Virgin seem to be getting everything right

[medhead]

So no IFE, inability to select seat on booking, no food as standard, boarding with no aerobridge (which I know is rare but is my experience) are all better experiences than QF? Oh and the MEL DJ terminal is a coughhole.

Do you actually watch QF IFE? I sure don't, except maybe to read a bit of the news. Other than that my iPad is full of IFE that I actually want to watch.

I realise you do eat the food, with good reason. But I don't, it is just waste food. Wasted calories, that taste ordinary at best.

I also need very little from the staff, but when I do want something I like them to be friendly. I find DJ staff are more consistently friendly, welcoming, happy than QF staff. Of course, this week I got the same QF CSM for about the 3rd time in 4 weeks and he actually seemed to recognise me and was a bit more welcoming. But really that was the exception that proves my statement about consistency of staff attitude.

Airbridge, well I have great difficulty walking up stairs, so much so that DJ told me to request the lift thing in CBR. But when there is an aerobridge I've had absolutely no problems with being able to use it, regardless of seat location when flying with DJ. Not sure why your experience has been different.


Sent from the Throne

 

[oz_mark]

I realise you do eat the food, with good reason. But I don't, it is just waste food. Wasted calories, that taste ordinary at best.

I don't know. The complimentary Luken and May biscuit Qantas gave me as part of the refreshment service on my last MEL-SYD flight was tasty.

 

[medhead]

I don't know. The complimentary Luken and May biscuit Qantas gave me as part of the refreshment service on my last MEL-SYD flight was tasty.

Sorry I forgot to add that there is rarely something that tastes ok as part of the joke called "Snack". IME of late night snack flights I'd guess 1 in 10 has something worthwhile to me. I probably shouldn't get started, but on a related note, when a snack is offered by staff as sweet or savory it is an absolute joke.

Anyway, simongr has outlined (elsewhere) his need for a meal due to travel time to get home, which is fair enough. So snack doesn't really fit the bill as such.


Sent from the Throne

 

[oz_mark]

Anyway, simongr has outlined (elsewhere) his need for a meal due to travel time to get home, which is fair enough. So snack doesn't really fit the bill as such.

Which is fine if you are travelling on the fairly narrow band of time that gets you a meal service. Get a refreshment flight, and the difference between Qantas and Virgin becomes a biscuit, and an apple had I wanted one!

 

[medhead]

Which is fine if you are travelling on the fairly narrow band of time that gets you a meal service. Get a refreshment flight, and the difference between Qantas and Virgin becomes a biscuit, and an apple had I wanted one!

I was making my comment in the context of Simon's position on the food offering. But I agree a biscuit and apple is rubbish, regardless of how good the biscuit tastes.


Sent from the Throne

 

[awilcockson]

Had my first flights on DJ J last weekend, BNE-SYD-BNE. 738 each way, BSI aircraft on the return leg.

Outbound flight:

Priority boarding was fantastic.
Lounge staff were pleasant and welcoming.
Breakfast food was great (love the toasted sandwich toaster maker, although I notice the pikelet maker has disappeared )
Was welcomed personally and with geniune warmth once seated.
Food that was offered on the planed looked better than any QF breakfast I've ever seen.
Saw the J crew direct at least 2 whY pax to the back of the plane when they tried to use the forward loo.
J crew quietly and firmly blocked the passage so that J passengers could alight quickly and without being stampeded.

Return flight:

Now this is where I really started to see the difference!
I had a 5:00 departure, with Bundy Bear being on a 4:30 flight. I had tried to change my flight, but as it was booked with points there was no availability. This was annoying as EF was showing J6, but I knew I'd be able to use fly ahead at the airport.
On the way to the airport, I received a phone call from the lounge to say that my 5pm flight had not departed BNE yet due to mechanical issues, and would I mind being moved to the 4:30 flight? I mentioned that I was travelling with someone else and we'd actually both like to be moved to the 4:00pm flight. Done. Without any argument or fuss. Brilliant service.
Premium lounge entry at Sydney was absolutely fantastic, didn't even really feel like I was in the airport until I had to leave the lounge.
Unfortunately the flight was a "snack" flight, but the fruit was fresh, the cheese tasty, and the cake/desert fantastic. Bundy will attest to the free flowing beer, served in a glass, as well.
Once again the aisle was blocked for our departure.

One of the things that really stood out for me was the seats. So big. So comfortable. When I compare it to the J seat I had on a 738 MEL-BNE two weeks ago on QF, which had to be the oldest, dirtiest 748 in the fleet, there really is no comparison. DJ wins hands down.

Disclaimer: I'm pushing for P1 this year, and should make it easily (2000 QF SCs on QF metal 3 months in). I should also requal for DJ plat, as I'm directing all my domestic travel to DJ. There are some things that irk me about DJ (clunky website, velocityrewards.com.au and virginaustralia.com.au being different sites but with dodgy links between them, not being able to select my seat until 2 weeks out), but the inflight experience makes up for this in a big way.

 

[TonyHancock]

(2000 QF SCs on QF metal 3 months in).

Lightweight!!!

There are some things that irk me about DJ (clunky website, velocityrewards.com.au and virginaustralia.com.au being different sites but with dodgy links between them, not being able to select my seat until 2 weeks out), but the inflight experience makes up for this in a big way.

Pretty much sums it up for me too.

 

[markis10]

One of the things that really stood out for me was the seats. So big. So comfortable. When I compare it to the J seat I had on a 748 MEL-BNE two weeks ago on QF, which had to be the oldest, dirtiest 748 in the fleet, there really is no comparison.

748 with QF, has the fleet got really bad :shock:

Photos: Hawker Siddeley HS-748 Srs2A/320LFD Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

 

[blankman]

So no IFE, inability to select seat on booking, no food as standard, boarding with no aerobridge (which I know is rare but is my experience) are all better experiences than QF? Oh and the MEL DJ terminal is a coughhole.

Agreed.. I took a return SYD-MEL and SYD-PER in business last week and was left a little underwhelmed on most sectors. Main issues for me:

Catering- I had an 8:30am Syd to Mel flight and was told it's a snack service- I mean what time is Breakfast served? I received a smallish ham and cheese croissant with a small bowl of pineapple chunks and melon. I know its a short sector but if you're paying $500+ for a ticket it seems measly and a little downmarket. Even on my Syd-Per A330 sector I found breakfast meh- 2 small sausages, 1 tablespoon of baked beans and potato gratin I felt didn't qualify as a "classic breakfast" either (eggs/bacon?). The Per to Syd on the B737 was the pits though- a full business cabin with only 4 meat based dishes loaded. By the time row 2 was served it was just salad with no offer of any economy pies/sandwiches to compensate. Also I know i'm nitpicking here but seeing my soup get poured out of a thermos on the trolley and then plonked in front of me seemed to lack a bit of finesse too- ruined the mystery of in-flight catering lol..

Consistency of product- Catering aside, the A330 Perth run is a really enjoyable experience. However the B737 though IMHO is not. Maybe it was an anomaly but the lack of amenity kit, blankets/pillows and noise cancelling headphones on the B737 run was disappointing. Although the seats are comfortable upright, the recline is poor and I personally feel the overall experience is inferior to the A330 and represrents poor value. Fares in J should be lower on these planes in my opinion.

Overall I really like the direction DJ are heading in but feel there's some room for improvement too.

 

[awilcockson]

748 with QF, has the fleet got really bad :shock:

Whoops, was supposed to say 738.

 

[medhead]

Also I know i'm nitpicking here but seeing my soup get poured out of a thermos on the trolley and then plonked in front of me seemed to lack a bit of finesse too- ruined the mystery of in-flight catering lol..

haha Saw said service of soup last week, on QF. :shock:


Sent from the Throne

 

[drewbles]

I flew QF for the first time since October last year (which I only flew on cause QF flew me up for the Rockpool lunch) on the weekend just gone to SYD and back.

Since the Status Match, i've been determined to give DJ/VA a go and see how they improve (whilst still quite easily maintaining both QF and DJ WP).

All I can say is, QF are totally underwhelming.

Many people don't care 2c for Priority boarding or not. I'm not one of those people. I have to queue up with everyone, I only want to do it in the jetbridge. Get me on there as quickly as you can so I can find some overhead space (I avoid 737 flights in Y on QF like the plague, and my SYD-MEL flight reminded me why; AU is turning into the USA where people bring the kitchen sink aboard, just in more pieces rather than one large trough). I want my overhead bin to have space for my size-compliant bag and small laptop bag. QF Failed miserably. Signs for priority boarding? Check. Ropes to divide? Check. Staff Enforcing? Fail! Two people ahead of me with Boarding Passes without an FF number were let on board no problems.

J Lounge. Perhaps the minimalistic purple of the DJ lounges is growing on me, but for some reason the MEL and SYD lounges felt grotty. I can't put my finger on it, but it just didn't feel comfortable. Perhaps it was the fact they were pretty full, and i've only been in the MEL DJ Lounge a few times when it's heaving. The food was also same old boring breakfast offerings. No Eggs in SYD, and something that may have once been Mushroom. The Baked Beans I do enjoy though.

On board service was lackluster and average, with the exception of one lass on the SYD-MEL flight, she was great (maybe an ex-DJ staff member). They also appear to have removed the small bottles of juice from the breakfast flights. I don't tend to want breakfast on a flight if i've eaten in the lounge, and just wanted the juice so i could put the cap on and sip from it in flight. They could only offer me the half a mouthful tin foil lidded OJ's that may once have had some kind of nutritional value.

Compared to how i've been treated at DJ, and it's night and day. I had one issue with a rude ground staffer. I felt the need to send them an 'FYI' to let them know there was a chink in the process (not a complaint, just an FYI) and was responded to with a personal response not a copy-and-paste 'oh we're sorry blah blah thank you for choosing QF' apologising for the incident and refunding my fare in full. When I responded with a 'wow thank you so much that really wasn't necessary' I got a response 'I felt it was totally necessary as you should not have had that experience we are truly sorry!'.

I've had nothing but praise for their J cabin and service. I'm not a fan of leather seats on flights, but these are super comfortable and leave QF's for dead (the A330 ex EK seats are not wonderful though, but I believe they'll be better on the factory fresh A330's?). As others have mentioned, every time a warm personal welcome. Nothing is too much effort and it's done professionally and discreetly.

They have a ways to go (as people mentioned, the rear boarding etc) and some terminal work to go (MEL is supposedly due to be overhauled, but isn't every airport always an ongoing work).

They need to join Star or Skyteam or something. This is going to mean I can actually comfortably cut the QF tether (when I reach LTG). Until then, it's DJ for domestic and to/from LAX (their Y+ product is very acceptable for the price and service is wonderful) and QF/OneWorld for the rest.

 

[Moopere]

Agreed.. I took a return SYD-MEL and SYD-PER in business last week and was left a little underwhelmed on most sectors. Main issues for me:

Catering- I had an 8:30am Syd to Mel flight and was told it's a snack service- I mean what time is Breakfast served? I received a smallish ham and cheese croissant with a small bowl of pineapple chunks and melon. I know its a short sector but if you're paying $500+ for a ticket it seems measly and a little downmarket...

Consistency of product- Catering aside, the A330 Perth run is a really enjoyable experience. However the B737 though IMHO is not. Maybe it was an anomaly but the lack of amenity kit, blankets/pillows and noise cancelling headphones on the B737 run was disappointing. Although the seats are comfortable upright, the recline is poor and I personally feel the overall experience is inferior to the A330 and represrents poor value. Fares in J should be lower on these planes in my opinion...

I agree. It appears that DJ have priced their J service per the A330 yet the A330 runs are only a tiny proportion of J availability. I'm more than happy with the 737 hard/soft product when I'm using rewards, promos, subsidised travel but won't pay the full 2500-3000 for a 737 seat (PER-SYD). Its a value judgement from me on that front. I won't pay QF $3100 for a 767 seat either.

 

[smit0847]

So they have got so many things right yet the same complaints seem to come up again and again and again:

1. The stuffing around with PE/Biz seating
2. Clunky website
3. Poor alliances
4. No upgrades with points

Some of these things like the points upgrades are so incredibly basic Im amazed Virgin havent looked into them. Theyre not random things people occasionally mention, they are constant, basic complaints FFs regularly bring up!

 

[medhead]

I think they offer upgrades with points now. At least the email offering half price points upgrades suggests this is the case.

Re the website, the mobile website is outstanding. Simply enter the flight number to check flight status! So streamlined.


Sent from the Throne

 

[Noob]

So they have got so many things right yet the same complaints seem to come up again and again and again:

1. The stuffing around with PE/Biz seating
2. Clunky website
3. Poor alliances
4. No upgrades with points

Some of these things like the points upgrades are so incredibly basic Im amazed Virgin havent looked into them. Theyre not random things people occasionally mention, they are constant, basic complaints FFs regularly bring up!

I think the common complaint is Virgin Australia not being a member of an Alliance, not that their alliances are poor.

 

[drewbles]

I think they offer upgrades with points now. At least the email offering half price points upgrades suggests this is the case.

Correct. There is, however, no ability to upgrade international flights which sucks.

I think the common complaint is Virgin Australia not being a member of an Alliance, not that their alliances are poor.

Yes. That's my bugbear with them too. Hopefully something happens about that sooner than later (but i'm not holding my breath).

I don't really mind about the PE/BIZ seating as I tend to burn my points on BIZ on DJ these days (P+P is great) and it's to PER so I know i'm getting J. I actually like the website too, but that's as I just want to make a booking 'from' and 'to'. Not looked at the rest.

 

[oz_mark]

I think the common complaint is Virgin Australia not being a member of an Alliance, not that their alliances are poor.

While I understand the constraints and reasons behind going down the path that Virgin has done, I do think that internationally, the customer experience would be tidier and more consistent if they were in an alliance.

 

[TonyHancock]

While I understand the constraints and reasons behind going down the path that Virgin has done, I do think that internationally, the customer experience would be tidier and more consistent if they were in an alliance.

It is the one thing that holds me back from spending my long haul J dollars with VA.

 

[pagingjoan]

It [lack of an alliance] is the one thing that holds me back from spending my long haul J dollars with VA.

Agree. Agree.