone may have a mobile hotspot available for a number of reasons.

 

[AviationNZ]

I've noticed it's bad in all their lounges. Absolutely woeful! I tend to hotspot, but as has been mentioned, for a "premium lounge" we shouldn't need to.

 

[grubbidok]

Yes, I did end up hotspotting it. But the point is in a premium lounge you really shouldn't have to. This was Sydney, but it's equally bad in Brisbane.

Having flown a lot recently I've had to do a lot of business and writing in the lounge, so much so that the lounge use itself has contributing to me churning through nearly half my data allowance from hotspotting I'm being forced to do (I'm usually less than a quarter through at this stage of my billing cycle). It also drains your battery, makes it difficult to use your phone for other purposes and plus, why the hell should you have to hotspot? I also do not like hotspotting public places for security reasons.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a lounge to have sufficient email that can at least allow you to download email attachments and do a bit business-related browsing or online database searches.

It's frankly ridiculous that to get a copy of a PDF on my laptop I had to hotspot from my phone.

 

[JohnK]

I've had issues with both Virgin and Qantas. I don't quite understand why they both provide a service that is at times unusable.

 

[Bagpuss]

The issue with such internet services, is that when more bandwidth is added the end user will want to do more and more. Then instead of someone having 1 device, they then have 2 (IE smartphone and laptop).

It's a never ending loop. The only thing "in their control" is to limit the usable bandwidth per device or block selected services (ie "Quality of Service") which is catch 22 as then everyone thinks it is slow.

Though, remember everyone always thinks the internet is slow in Australia

It's a lose/lose situation.

 

[docjames]

It's also frustrating that the airlines offer you "downloadable content" for your device (to read/watch in flight) then the connection is so poor it wont download rapidly in the lounge pre-flight.

 

[juddles]

.....why not the premium lounge of Australia's second largest airline?.... </rant>

LMAO!! "Second largest airline" ?? Virgin is struggling to survive, so offers the cough that is commensurate with their ability. Qantas cruises just having to offer slightly more that that cough that virgin offers.

This is reality Yay for free markets

 

[Simo]

IMHO I have generally found lounge wi fi cough. If the lounge is not busy it can be some what usable

 

[Simo]

We have walked in as a family OS and connected 5 devices and let them update share drives and a what ever else they are doing

 

[davidj]

Have just spent the last half an hour trying to download a 2MB PDF document in the lounge using VA's wifi. Was equally useless last week and the week before. Is this just me or does Virgin need to sort its s**t out in this regard.

Sounds like the same team managing their websites are managing the lounge WIFI

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Never had a problem in PER or BNE. Maybe I'm lucky

 

[Marty_]

It tends to depend on how crowded the lounge is.

Last night in MEL was absolutely fine, but the lounge wasn't particularly busy. A few days back the place was a zoo - nearly every seat taken - and the wifi was a disaster. Have had similar experience in BNE and SYD.

I expect that those who travel at peak times experience it far more regularly. I try to travel out of peak when I can, which is more and more often these days.

 

[grubbidok]

Makes you wonder about their ability to offer decent wifi for sale in the air if they can't even do it right on the ground!

 

[serfty]

Makes you wonder about their ability to offer decent wifi for sale in the air if they can't even do it right on the ground!

Apples and oranges ...

They know how many can be on an aircraft.

With guesting being variable they can't so accurately predict wifi use.

No guesting in flight ...

 

[JohnK]

Wifi not very good in SYD lounge yesterday afternoon. Lounge quite full.

 

[Quickstatus]

The important descriptor for lounge wifi is "complimentary" Usually this means "cheap and nasty"