Silver will no longer have priority check-in on domestic

[JohnK]

Let's see if as many whingers voice their disgust like they did when QF did the same.

Whingers?

I would say this "enhancement" makes no sense to me but some will jump down my throat and find ways to justify it.

Virgin and Qantas should simply continue with the practice of gifting everyone Platinum/Gold status and just continue to dilute any important benefits along the way.

I haven't particularly noticed the check in queues

They were huge in SYD yesterday evening. I had turned up ~40 minutes before flight so if I had to go to bag drop line without status I would have been in a little but of trouble.

 

[StevePER]

Hardly feel that this is the worst issue affecting the world though, is it? It's so easy to get silver anyway... hardly priority when everyone uses it.

I would dispute that everyone uses it. The vast majority of people are still in the no-status queue. No reason they should push silvers there too.

 

[Blue Chameleon]

Fortunately as it would seem, the next couple of flights I have with DJ are in J and they will allow me to hit Gold.

That said, I still think it's a bit of a nonsensical move by Virgin. For the PER-SYD-PER flights I've taken, I've never had issues with congestion in the Priority lines (as a Silver). But in saying that, SYD-MEL legs may be quite different, and to any solution to this would require a uniform approach.

At the end of the day, with this decision now bringing their Silver status in line with QF Silver, I don't see much happening here once all the DJ Silver FF's calm down.

 

[Jousams]

Not sure whether that's her actual profile?


Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly app

 

[Must...Fly!]

I hope it's a fake account, I really don't want to have wasted 200kb of download quota on her rubbish

 

[pauly7]

Suppose NGCI nullifies most of that, unless you are a Dom->Int connection or a special case, where you need to line up anyway.
.

You are right 99% of the time you don't even need priority anything for QF check in as NGCI is so efficient.... Hardly ever had to wait, maybe a minute in school holidays.

Maybe DJ should bite the bullet and implement it. Would help with their queue problem especially MEL and SYD.

 

[pauly7]

Whingers?

They were huge in SYD yesterday evening. I had turned up ~40 minutes before flight so if I had to go to bag drop line without status I would have been in a little but of trouble.

Don't worry John the DJ check in dragons would have yelled out a flight number closing soon announcement and got you to run to another desk.

But I agree DJ queues are quite often large for check in (and JQ for that part to be fair) especially if you are used to QF NGCI.

 

[hummel]

While it's not being pulled straight away I would have thought they'd update the website to reflect the change...

 

[quebec15]

Personally I am not happy with the change at all, I have been Silver for about 6 months and will hit Gold soon but I just think that to take a benefit away from its members that takes little or no effort to actually provide is stupid if it is all in the name of making Gold and Plat feel more special, it actually takes a bit of work to get to silver and they should be rewarded accordingly. I think this was a Bad move from Virgin and they are testing my loyalty and patience.

 

[BAM1748]

I got the email too. I'll be Gold by the weekend so doesn't worry me and not overly surprised.

Don't know why they took priority check-in away from Silvers and not Flexi Fares. People with no status purchasing a flexible Y ticket do not need priority check-in!!

Well they want people to buy flexi fares, it's about revenue per seat don't forget.

Matt

 

[BAM1748]

I would dispute that everyone uses it. The vast majority of people are still in the no-status queue. No reason they should push silvers there too.

Yes but it's such a easy and free value ad for them and makes their silver different from QF, but as we are finding out DJ doesn't do anything extra unless AF does it.

Matt

 

[mannej]

Yes but it's such a easy and free value ad for them and makes their silver different from QF, but as we are finding out DJ doesn't do anything extra unless AF does it.

Matt

With the change it differentiates it from QF silver, as it is a benefit for QF members (albeit after reinstatement!)

 

[eastwest101]

With the change it differentiates it from QF silver, as it is a benefit for QF members (albeit after reinstatement!)

Well said. Can I only add that today's velocity silvers are potentially the future velocity golds and platinum, or now, future QF silver/gold/plats??? Remember with the status match that there would be QF silvers whom got comped to Velocity silver, also QF bronzes whom got comped to velocity red and then flew up to velocity silver, and QF golds whom got comped to velocity golds and are now soft landing to velocity silver. Quite a diverse group.

What I am trying to say is that with the timing, status match and travel patterns - not everyone in the world is a VA or QA platinum.

 

[bcworld]

They were huge in SYD yesterday evening. I had turned up ~40 minutes before flight so if I had to go to bag drop line without status I would have been in a little but of trouble.

They were also massive at SYD early yesterday morning...right the way around the length of the roped snake then the entire length of the Virgin part of terminal... probably over the J* area too. I had just arrived from HKG on VS200 on a Velocity redemption...and because Velocity can't do such incredibly complex things as ticket VS and DJ on one ticket I had to purchase a separate domestic connection to MEL despite their being award availability. Hence that meant checking bags at the domestic terminal. As 2 silvers we used the priority line - so it was a fantastic benefit. Happy to be called a whinger for not being pleased about this!

 

[lobo76]

I reckon removing a benefit from FF status members is always the wrong way to go, at least as far as PR is concerned. It would be far better to have a queue solely dedicated to Gold/Plat and another that took Silver and overflow from regular check-in.

 

[Jama]

Who is silver on DJ anyway... with Virgins track record of comping people who miss tier qualification marks by a country mile I doubt they have many Silver members anyway

There will be earners on silver. Its the QFF's that go straight to Gold/Platinum.

 

[Jama]

Don't know why they took priority check-in away from Silvers and not Flexi Fares. People with no status purchasing a flexible Y ticket do not need priority check-in!!

Because if you take it away from Flexi's your left paying $200 for nothing but a yucko wrap.

 

[samh004]

I reckon removing a benefit from FF status members is always the wrong way to go, at least as far as PR is concerned. It would be far better to have a queue solely dedicated to Gold/Plat and another that took Silver and overflow from regular check-in.

Silver and Flexi you mean? Can't imagine it'd be hard to add, though depends how many Silver members there actually are that are frequently lining up alongside Gold and Platinum and Flexi flyers and causing the regular line to be incredibly short (which is where common sense should prevail). As always, I'm sure the numbers were done.

Do "Lounge" members get priority check-in? If so, that could be how they distinguish it, you don't fly enough to get Gold, but do for Silver, so buy discounter 'Lounge' membership and you'll get in the priority line. You'll also get in the lounge

 

[lobo76]

Silver and Flexi you mean? Can't imagine it'd be hard to add, though depends how many Silver members there actually are that are frequently lining up alongside Gold and Platinum and Flexi flyers and causing the regular line to be incredibly short (which is where common sense should prevail). As always, I'm sure the numbers were done.

Nah, I can't really see any good reason to give Flexi tickets priority check-in. Even tough some argue that it's one of the only perks, I'm sure the only real reasons
people buy Flexi are for points upgrades and because they genuinely need to have a flexible flight in case of changes to the itinerary. I can't imagine many people paying up to 100% more for a flight simply to avoid 15 mins of queuing and to get an airline meal.

 

[Jama]

Nah, I can't really see any good reason to give Flexi tickets priority check-in. Even tough some argue that it's one of the only perks, I'm sure the only real reasons
people buy Flexi are for points upgrades and because they genuinely need to have a flexible flight in case of changes to the itinerary. I can't imagine many people paying up to 100% more for a flight simply to avoid 15 mins of queuing and to get an airline meal.

Even then I would hardly call a flexi flexible or worthy of the price. Yes if you have a simple time adjustment you can change it but otherwise the change costs more than a discount fare. Cancel and use later or any changes other than time, $60 on discount fare and $80 on flexi. The flexi should be free of charges.