Virgin to Qantas Comparison

[Sprucegoose]

Now trying to burn up my QF points - EXTREMELY difficult to do, even domestically. Award fares are pretty much nowhere to be found, so I suspect many people are burning points.

Plenty of options in the Qantas shop - and if you’re still bored you can donate them to a worthy cause.

PM me and I will provide my account details.

 

[tdimdad]

Breakfast-wise, based on this visit (and numerous QP visits), you can get something. If you are lucky, you can build a small meal out of the items. But you better eat before the airport to ensure you'll be good until the destination. Looking forward to afternoon visits to VA lounges to see what's for early dinner.

Yesterday I clocked a 4 pm visit to SYD T2 lounge. The food offering worked well as a super-early dinner as a GF person. Much better than I usually can score in the QP. The tofu salad was good with strong flavours. And that honey with tea was a nice touch. If this pattern continues, I'm in favour.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Virgin is getting its act together.

They clearly realise there is a sweet SME 'business' market where owners still demand value but will pay well. Their business model retains nimbleness and is uniquely unencumbered by traditional working models. Contrast their current structure to Qantas' transition from a government-owned business historically working in a highly (commercially) regulated environment to its present-day structure. History is undoubtedly double-edged.

With the benefit of new Investors and a Board, Virgin has carefully crafted its management team from the ablest in the marketplace. Given the Qantas team's impressive growth driven by business doyens Clifford and Goyder, Virgin will work for and savour any improved profitability.

It is an impressive contest to watch from any strategic perspective. Our national interest demands they both succeed.

 

[ozstamps]

You won't be seeing printed mainstream newspapers on a regular basis in any lounge going forward.

Your SOURCE for this alleged fact?

 

[RooFlyer]

Some modest observations on Virgin V Qantas ( short haul J) here:

OK, I know it was our *second* date, but still ...

 

[serfty]

Your SOURCE for this alleged fact?

It is so obvious to me. Maybe not to you.

Come back and respond further when/if newspapers make a general comeback to the lounges.

Note that neither Qantas or Virgin Australia provide physical newspapers in their Domestic lounges currently.

 

[ozstamps]

I asked for a SOURCE of some kind, not just a repeat of your personal opinion. So clearly there is no official SOURCE.

Newspapers are still being printed, believe it or not. Places like airline lounges get them at cents apiece on a contract basis, as newspapers regard it as cheap and effective advertising. Same way I get them free when I spend $20 at my supermarket during promos etc.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Your SOURCE for this alleged fact?

Is this a serious question ?

You would need to living under a rock not to understand the context and methods of carbon reduction.
If you want a source I suggest you read the annual reports of News, Fairfax and Co and how they are digitalising and reducing their carbon usage.

 

[ferntree]

You would need to living under a rock not to understand the context and methods of carbon reduction.
If you want a source I suggest you read the annual reports of News, Fairfax and Co and how they are digitalising and reducing their carbon usage.

What? Does this mean we'll be spared our daily dose of Rupert Murdoch's cough sheets? Oh dear.

 

[Sprucegoose]

What? Does this mean we'll be spared our daily dose of Rupert Murdoch's cough sheets? Oh dear.

That’s up to you but it does mean if you want Uncle Rupert’s views they can be accessed online …..

 

[Vic]

I thought I had read somewhere that that kerbside entry point (when available) was only for those with carry on - so not available to those with checked luggage? Any ideas if that is still the case?

It was available to anyone who could work out how to check their luggage and also use the kerbside entry...
Check you luggage in terminal, walk outside, go up the ramp.

 

[Vic]

What? Does this mean we'll be spared our daily dose of Rupert Murdoch's cough sheets? Oh dear.

I read enough of them waiting for my coffee. Headlines and first paragraph of the front page of the Oz... done!

 

[ozstamps]

Is this a serious question ?

You would need to living under a rock not to understand the context and methods of carbon reduction.
If you want a source I suggest you read the annual reports of News, Fairfax and Co and how they are digitalising and reducing their carbon usage.

This is about as dumb an idea as suggesting Virgin will now urge all clients to buy pushbikes to go MEL-SYD etc, as it cuts their carbon footprint. Or CUB suggesting everyone now drinks tap water, as brewing beer uses a ton of energy. Coca Cola too. Any more genius ideas along these wackadoodle lines?

PRINTED NEWSAPERS sell BILLIONS of copies a week globally. They'll all be totally gratified someone on an ozzie Flyer Board is guiding their demise, from his comfy armchair.

All those other SANE airlines globally that offer newppapers and magazines in their lounges are all NUTS in your view?

There paused them at Virgin for 'Covid related reasons'. Had some merit. But a year later they still are nickel and diming.

 

[MooTime]

This is about as dumb an idea as suggesting Virgin will now urge all clients to buy pushbikes to go MEL-SYD etc, as it cuts their carbon footprint. Or CUB suggesting everyone now drinks tap water, as brewing beer uses a ton of energy. Coca Cola too. Any more genius ideas along these wackadoodle lines?

PRINTED NEWSAPERS sell BILLIONS of copies a week globally. They'll all be totally gratified someone on an ozzie Flyer Board is guiding their demise, from his comfy armchair.

All those other SANE airlines globally that offer newppapers and magazines in their lounges are all NUTS in your view?

There paused them at Virgin for 'Covid related reasons'. Had some merit. But a year later they still are nickel and diming.

How about stop nickel & diming yourself and buy your printed newspaper on the way to the airport...$2-$3.... Then you'll have your own clean, no food markings, missing pages, crosswords complete edition to read in the lounge.

 

[Sprucegoose]

There paused them at Virgin for 'Covid related reasons'. Had some merit. But a year later, they still are nickel and diming.

Ozstamps, You might be onto something here. Let’s see if they make a return? We used to get papers on the plane, haven’t seen them for a decade. The broadsheets were murder.

I think SQ may still offer them in Premium, indicating we are all moving in a general direction (reduction) Albeit at different rates depending on the economic and political context.

 

[serfty]

[moderator hat]

Discussion specifically on newspapers in their own right is off topic for this thread.

Further such discussion may be subject to sanction.

Note that discussion related to comparing the provision of newspapers by Qantas/Virgin Australia in/at Gates/Lounges/Flights may not be considered off topic.​

[/moderator hat]

 

[jakeseven7]

Just completed the Platinum match switch component (200 SC’s) this morning, will advise how long it takes to update my account.

I flew out of SYD domestic with Virgin this morning and what a total disaster of a terminal Virgin have there.. the absolute opposite of Virgin MEL experience. Forget about luggage bag dropping, they have an incredibly insane process where one actually needs to be served by an agent to drop bags even once tagged - and that’s the prime issue as next to zero passengers (even those in the “priority queues“) used the machines to pretag there bags and instead have the agents do it for them. Talk about not being “match fit”.

The agent I had this morning looked at me in amazement that I had done so, and her eyes rolled that it would make things so much quicker for everyone if more did so. would also be so much quicker of course if it was an automated bag drop like pretty much all other airports, why on earth not SYD??

Also Virgin no longer has any express security lanes there, and screeners all using old X-ray machines requiring everything out of bags so all in all seems like SYD Virgin terminal is like stepping back in time and an absolute cough show!

Checking in at virgin MEL T3(4) if you have checked baggage is a nightmare, I haven’t worked out exactly why but it’s always a zoo, they don’t have enough bag drop machines / their check in process is really clunky.

I raced to the ‘priority’ queue for check in yesterday, still a log jam, the agent I got eventually apologised and said the new systems they use are chronically slow and the printers are jamming often. I feel really sorry for the staff.

Beware anyone flying out of MEL for the next week or so, all the airlines are jammed with racing festival people (tonnes of luggage).

 

[jane blogs]

Well I seriously miss hard copy newspapers in the lounge. I can't speak about Virgin as only now doing the Switcharoo but the QF MD was trying to rid QF of them long before Covid. They had gradually stopped providing magazines and then most of the newspapers except for those free from Rupert in the couple of years leading up to the shut down. Covid I believe was just their excuse to can them altogether. Unfortunately if one is on the first flight out, its impossible to purchase elsewhere so I relied on them in the lounge. Its not about the cost of the paper (which I don't think QF paid for), its about the convenience not to mention a nice gesture especially as we are paying exorbitant fares these days regardless.

 

[ferntree]

Well I seriously miss hard copy newspapers in the lounge.

Personally I don't miss the newspapers at all, but I do miss some of those magazines that they used to have available, at least in the Brisbane Business Lounge, maybe elsewhere.

 

[RooFlyer]

There was a hardcopy of The Oz on the shelf last Wed srvo in VA Mel lounge. Might have been brought in by a passenger, though.