What is Virgin Australia's strategy (post-administration)?

[HS-TQE]

Just completed a feedback survey that Virgin seems to be conducting. Some of the more interesting questions included:
- Would you switch international/domestic airline if your primary airline only offered economy class seats
- is flying an airline with international connections (Eg: Bali, NZ) important to you.
- Do you prefer a bundled / unbundled product.

Sounds like a job for..

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Sounds like a job for..View attachment 258376

Looks good, though, I must say, like a real ad.
Edit: just looked at fares, ADL -> MEL -> ADL, in J, or what they term as J (would be premY dom if QF had it), and they (VA) are asking only Aud$299 per one way, for about mid Dec, just at the start of school holidays!
Wow, yep, they are really a mid LCC now.

 

[jase05]

Looks good, though, I must say, like a real ad.
Edit: just looked at fares, ADL -> MEL -> ADL, in J, or what they term as J (would be premY dom if QF had it), and they (VA) are asking only Aud$299 per one way, for about mid Dec, just at the start of school holidays!
Wow, yep, they are really a mid LCC now.

Some people are never happy.
Last two Dom J flights I’ve been on the VA experience was miles ahead of QF’s offering at well under half price and that was with the company discount on QF

 

[MH_fan]

Some of VA's business class pricing is fantastic and it's definitely encouraging me to purchase them outright. For example, you can get SYD-CNS in business for just a little over $400 each way!

 

[http_x92]

Sydney to Cairns for about $815 return in total seems worthwhile for business class but never tried the VA offering yet...

 

[jakeseven7]

Sydney to Cairns for about $815 return in total seems worthwhile for business class but never tried the VA offering yet...

Theres a whole thread you can read about what it looks like now… has changed a lot. Seat is the same though if you need space!

 

[BNEFlyer]

Theres a whole thread you can read about what it looks like now… has changed a lot. Seat is the same though if you need space!

The meal service times have changed and the meals on offer are a bit different (and at the moment some lounges are out of action), but otherwise it's no different to pre-admin.

 

[ole nimeton]

Looks good, though, I must say, like a real ad.
Edit: just looked at fares, ADL -> MEL -> ADL, in J, or what they term as J (would be premY dom if QF had it), and they (VA) are asking only Aud$299 per one way, for about mid Dec, just at the start of school holidays!
Wow, yep, they are really a mid LCC now.

I think the VA J product is actually a very good value proposition at the price point that they've been offering and I often book it either with cash (which in turn helps pay for a future points flight/upgrade) or points outright. Business seat redemptions keep me shopping at Coles to collect points and the destinations I choose to fly with VA have a lounge which helps make the experience.

Qantas is my primary airline but their domestic business product is generally too expensive to justify booking with cash for personal trips.

If VA did away with J a fair chunk of my weekend flying would probably go to Rex J rather than VA economy, although Velocity is one of the factors currently making VA more attractive than Rex.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I think the VA J product is actually a very good value proposition at the price point that they've been offering and I often book it either with cash (which in turn helps pay for a future points flight/upgrade) or points outright. Business seat redemptions keep me shopping at Coles to collect points and the destinations I choose to fly with VA have a lounge which helps make the experience.

Qantas is my primary airline but their domestic business product is generally too expensive to justify booking with cash for personal trips.

If VA did away with J a fair chunk of my weekend flying would probably go to Rex J rather than VA economy, although Velocity is one of the factors currently making VA more attractive than Rex.

We have to see what and who Rex will have a liaison with, pretty limited I guess though as to who would go with them, seeing a lot of companies are tied to QFF or VFF.
Or once were partners but have broken up with the 2.
Back to topic, I wish VA or VFF or Bain would do something or make an announcement what their plans are.
Edit: ah, forgot the snippet from ExecutiveTraveller, about that possible VA slot about flying BNE -> HND slot, with no wide bodied planes, I wonder how they are going to do that one, but I (still) don't think this is a big enough announcement.
Hopefully, it all goes to plan, and that there is a big bang for it, grin, A350 with J/premY and Y would be nice.
Maybe a leased B787!/?.
(((SYD -> YVR (Air)Canada -> NRT/HND (ANA) -> BNE)))...
Ok, will turn my waffly off now.

 

[kpc]

Anyone know if / when Va will extend status ? (My Va Plat expires end Oct 21 )

 

[BNEFlyer]

Anyone know if / when Va will extend status ? (My Va Plat expires end Oct 21 )

Just got my email a few minutes ago, extended until 28 February 2023.

 

[kpc]

Anyone know if / when Va will extend status ? (My Va Plat expires end Oct 21 )

Not as generous as Qf but status extended by 8 months. "kpc, your Status will be extended

As we look towards more borders opening, we are excited to let you know that we will extend your Platinum Status membership for an additional 8 months upon your review date 31 October 2021*. "

 

[flydoc]

The website says the lounges are closed "due to government restrictions and operational requirements".

Obviously CBR, MEL and SYD are closed due to government restrictions but ADL and OOL is closed due to operational requirements. The OOL lounge is unlikley to open until MEL or SYD flights resume but the ADL lounge is quite surprising given the flights operating without restrictions to ASP, BNE, CNS, DRW, OOL, LST and PER.

Just spoke to a rep in the the VA call centre who said the ADL lounge reopened on Wed 15/9 and (unprompted) acknowledged the website hasn’t been updated to reflect this.

 

[AIRwin]

Velocity Frequent Flyer to open redemption bookings on international airline partners soon:

Velocity announces epic membership extension and Virgin Australia flight rewards

newsroom.virginaustralia.com

 

[Carrots]

Big news day!

 

[http_x92]

International flight redemptions are here to stay, which is big. And being able to get status credits on reward seats. Nice.

 

[MooTime]

Velocity Frequent Flyer to open redemption bookings on international airline partners soon:

Velocity announces epic membership extension and Virgin Australia flight rewards

newsroom.virginaustralia.com

Pity VA little slow on the uptake of reward seats for international flights. I mean we know we'll be flying O/S in 2022.

Just this week I booked a Fiji trip for next Feb as my other planned international trip for Feb to Perth I'm not very hopeful of. Basically resigned it hence booking plan B.

Used QF reward seat on Fiji Airways metal.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Would be a good chance if you could get their (their being FJ's A350), not jumping that VA would lease or bring in a A350!

 

[HS-TQE]

Velocity Frequent Flyer to open redemption bookings on international airline partners soon:

Velocity announces epic membership extension and Virgin Australia flight rewards

newsroom.virginaustralia.com

ET/AusBT sources suggests it's the usual 'Big 3' of SQ, DL, EY along with AC as the initial partners before extending to the remainder of the surviving partners.

Alitalia and the HNA group carriers of course are under question due to their own ongoing administration/bankruptcy processes, although many FFs seem to read into those two airline groups as 'no big loss'.

 

[dajop]

Alitalia and the HNA group carriers of course are under question due to their own ongoing administration/bankruptcy processes, although many FFs seem to read into those two airline groups as 'no big loss'.

The big gap in the partner network is Europe, and ultimately if partners are considered by Bain and co as important to VA's future, a tie up with LH group wouldn't hurt VA (noting that AF/KL are in the QF camp right now and obviously IAG is oneworld).