Mods, if this should be somewhere else (ie under Trip Reports), please feel free to move.
After a fabulous J trip from BNE to DPS (thank you VA and the fabulous cabin crew – it was exceptional), the return leg in J from DPS to MEL was a real disappointment.
As background, we paid for 2 x J tickets over to DPS & redeemed 2 x J award tickets to return. As an aside, we also travelled from/to DPS in J with SQ to pick up the return VA flight (a bit of a status run trip). Now one would have expected the VA experiences for both flights to be on par but sadly they were poles apart.
Firstly, we redeemed 2 x award seats from DPS to ADL direct (for the return leg). A few weeks out from the return date VA so kindly cancelled this service for the one day we wanted to travel home - thus resulting in an 11 hour layover in DPS (from our arrival in from SIN) instead of the 2 hours as was the original plan. As an aside the Premier Lounge @ DPS is a bit dismal - the staff were lovely but the offering lacking. Will separately review this lounge however.
Back to the flight home. Ok so instead of a 1pm departure we were moved to a 10.30pm departure - awesome - not - but no other option unless we wanted to overnight in DPS.
Moving on. Just want to clarify I am definitely no DYKWIA, but it would have been nice if the names on the manifest matched the people sitting in the seats. Supposedly they did not, as the CSM kept saying we were someone else – until I showed her my passport. I kid you not. Strike 1. Oh - strike 2 for asking J passengers to come forward first only to have them embark the bus and wait for everyone else to join them. Guess it was priority boarding …. of the bus .... lol. Didn't care to be honest but thought it really was a waste of time doing the priority boarding thing as we were quite a way behind everyone else getting off the bus to board the plane.
So, we're now on the plane. No alcohol offered as we took our seats, just sparkling water. Let it go, but thought it was a bit strange. The in-flight safety demonstration was also interesting. I’ve never ever seen a safety demonstration whereby each item was either kicked or thrown behind the FA and at another FA. Have to say a little unprofessional – and not even funny.
Once the flight levelled out, we were asked if we'd like soup as a 'refreshment'. No other option, just soup. Actually had no issue with this, however as I didn't feel like soup I asked for some cheese and crackers (you know the packet ones). So sorry, cheese and crackers were not loaded in DPS. Alrighty then. Perhaps I'll just have a glass of sparkling wine. Yeah, sorry about that. Think we have some down the back but it's open, about half full and we’re not sure how long it's been open for. Ok, so maybe I can just have a glass of Sauvignon Blanc??? Think we might have a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon. Let me check for you. We don’t like Semillon so was really hoping that it was just Sauvignon Blanc. Woo, winner! CSM managed to rustle up a bottle of straight Sauvignon Blanc. Only downside was it wasn't very cold .... didn't say anything though ... thought I'd created enough problems. So, here I sit with my not quite cold wine, writing this and musing about how the two VA experiences are like chalk and (no) cheese.
The flight over from BNE was amazing - so much so that I sent feedback to VA complimenting the whole crew and especially our J CSM. It truly made us feel like VA were serious about their commitment to being 'full service'. Have flown J many times on SQ, a few on QF, 1 on EY & 1 (terrible) J experience on BA, so although not a regular in J think we have a reasonable idea of what is good and what isn't.
Ok so it was a night flight, not a day flight, but to not even load sparkling wine, chilled wine, and cheese and crackers makes me question VA's commitment to being a 'full service' airline. I appreciate that VA are terminating this route and passing it over to Tiger but hey VA - I'm still a customer and actually deserve your supposed awesome J experience regardless if it's a day, night or a route you no longer care about. I might have used some of my hard earned velocity points for the return leg, but that shouldn't mean I receive a sub standard J product - and this should be regardless of status (FWIW I'm SG & partner is WP). If a VA client uses their points to purchase or upgrade a seat they should come away thinking 'wow - how fabulous was that', not 'wow - wish I hadn't wasted those points'.
As for the service - well there really wasn't any. We seemed to be more of an inconvenience. Wasn't told of a breakfast service so when we woke up we were only 10 minutes from descent. Nothing, and I mean nothing, not even a glass of juice or water was offered. My partner had to ask for a juice and received a glass of orange drink - not even juice. The attitude and service of the CSM (well we assume she was the CSM) was extremely disappointing.
You know, at the end of the day it's a first world problem, but if you're going to offer a product and/or service then it would be nice if you try to make an effort to live up to what you promise. We’ll stick with VA for now, but it does make you think.
I guess I should just be thankful that I made it home. The pilots were great – professional and informative.
As another aside, I asked a question of the forum re checking in back from BKK to Aus via DPS on separate SQ and VA tickets. Have answered that question now so will update my question separately.
FWIW, I will also be sending this to VA as feedback
Cheers, Suz
After a fabulous J trip from BNE to DPS (thank you VA and the fabulous cabin crew – it was exceptional), the return leg in J from DPS to MEL was a real disappointment.
As background, we paid for 2 x J tickets over to DPS & redeemed 2 x J award tickets to return. As an aside, we also travelled from/to DPS in J with SQ to pick up the return VA flight (a bit of a status run trip). Now one would have expected the VA experiences for both flights to be on par but sadly they were poles apart.
Firstly, we redeemed 2 x award seats from DPS to ADL direct (for the return leg). A few weeks out from the return date VA so kindly cancelled this service for the one day we wanted to travel home - thus resulting in an 11 hour layover in DPS (from our arrival in from SIN) instead of the 2 hours as was the original plan. As an aside the Premier Lounge @ DPS is a bit dismal - the staff were lovely but the offering lacking. Will separately review this lounge however.
Back to the flight home. Ok so instead of a 1pm departure we were moved to a 10.30pm departure - awesome - not - but no other option unless we wanted to overnight in DPS.
Moving on. Just want to clarify I am definitely no DYKWIA, but it would have been nice if the names on the manifest matched the people sitting in the seats. Supposedly they did not, as the CSM kept saying we were someone else – until I showed her my passport. I kid you not. Strike 1. Oh - strike 2 for asking J passengers to come forward first only to have them embark the bus and wait for everyone else to join them. Guess it was priority boarding …. of the bus .... lol. Didn't care to be honest but thought it really was a waste of time doing the priority boarding thing as we were quite a way behind everyone else getting off the bus to board the plane.
So, we're now on the plane. No alcohol offered as we took our seats, just sparkling water. Let it go, but thought it was a bit strange. The in-flight safety demonstration was also interesting. I’ve never ever seen a safety demonstration whereby each item was either kicked or thrown behind the FA and at another FA. Have to say a little unprofessional – and not even funny.
Once the flight levelled out, we were asked if we'd like soup as a 'refreshment'. No other option, just soup. Actually had no issue with this, however as I didn't feel like soup I asked for some cheese and crackers (you know the packet ones). So sorry, cheese and crackers were not loaded in DPS. Alrighty then. Perhaps I'll just have a glass of sparkling wine. Yeah, sorry about that. Think we have some down the back but it's open, about half full and we’re not sure how long it's been open for. Ok, so maybe I can just have a glass of Sauvignon Blanc??? Think we might have a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon. Let me check for you. We don’t like Semillon so was really hoping that it was just Sauvignon Blanc. Woo, winner! CSM managed to rustle up a bottle of straight Sauvignon Blanc. Only downside was it wasn't very cold .... didn't say anything though ... thought I'd created enough problems. So, here I sit with my not quite cold wine, writing this and musing about how the two VA experiences are like chalk and (no) cheese.
The flight over from BNE was amazing - so much so that I sent feedback to VA complimenting the whole crew and especially our J CSM. It truly made us feel like VA were serious about their commitment to being 'full service'. Have flown J many times on SQ, a few on QF, 1 on EY & 1 (terrible) J experience on BA, so although not a regular in J think we have a reasonable idea of what is good and what isn't.
Ok so it was a night flight, not a day flight, but to not even load sparkling wine, chilled wine, and cheese and crackers makes me question VA's commitment to being a 'full service' airline. I appreciate that VA are terminating this route and passing it over to Tiger but hey VA - I'm still a customer and actually deserve your supposed awesome J experience regardless if it's a day, night or a route you no longer care about. I might have used some of my hard earned velocity points for the return leg, but that shouldn't mean I receive a sub standard J product - and this should be regardless of status (FWIW I'm SG & partner is WP). If a VA client uses their points to purchase or upgrade a seat they should come away thinking 'wow - how fabulous was that', not 'wow - wish I hadn't wasted those points'.
As for the service - well there really wasn't any. We seemed to be more of an inconvenience. Wasn't told of a breakfast service so when we woke up we were only 10 minutes from descent. Nothing, and I mean nothing, not even a glass of juice or water was offered. My partner had to ask for a juice and received a glass of orange drink - not even juice. The attitude and service of the CSM (well we assume she was the CSM) was extremely disappointing.
You know, at the end of the day it's a first world problem, but if you're going to offer a product and/or service then it would be nice if you try to make an effort to live up to what you promise. We’ll stick with VA for now, but it does make you think.
I guess I should just be thankful that I made it home. The pilots were great – professional and informative.
As another aside, I asked a question of the forum re checking in back from BKK to Aus via DPS on separate SQ and VA tickets. Have answered that question now so will update my question separately.
FWIW, I will also be sending this to VA as feedback
Cheers, Suz
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