Velocity/Virgin websites are RUBBISH

[serfty]

I have noticed that VA bookings now work again though I have no understanding as to why.

Yes, I accidentally tried a VA booking a couple weeks ago and discovered they are working again in My Flights.

oh good! When SABRE closed their portal in favour of a more commercial site it seemed the app (screen scrape) was stuffed.

 

[Jurahn]

Just booked flights for late Aug PER-SYD-CBR and early Sep CBR-MEL-PER - normal revenue booking in Y, Elevate fares, using promo code MRV49. Checked Business Rewards first as wanted to upgrade the PER-SYD and MEL-PER sectors with points - availability on both so went ahead and booked, then immediately went into Manage My Booking to upgrade both flights, only to receive the message "Booking not eligible for Upgrade with Velocity Points". Er, what?? Logged out of/back into my Velocity account and tried again - same message. Oh cr*p, I thought.

Rang the Gold desk and spoke to the delightful and immensely helpful Shelley, who confirmed that yes, there was upgrade availability on both flights and processed the upgrades whilst I was on the phone. Everything went through OK, have received the updated e-ticket and my booking on the website reflects the upgrades, so no idea why I received a message that the booking (and it was the whole booking, not just certain flights) couldn't be upgraded.

 

[davidj]

Any reason why they had to make the payment page laggy as hell? When entering CC details it lags really bad.

Can't use travel bank credits to pay for reward seat surcharges.

Still getting auth error when trying to make a booking via the Velocity site. This was reported here many months ago...

Anyone at Virgin IT taking any initiative to make the site better? Or are they happy to outsource all their staff to Philippines and get 'computer says no' kind of responses? Time to change their culture back to the days of Virgin Blue.. heaps better service then.

Does Borghetti even fly Virgin?? Obviously he hadn't used his own web site.

 

[Warks]

The fifth anniversary of this thread is coming up next March and the site was rubbish way before that. Every time I think it's okay it gets worse again.

Couldn't for the life of me find online checkin for my flight. Went through VA and Velocity and got nothing via "My Bookings". Eventually had to Google it and got a page. Even though I was already logged in with both sites on other tabs it still wanted me to login again. Don't you just love it.

Then I found that at less than T-48 I can't get better than row 7 with 3-6 as blocked out as it was when I booked it three months ago. Does this mean it will be empty except for a couple of WPs (there are only ever a couple on this flight) and the $29 pax? Or will they fill it up at the airport?

VA working on driving me back to QF. It's working.

 

[hummel]

The fifth anniversary of this thread is coming up next March and the site was rubbish way before that. Every time I think it's okay it gets worse again.

Couldn't for the life of me find online checkin for my flight. Went through VA and Velocity and got nothing via "My Bookings". Eventually had to Google it and got a page. Even though I was already logged in with both sites on other tabs it still wanted me to login again. Don't you just love it.

Then I found that at less than T-48 I can't get better than row 7 with 3-6 as blocked out as it was when I booked it three months ago. Does this mean it will be empty except for a couple of WPs (there are only ever a couple on this flight) and the $29 pax? Or will they fill it up at the airport?

VA working on driving me back to QF. It's working.

The fact they don't even recognise the issue is what baffles me.

 

[cove]

Yes I had trouble locating my booking.It was not straight forward. When I printed it the print was unusually small.

 

[Pleb Status]

The fact they don't even recognise the issue is what baffles me.

What is the issue? Maybe you can explain it.

Someone cannot find the check in link on the left side of the VA homepage?

Someone wants an extra legroom seat (rows 3 to 5) without the appropriate status level and/or paying for it?

I would say every airline website I have ever used has many issues that could easily be fixed if they just listened to their customers.

At least when I type PER into the VA website, Perth comes up as the first option. That is a start for me at least...

 

[hummel]

What is the issue? Maybe you can explain it.

Someone cannot find the check in link on the left side of the VA homepage?

Someone wants an extra legroom seat (rows 3 to 5) without the appropriate status level and/or paying for it?

I would say every airline website I have ever used has many issues that could easily be fixed if they just listened to their customers.

At least when I type PER into the VA website, Perth comes up as the first option. That is a start for me at least...

Let's put it this way... the VA website could do with a massive overhaul.

Considering so many bookings would be made via VA's website I find it crazy that their site is so slow, unresponsive across devices, non-sensible layout - really don't need to go on. This thread is proof enough.

And would you look at that, I just tried to login to my account and it timed out.

 

[Pleb Status]

Let's put it this way... the VA website could do with a massive overhaul.

Considering so many bookings would be made via VA's website I find it crazy that their site is so slow, unresponsive across devices, non-sensible layout - really don't need to go on. This thread is proof enough.

And would you look at that, I just tried to login to my account and it timed out.

I personally find the speed, responsiveness and layout of the VA website no worse than any other airline website I regularly use (and better than average). I book most of my VA travel through the VA website and cannot recall ever having a real issue of note (with the exception of outages affecting everyone). I know how to check in using the website as well.

Some things that I do find annoying are more to do with restrictions in the booking system than with the website itself (some multi city bookings, partner bookings, seat allocations on non VA direct bookings etc).

A quick look at the other side shows that there is just as many website problems over there. Bookings regularly go 'missing' and since the change to their home page, I have not been able to log in directly into my FF account on any mobile browser (and that problem has been going on for months now).

Certainly improvements could be made to improve functionality etc but I cannot see any need for a 'massive overhaul'.

 

[aaronm]

I personally find the speed, responsiveness and layout of the VA website no worse than any other airline website I regularly use (and better than average). I book most of my VA travel through the VA website and cannot recall ever having a real issue of note (with the exception of outages affecting everyone). I know how to check in using the website as well.

Things that should be straightforward are a hassle with VA. I have bookings where I can't select a seat for who knows what reason, no error message, the seat selection link just doesn't work. The Velocity site currently takes far too many "clicks" to get to your homepage (promo splash screen, login screen, another screen to actually log in...). Can't use Platinum upgrades online, have to call. Just too many little annoyances that all add up to a terrible user experience.

 

[Pleb Status]

Things that should be straightforward are a hassle with VA. I have bookings where I can't select a seat for who knows what reason, no error message, the seat selection link just doesn't work. The Velocity site currently takes far too many "clicks" to get to your homepage (promo splash screen, login screen, another screen to actually log in...). Can't use Platinum upgrades online, have to call. Just too many little annoyances that all add up to a terrible user experience.

Only two (2) mouse clicks* are required to log in from the VA home page and only two (2) more are required to get you anywhere you need to go. It would obviously be better if they could reduce the extreme hardship of four (4) mouse clicks down to only three (3) but this is certainly nothing to get even remotely excited about. Once the opposition bring in TFA at log in for all of their members, their members will be dreaming of having only four (4) mouse clicks to get to where they want to go.

You would also have to call at the opposition to use your complementary platinum upgrades, if they offered them at all... The hardship of calling VA an absolute maximum of four (4) times a year to be upgraded to J for free is something I suppose I am willing to do for more than 20+ hours of 'The Business' goodness. If calling VA to process these upgrades is that difficult, no one is forcing you to upgrade your flights to J for free.

The online seat selection issue for bookings which were not direct with VA is something that does need attention (as I mentioned previously). However, as all of the best seats are available to WP at the time of booking, there is not real need to change your seat once you have selected it the first time.

*using Google Smart Lock to autofill the data required.

 

[Warks]

As Basil Fawlty once said "A satisfied customer! Should have him stuffed."

 

[Deleted member 29185]

As Basil Fawlty once said "A satisfied customer! Should have him stuffed."

IIRC it was "stuffed and mounted" ... however I think I was wrong once!

 

[straitman]

IIRC it was "stuffed and mounted" ... however I think I was wrong once!

I remember two or three actually :!:

 

[davidj]

Pro: Online check in works a treat

Con: The recent Velocity site no longer remembers my member number. I need to find this every time I need to log in. Before the site remembered my number and just requested a password

 

[straitman]

Con: The recent Velocity site no longer remembers my member number. I need to find this every time I need to log in. Before the site remembered my number and just requested a password

Isn't that something you can setup on your PC or Laptop? That's how mine is remembered.

 

[kevrosmith]

Has anyone else noted the irony of their advertising campaign for the Billion Points give-away promotion?



Perhaps they do take notice of our comments on this thread after all. Shame they can't be bothered to take action to get rid of the intern.

 

[Warks]

When in doubt, blame the intern. It used to be the "work experience kid".

 

[QF WP]

I thought they did this as a tongue-in-cheek reference to their website woes. Not even worth laughing at unless one has hundreds of thousands of points to transfer. Not happy VA

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Has anyone else noted the irony of their advertising campaign for the Billion Points give-away promotion?

View attachment 97607

Perhaps they do take notice of our comments on this thread after all. Shame they can't be bothered to take action to get rid of the intern.

I was going to post the same thing Kevro, but I thought "why bother". It ain't changing quickly and this tongue in cheek quip shows they know they're quite poor but will soldier on regardless of the torment imposed upon their followers!

I passed QF gold and marching toward QF plat. I wonder if they realise there are flyers just like me.