ZQN Koru lounge access

[Virgin Bart]

Hi VFF/anyone else that can help,

In a few months I'm flying ZQN-SYD on VA metal (VA89). I am a Velocity Platinum travelling with a friend.

According to your website ( International Lounge Access | Virgin Australia ) I will not have access to the Koru lounge. Is this correct?

I note that for flights operated by NZ there is access for Velocity Platinums. Surely this is just an error on the website?

Secondly, will the lounge be open for my departure?

VFF, anyone else, I would appreciate any help!

Cheers, Bart.

 

[Deewhy]

It's all good Bart. Did same flight in June on VA ticket as a plat, the VA checkin agent suggested we go to the lounge unprompted. Checkin opens at about 145pm for the 4pm or so departure. Lounge is landside overlooking the gate where va 89 departs from. Falrly new lounge (was a tent outside last year) upstairs, but the food offerings are snack like plus drinks. Soup, nachos, fruit, cake, biscuits, wine and beer. Just scanned the bp at the door and all is ok.

You only need a few minutes to wander thru customs as the only intl flights are SYD,Mel, BNE with a separate queue. They said wait til the plane arrives at the gate then head down. The info you read must be wrong. I found something clearly saying it does allow plats and golds in. You'll have no trouble.

 

[Virgin Bart]

Fantastic news Deewhy. I thought it may be an error. Up to VFF/VA to update the website then.

I really appreciate the detailed response. Cheers.

 

[Virgin Bart]

It's been a week without reply, VFF... Surely you're not MIA again?

Hi VFF/anyone else that can help,

In a few months I'm flying ZQN-SYD on VA metal (VA89). I am a Velocity Platinum travelling with a friend.

According to your website ( International Lounge Access | Virgin Australia ) I will not have access to the Koru lounge. Is this correct?

I note that for flights operated by NZ there is access for Velocity Platinums. Surely this is just an error on the website?

Secondly, will the lounge be open for my departure?

VFF, anyone else, I would appreciate any help!

Cheers, Bart.

 

[AaronBradford]

VFF has responded to my PMs over the last day or two. Maybe they moved on as you got an answer

 

[jgm]

I'm flying ZQN-SYD-MEL. The ZQN-SYD sector is E+ & the SYD-MEL is J. Will I have access to the lounge at ZQN?

 

[jgm]

I did get access. Checked in at ZQN and got the invite to the Koru Lounge.

 

[Virgin Bart]

VFF, why have you not responded to this simple question? I went out of my way to alert you to this [what I believe to be] error so you and your airline could improve your website. I'm also a Platinum FF with VA, as are many others on this site... Surely the least you could do is get back to me and others? I asked the question two weeks ago now.

Don't tell us you'll e here to help when possible and then ignore the people.

If your budget doesn't allow for a presence on social media or on this site specifically, then that's fine. But do not purport to be here and go MIA. With open questions on here your last post was over 10 days ago.

For the record I called the 131875 line and was told that indeed I wouldn't get access to the lounge in ZQN because VA do not "fly out of Air New Zealand lounges". Unfortunately I'm not kidding.

 

[Virgin Bart]

Yet another week has past since my last post.. And still nothing...

Could I please get a response from VFF?

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Yet another week has past since my last post.. And still nothing...

Could I please get a response from VFF?

Apologies Virgin Bart, but as Aaron said, we had thought you had an answer from Deewhy already?

We had passed on your message for the team to look into making any changes that were necessary to that web page.

For any specific flight questions, our AFF inbox is always open to members, as are our Facebook and twitter teams.

 

[Virgin Bart]

Thanks VFF. It was just getting frustrating the amount of time it took.
Thanks, keep in touch more!

 

[Virgin Bart]

Whilst I wouldn't usually follow something like this up, I have decided to this time.

On 20 August VFF decided to get back to me on a simple question I asked on 31 July, stating that they didn't reply because another member of the forum had answered my question earlier. Fair enough was my first reaction. VFF had admitted a mistake, and humility is a huge plus in my eyes.

Today, on 14 September, 1.5 MONTHS (not weeks, not days) after I had first brought the error up the website is still not updated with the correct information. I find this series of events unacceptable and bordering on pathetic. What if someone had (god forbid) relied on VA's website to try and source accurate information like I did?

By all means continue on like this, but you've just about lost me after 8 years of exclusive travel, having been platinum since the day it started.

I hope this doesn't come across self righteous, but the choice for VA and VFF is to get in touch with me through here or I'm gone.

 

[Ausbt]

So are you going to stop flying VA then? Due to the fact that VA's website has not had this detail altered - is that the 'final straw' for you? Are you really going to head over to Q and start the climb up from NB?

 

[Virgin Bart]

So are you going to stop flying VA then? Due to the fact that VA's website has not had this detail altered - is that the 'final straw' for you? Are you really going to head over to Q and start the climb up from NB?

If you're suggesting this isn't an appropriate final straw, then I suggest you may not appreciate some of the other dealings I've had with VA.

Yes I do find it very annoying that a simple error or omission can't be fixed quickly. Information on the website should be accurate and timely.

I started from nothing at VA, I may do the same at QF. I'm not sure yet. You're implication is very true though, inertia is very very strong in this case.

 

[Ausbt]

If you're suggesting this isn't an appropriate final straw, then I suggest you may not appreciate some of the other dealings I've had with VA.

I certainly don't know the full history, that is correct. About 12 months ago I had a relatively minor complaint handled very generously by VA. It may have been due to the constructive-yet-persistent way I complained (in private, as well). But sure, I don't know of the other hassles you may have had.

One think I'm confused about is have you actually visited the Koru at ZQN yet?

 

[bass_ke]

Bart, have you contacted the appropriate exec at Virgin? I recently did so for a matter and was surprised to get a personal response at 1900 on a Friday evening, good experience

 

[lovestotravel]

Response or not, it's still amateur hour

 

[eastwest101]

Bart, have you contacted the appropriate exec at Virgin? I recently did so for a matter and was surprised to get a personal response at 1900 on a Friday evening, good experience

Whilst you have had a good experience with a personal response from someone at VA on a Friday evening, I think that Virgin Bart's point is that it should not be necessary for him to have to contact someone very senior in VA just to get a simple piece of housekeeping tidied up on the VA web site.

Not trying to detract from your positive feedback to VA about your issue at all - its always good to have problems fixed as it means that someone else may not have to deal with the same problem.

Please keep the details of your contacts at VA handy - I may ask you for them at some point in the future if you don't mind!

Virgin Bart has succesfully brought this to the VA company reps attention, presumably the VA rep has already passed this onto the IT people at VA, now its just a matter of the IT dept at VA doing their job. Which we can only presume at the moment - they have failed to do. And I can only suspect (and I could be wrong!) - that this is the case because the IT dept at VA have a very very long list of other problems that they are trying to solve.

I know, I know - lots of suspecting and presuming going on in that post!

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Hi Bart,
We'll maintain the level of honesty and humility by admitting that human error found this falling off their priority list.
Of course we apologise for this, and acknowledge that you shouldn't have to be following up website copy prior to your travels.

Though I will point out, and this is in no way deflecting fault, but the website does say - "Note: While every effort is made to maintain the accuracy of these details, access to the listed lounges cannot be guaranteed due to changes made by our partners or the third parties operating the lounges."

The Lounge website info has now been updated.

Truly sorry for the amount of time and energy, a simple question and follow through ended up taking.

 

[Ausbt]

cannot be guaranteed due to changes made by our partners or the third parties operating the lounges."

Good on you VFF. I personally the reckon the guy on the door at Koru ZQN when I was last there was a bit of a dragon. He really didn't want to let me bring my kids in (and being girls, they are so well behaved!)