Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2¾ hours from APRIL

[Simsy85]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

This is great for me in DRW flying regularly to BNE

 

[esquire]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

PER-MEL/SYD/BNE along with flights over 2 hours and 45 minutes are full service in terms of inclusive food and beverage.

Certainly the very recent flight I took to Cocos was not full service. In fact it was no service- they didn't have any food to purchase - but they did offer water..... the flight back there was a sandwich and water or juice (everything else is $)...! Very confusing. And "complimentary drink" is certainly singular unless you want water .

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

That mixed bag sends very much mixed messages. They're almost schizophrenic, unsure whether they're LCC or full service. All I know is that the prices are certainly full service even if nothing else is!

Mostly, the airlines with consistent across the board products are the LCCs.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

Mostly, the airlines with consistent across the board products are the LCCs.

I think that's a very true statement.

VA does however seem far more skittish with inclusions then...well QF (being their main competition). We can also add in the ATR meal included whereas on the identical flight with an E90 or 73H/W, no inclusion, as well as water/tea/coffee on all flights. I doubt there is much argument as to it being difficult with VA to actually fully know what you'll get unless you are a frequent VA flyer. I'm a fairly frequent VA flyer and even I got my CC out to pay for a wine I ordered on my last SYD-PER flight as I didn't realise the included F&B included wine and beer.......I still don't know whether it's an "all you can drink" inclusion, or one only!

 

[KCMil]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

The transcon product is fully inclusive with no restrictions on number of drinks, as long as you and they comply with responsible service of alcohol. However, spirits are now available for "purchase" . Snack items have been made available for purchase if you get the munchies outside of the main meal service.

 

[Ansettaddict123]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

I think this post clearly demonstates the issues...........it may be as clear as mud to VA, but sane people have trouble keeping up with what's included and whta's excluded and at what time of day. You forgot about the Capital connect service as well....I still don't understand that one. Is it a complementary beer or wine on an evening flight and a newspaper in the morning (or something like that).

That mixed bag sends very much mixed messages. They're almost schizophrenic, unsure whether they're LCC or full service. All I know is that the prices are certainly full service even if nothing else is!

Well this is awkward

I completely agree with you though.
That said, VA is still very much an airline in transition so I'm willing to cut them some slack. It HAS only been 3 years since JB took over the reigns and I think he has done a tremendous amount of work in that time. No excuse surely, but in time I see a VA where we actually know what to expect. There's light at the end of the tunnel

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

It HAS only been 3 years since JB took over the reigns

I agree a lot has been attempted in 3 years, but I think that may be part the problem. What have they done really well in those 3 years as compared to what they've served half baked?

Really well:
J config.
Family pooling
Fly ahead
Priority recognition
Consistantly but slyly bumping up the fares

Half baked:
Alliances
food (in air and on ground)
ife
anything to do with bookings
recognition of prior VFFs
included luggage
included F&B

I know that's not an exhaustive list, but the major issues as far as pax are concerned are largely sited in the Half Baked zone.

 

[markis10]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

I agree a lot has been attempted in 3 years, but I think that may be part the problem. What have they done really well in those 3 years as compared to what they've served half baked?

Really well:
J config.
Family pooling
Fly ahead
Priority recognition
Consistantly but slyly bumping up the fares

Half baked:
Alliances
food (in air and on ground)
ife
anything to do with bookings
recognition of prior VFFs
included luggage
included F&B

I know that's not an exhaustive list, but the major issues as far as pax are concerned are largely sited in the Half Baked zone.

You missed some in the really well section:

Introduced New FF levels with significant benefits.
Increased Social Media Engagement (dipped on that for a while with respect to AFF but they were the trend setters in that area).
Made a profit
Started competition in the areas that never had it (like GLT where prior to their arrival a ROK-GLT-BNE flight cost $200 more to catch at GLT than at ROK).

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

You missed some in the really well section:

Introduced New FF levels with significant benefits.
Increased Social Media Engagement (dipped on that for a while with respect to AFF but they were the trend setters in that area).
Made a profit
Started competition in the areas that never had it (like GLT where prior to their arrival a ROK-GLT-BNE flight cost $200 more to catch at GLT than at ROK).

I was betting myself markis10, that you'd be along shortly......except my bet was you'd list a certain ATR in the really well section!

With your suggestions, agree with the first, disagree with the second (social media helps them more then us and of late the answers are usually..."can't or won't answer"), I do have profit already there with increased fares (not the same, I agree, but weighs in) and I disagree with the last one as competition had already begun into GLT and VA possibly assisted sending that competition to the wall.

 

[markis10]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

I disagree with the last one as competition had already begun into GLT and VA possibly assisted sending that competition to the wall.

How so, a number of airlines had been and gone into GLT previously, when VA started there was only Qantas, Strategic lasted April to August 2011, VA started October. It was QF activity that prompted them to make their ACCC complaint about anti competitive behaviour, VA were not named.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Re: Full Service [F&B] for Flights over 2.45 hours from APRIL

How so, a number of airlines had been and gone into GLT previously, when VA started there was only Qantas, Strategic lasted April to August 2011, VA started October. It was QF activity that prompted them to make their ACCC complaint about anti competitive behaviour, VA were not named.

I didn't say VA caused Strategic to go to the wall, I simply said they possibly assisted. The VA announcement had been made before Stategic went and it was Stategic who recently brought fares down into GLT, not VA. As for VA starting competition, my take on that is yes and no. Where they may have added competition into some destinations (GLT is one) they removed competition from others at the low cost end. TT isn't wide spread competition for JQ, that was DJ. With DJ moving their product upmarket to VA, they've left no competition at the budget end in many destinations and JQ has naturally raised their fares to suit! Simply saying VA has added competition is not the full story.