DJ Lounge CBR

[Hvr]

Did a recent trip on DJ thanks to the BFOD policy. It was the first flight of the morning to SYD about 06:15am.

As is my want I get to the AP about an hour before flight time to make sure I am there on time and to relax before the start of the working day. Checked in the bag quickly having done OLCI the day before and secured a good seat.

However, once upstairs the lounge is all in darkness. I check my watch and yes it is about 05:20am but having been in the QC many, many times at this horrid hour I fully expect the DJ lounge to be open.

Another person comes up and we commiserate, he actually wanted to check in there only having carry on. He heads downstairs and a few minutes later comes back up and heads into the lounge. There is a person setting up and the other person asks him to turn on the lights which he does.

Several other people then enter, there is no one on the desk to check eligibility. I have some fruit and juice for breakfast. However there were only enough peaches for one serve and I got them. Sorry to anyone else who thought they might be nice.

I ask the solitary staff member if he can turn on the television but he says he can't, "it is the job of the girls and they will do it when they arrive". Eventually more staff members do arrive and then he goes around and turns on the televisions.

Is this normal practice for early flights? If so it can only be a turn off for business people who use the lounge to prepare for the often long day ahead. Must admit I wasn't surprised to see the flight was nearly empty. Surely DJ needs the corporate types on these flights and no lounge access would not make the experience a happy one.

 

[Nigelinoz]

I would think that DJ does indeed need the corporate type and their recent profit (or lack of) figures would suggest that they are not getting enough of them.
Perhaps your less than satisfactory experience in the CBR lounge is the reason why.

 

[comint]

However, once upstairs the lounge is all in darkness. I check my watch and yes it is about 05:20am but having been in the QC many, many times at this horrid hour I fully expect the DJ lounge to be open.

From Virgin Blue > Location -

The Lounge is open seven days a week from 45 minutes prior to the first departure until the last flight is called for boarding.

Virgin Blue cuts cost in many ways, in every area of its business. Each cost cut (in this case a few minutes compared to Qantas) is rather small on its own, however they do become a major service delivery (expectations) issue when you start to add them all up, and take a holistic perspective. The end result is a compartive customer experience significantly less than what Qantas offers. From the beginning of your journey in the departure lounge (with no spirits) to your journey’s end and waiting at the baggage carousel (without priority baggage) plus all points in between!

However there were only enough peaches for one serve and I got them. Sorry to anyone else who thought they might be nice. I ask the solitary staff member if he can turn on the television but he says he can't…

The F&B staff are normally very pleasant in the DJ lounges, I would expect that if you asked for more peaches, they would have got them for you (as long as they didn’t have catering issues). In DJ Lounges, unlike Qantas Clubs, their food troughs are never normally allowed to go bare. Personally, I have never experienced a situation where their standard breakfast, day or evening spreads were not generously presented for consumption.

…so it can only be a turn off for business people who use the lounge to prepare for the often long day ahead. Must admit I wasn't surprised to see the flight was nearly empty. Surely DJ needs the corporate types on these flights and no lounge access would not make the experience a happy one.

It is quite sad really, I hope their new “Canberra’s non-stop airline” strategy pays dividends. They have most certainly tried incredibly hard, not the least by flying E-jets which are so much more comfortable, in economy, than QF B737s or Dash-8s.

Unfortunately, I believe that DJ is stifled stifled by its brand, when it come to communicating with the customers they really want onboard. There are a lot of awesome things to say about their airline, but those aren’t the elements they choose to promote. Instead, sadly, we have the dirty old man, and his Benny Hill style antics, trotted out at every opportunity.