Velocity Chief Nick Rohrlach departs in management shakeup

[simmomelb]

The sad thing is, the food is so poor even in the qantas business lounge, it would be just such an easy thing to compete on.

I definitely feel the food is better in the Qantas bus lounge, but yes, it's not that far ahead, so it would be easy to beat at very little cost.

 

[trisreed]

Our accomplishments include creating a curated menu with a wide and varied range of menu options, an indulgent experience that you would expect from a 5 star restaurant, such as 7 Eleven or your local service station. You'll board your flight with joy and excitement, after a sanga or wrap (or award-winning packet like pasta) along with a decadent cask quality wine from our delightful self-service bar, with decor inspired by the 1990's era (Sydney)'

The other day in the Melbourne lounge, the spread of salads, bolognese, pumpkin soup and jacket potatoes gave me real Sizzler vibes. Maybe that new Sizzler at Sydney Airport is actually opening in the Virgin lounge.

 

[simmomelb]

The other day in the Melbourne lounge, the spread of salads, bolognese, pumpkin soup and jacket potatoes gave me real Sizzler vibes. Maybe that new Sizzler at Sydney Airport is actually opening in the Virgin lounge.

Sizzler is returning? What decade are we living in? Nightmares are returning what's next, Pizza Hut all you can eat "restaurants"?!

 

[MooTime]

Sizzler is returning? What decade are we living in? Nightmares are returning what's next, Pizza Hut all you can eat "restaurants"?!

The Sizzler is back.....

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/restaurants-bars/muchloved-buffet-chain-sizzler-returning-to-australia/news-story/d1105f0051f6ceefb64c1dfa541b2594

 

[Captain Halliday]

Sizzler is returning? What decade are we living in? Nightmares are returning what's next, Pizza Hut all you can eat "restaurants"?!

Pizza Hut at Browns Plains (just south of Brisbane) still does AYCE.

AFF gathering anyone?

 

[LionKing]

This can only be good?

I hope they get rid of that stupid "X amount of SCs on VA" - whatever that means in relation to QR/VA flights, I'm still not clear.

Exactly. Especially Virgin Australia almost doesn't fly out of Australia apart from Bali, Qatar and a couple of Pacific Islands, which failed to serve the majority of Australians needing to travel to Asia, and travel between Asian and European Countries, where Velocity is bascially useless.

 

[SCM]

Exactly. Especially Virgin Australia almost doesn't fly out of Australia apart from Bali, Qatar and a couple of Pacific Islands, which failed to serve the majority of Australians needing to travel to Asia, and travel between Asian and European Countries, where Velocity is bascially useless.

100%, they fly to to a few leisure destinations effectively competing with Jetstar, and they totally fail to serve the business market, which flies to China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, USA and of course Europe (could argue this is covered by Qatar, but not booked through VA with 30% random markup).

Yet they keep pushing VA business and trying to make that a thing, even though they are objectively worthless for global companies needing to do business internationally. Only through partners - at which point you can't earn status, lol very stupid. Incredibly stupid strategy.

 

[MooTime]

Exactly. Especially Virgin Australia almost doesn't fly out of Australia apart from Bali, Qatar and a couple of Pacific Islands, which failed to serve the majority of Australians needing to travel to Asia, and travel between Asian and European Countries, where Velocity is bascially useless.

Virgin so so but Velocity side of things is great. Points get you to many Asian ports, transfer to Singapore Airlines and access to plenty rewards.

Much easier to get reward seats to Europe & Asia with velocity points than Qantas ponts unless possibly your WP or above getting access to release request seats.

 

[clifford]

Virgin so so but Velocity side of things is great

I don't think you can separate one from the other.

And good luck to Mr Rohrlach. Though I don't think he will need it with his connections.

 

[simmomelb]

Exactly. Especially Virgin Australia almost doesn't fly out of Australia apart from Bali, Qatar and a couple of Pacific Islands, which failed to serve the majority of Australians needing to travel to Asia, and travel between Asian and European Countries, where Velocity is bascially useless.

Sounds like a misunderstanding as to how it works.
The 50% status requirement doesn't need to be on VA metal.
As long as it's a flight booked and paid for via the VA site and flown by you. I earn most of my status credits on Air NZ and Qatar Airways and they count (pricing generally on par as going direct with most airlines now, other than Singapore Airlines at certain times).

 

[ols]

I don't think you can separate one from the other.

I think I do.
95% of Velocity points come from credit cards, Flybuys and others, not flying Virgin.
Use Velocity points to get reward flights on Qatar and Singapore.
I am a Velocity customer not a Virgin customer

 

[simmomelb]

I think I do.
95% of Velocity points come from credit cards, Flybuys and others, not flying Virgin.
Use Velocity points to get reward flights on Qatar and Singapore.
I am a Velocity customer not a Virgin customer

Virgin Australia is the company making money out of you being a Velocity customer, however
You don't need to fly with VA to be a VA customer, and Velocity is a nice little money maker for VA.
But I get where you are coming from.

 

[kevrosmith]

Yes, though similarly in this context, people would say they are a Bunnings customer, not a Wesfarmers customer, despite one owning the other.

 

[aus_flyer]

Sounds like a misunderstanding as to how it works.
The 50% status requirement doesn't need to be on VA metal.
As long as it's a flight booked and paid for via the VA site and flown by you. I earn most of my status credits on Air NZ and Qatar Airways and they count (pricing generally on par as going direct with most airlines now, other than Singapore Airlines at certain times).

Not quite. Not all flights sold on VA website book into VA flight number. For example, some flights to Middle East and beyond will book VA number to Doha but QR number for the final sector.

 

[LionKing]

Not quite. Not all flights sold on VA website book into VA flight number. For example, some flights to Middle East and beyond will book VA number to Doha but QR number for the final sector.

And also not everyone wants to start their trip from Australia.

 

[HS-TQE]

And also not everyone wants to start their trip from Australia.

That is not VA's focus. With the exception of the short lived partial government subsidised Cairns-Japan service, their primary focus is Domestic with their short haul international offering with international partners offeting the long haul destinations for their Australian customers.

 

[RooFlyer]

Virgin so so but Velocity side of things is great. Points get you to many Asian ports, transfer to Singapore Airlines and access to plenty rewards.

Much easier to get reward seats to Europe & Asia with velocity points than Qantas ponts unless possibly your WP or above getting access to release request seats.

Exactly. Sure you can redeem VFF points for Virgin flights domestically, but I’ve always accumulated them to transfer to Kris Flyer Miles to get to Singapore on an award ( great availability) and onwards on a relatively cheap revenue fare.

I don’t get the moaning about Virgin’s lack of Int’l network. Are they saying that they would fly virgin if they flew to many more international places? That would overcome their dissatisfaction with the current Velocity program? They’d fly Virgin instead of Qantas?

 

[SeaWolf]

I don’t get the moaning about Virgin’s lack of Int’l network. Are they saying that they would fly virgin if they flew to many more international places? That would overcome their dissatisfaction with the current Velocity program? They’d fly Virgin instead of Qantas?

The conclusion I've come to is that there is a solid subset of people in this forum that will never be happy and will complain no matter what Virgin does. Virgin could offer them an international network designed around their individual travel patterns and they'd complain that it doesn't fly to a destination they've never visited and have no intention of ever going to.

 

[ozstamps]

I wonder if this is directly a result of the number of flyers, myself included, who have become disengaged with the Velocity program in light of recent program changes

VERY clearly it is connected.

100,000s of once veery happy and content and rusted-on Elites have jumped ship, or are in the process of it.

Qantas should send Rohrlach a very large 'Thank You' cheque, and a case of Moet.

This current half coughd, and very poorly communicated frantic attempt to claw back the herds of departing Elites, by handing out millions of SC for flights already taken and paid for is clearly panic stations on full maximum alert in there.

Someone with some brains looking at market share has probably stepped in.

SC cost zero (versus free points) - they can hand out billions of them at zero dollar cost really. Virgin are now frantic to retain as many elites they can after 12 months of actively driving them away.

Just booked a SYD-ADL-SYD with points, as zero interest in handing those dopes a red cent.

 

[simmomelb]

And also not everyone wants to start their trip from Australia.

You don't need to, the status points still go towards the other 50%, so they aren't wasted.
e.g., I can book London to NYC on Virgin Atlantic; I will still earn status credits for the other 50%.

If you aren't initiating 50% of your flights from Australia, then VA is not for you.
Not every brand will suit every customer, and that's okay. Go with what suits you best.