Article: Is Qantas’ 737 Business Class Worth $200 More than Virgin?

[dvb2000]

Not quite. The current CEO said the airline's resiliance is in part due to dominating the self-retiree market who have the cash to pay for better seats and service and less fickle to the changing economy.

Sure but retirees have no pre-disposition to pay extra for no reason, whereas those getting all the perks from Qantas do.

 

[Forg]

Sure but retirees have no pre-disposition to pay extra for no reason, whereas those getting all the perks from Qantas do.

As a soon-retiree ... I'd pay for F internationally, but there's pretty much zero chance of paying extra for domestic J, the extra 5cm-maybe of knee-room (about the only actual benefit I can think of - even though I don't have lounge access the terminals are no less comfortable and the food/drink offerings are better for less money) isn't worth the cost.

Is the quoted QF-management comment actually with respect to domestic travel?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Sure but retirees have no pre-disposition to pay extra for no reason, whereas those getting all the perks from Qantas do.

Surely the test is whether they think it is value for money? Many would think the premium fare, for a premium offering, is value.

 

[ovtraveller]

The writer nailed it. Qantas for domestic flights and a codeshare international ticket to maintain my plat. status. With a number of international trips booked and others planned, We can walk into any first class lounge world wide. Beat that

 

[ramboflyer]

"And you’ll find pretty good Qantas Club lounges at a large number of airports where Virgin Australia doesn’t even have a lounge at all – such as Cairns, Darwin, Townsville, Mackay and Broome."

You can add Hobart to that list of Virgin loungless airports.

 

[aussieboozer]

Lounge quality/availibilty is the big one for me. Recently went J on VA Bne-ASP and back on QF as no VA lounge in ASP. Similar problem in Cairns, Darwin etc

 

[Cruiser Elite]

People actually pay for domestic J?

Yes I do whenever I fly routes that VA are on - I've done plenty more than my share of sitting in back of bus - I don't think I would ever pay to fly QF dom J unless they were substantially cheaper than VA as I firmly believe we must maintain VA flying to keep some degree of honesty from the QF vultures.

Having said that I only fly maybe a dozen dom sectors pa so its not that frequent.

 

[dmgale]

A lot of people I know don't check the Virgin airfares, they automatically book with Qantas because.... they always book with Qantas.

 

[Forg]

You can add Hobart to that list of Virgin loungless airports.

That airport is one of the many ones which makes me question the value of domestic lounge access … last time I was in there, even the toilets were less busy in the general airport area. But then … the $15 I paid on Friday in Sydney T2 for a better coffee & a better pastry than you can get in any Australian domestic lounge along with a better view of the runway seems much better value to me than paying $200 extra each-way for a ticket with a tiny bit more knee-room for 75 minutes.

 

[jase05]

You can add Hobart to that list of Virgin loungless airports.

In this case having no lounge is better than that pathetic excuse of a lounge in HBA.
I don’t even bother going in there anymore

 

[justinbrett]

In this case having no lounge is better than that pathetic excuse of a lounge in HBA.
I don’t even bother going in there anymore

You know you don’t have to go to the lounge… it’s not mandatory.

So I’m not sure how it’s better to not have a lounge. For some a free beer or machine coffee and a seat is better than nothing.

 

[Laptop Jockey]

The average customer willing to shell out for J is exponentially more likely to value loyalty program status, and also generally a lot less price sensitive by the very nature of the product; if you're happy to pay three times the cost of Y ticket for a 1-2hr flight, you probably aren't too concerned over an extra one or two hundred bucks.
The single biggest factor is the QFF loyalty scheme, the golden handcuffs. Virgin have never been able to sort that aspect of the business, which is a shame.

 

[jase05]

You know you don’t have to go to the lounge… it’s not mandatory.

So I’m not sure how it’s better to not have a lounge. For some a free beer or machine coffee and a seat is better than nothing.

As I’ve stated, I no longer bother going to the lounge at HBA and prefer to stay in the terminal.
Same for me with the VA SYD lounge. just not worth my time and effort

 

[Forg]

For some a free beer or machine coffee and a seat is better than nothing.

Well ... that's the thing. If you're getting free upgrades that works well, but if you're paying the extra cash each-way for the fare, then you could spend a fraction of that on a better beer or a better coffee. And the seat thing ... it's an unusual situation when you can't find a decent one in the domestic terminal as well, and often with a better view.

For those paying money, I don't see the value.

 

[Swanny59]

Not quite. The current CEO said the airline's resiliance is in part due to dominating the self-retiree market who have the cash to pay for better seats and service and less fickle to the changing economy.

I am one of those retiree FF ‘lemmings’ - after years of commuting and accumulating points, the value is in buying an economy seat then using points to upgrade. I can understand the desire for growing the status credits, as the things the come with the premium tiers on QF - lounge access in many places, Emerald status on international as travel - really make a difference. But gee it is getting harder to be a QF devotee, as their international business prices are just crazy, and hardly competitive.

 

[justinbrett]

As I’ve stated, I no longer bother going to the lounge at HBA and prefer to stay in the terminal.
Same for me with the VA SYD lounge. just not worth my time and effort

Yes, but to your comment:

In this case having no lounge is better than that pathetic excuse of a lounge in HBA.

 

[justinbrett]

Well ... that's the thing. If you're getting free upgrades that works well, but if you're paying the extra cash each-way for the fare, then you could spend a fraction of that on a better beer or a better coffee. And the seat thing ... it's an unusual situation when you can't find a decent one in the domestic terminal as well, and often with a better view.

For those paying money, I don't see the value.

The vast majority of people in lounges are there from status or lounge membership.

If you do elect to pay the extra for business, you’re probably doing it for the inflight benefit, not the lounge, but even then wouldn’t you feel ripped off that there isn’t a lounge at all?

It’s not a great lounge, but it’s good to at least have an option.

 

[jase05]

Yes, but to your comment:

And I stand by that same as I do for the substandard VA lounges.
.

 

[justinbrett]

And I stand by that same as I do for the substandard VA lounges.
.

So you prefer the lounge to not exist for others because you don’t want to go?

Your comment is nonsense.

 

[jase05]

So you prefer the lounge to not exist for others because you don’t want to go?

Your comment is nonsense.

I just can’t stand it when businesses do less than half effort jobs. If you want to have a lounge spend some money so it’s not a third world pile of rubbish or don’t have one at all.