Reduced capacity between CBR and MEL?

[hdfb]

Hey guys, rarely fly VA and was given another reason to tonight. Firstly obligatory comment about cough website. Secondly, I booked myself on VA256 which departs 0835 on August 31 a few months ago, I checked my booking tonight and while my itinerary still lists VA256, it also lists VA 262 which departs at 1005. Obviously I can't take two CBR-MEL trips on the same day so close to each other, was really confused, so I called up Phillipines and asked what the deal was. Turned out VA256 no longer operates on Saturday! A real sucker for me - it was one of the few things they had a leg up over QF, a flight in between the ~0630 and ~1030 offerings of QF and VA, but now it's gone!

Anyway Filipino person on the phone told me it had been changed over a week ago, I had not received any updated email about it and told him I was quite unhappy about that.

I then did some investigating and I found out that VA has reduced direct services between CBR and MEL to only 3 services on Saturdays, departing 0635, 1005 and then 1700! Imagine having the 1005 flight cancelled and then being told to wait at CBR airport for 7 hours! And even on same weekdays, VA284 departing CBR at 1840 does not run every weekday, the last CBR-MEL service on VA is at 1700. There are 4 QF services after that!

Am I just really slow in these updates to the VA schedule, why the reduced number of services out of CBR after they were so proud of their new lounge? I thought they were trying to ramp up the fight to QF, but if anything this looks like they are backing down.

 

[Mak404matt]

Hey guys, rarely fly VA and was given another reason to tonight. Firstly obligatory comment about cough website. Secondly, I booked myself on VA256 which departs 0835 on August 31 a few months ago, I checked my booking tonight and while my itinerary still lists VA256, it also lists VA 262 which departs at 1005. Obviously I can't take two CBR-MEL trips on the same day so close to each other, was really confused, so I called up Phillipines and asked what the deal was. Turned out VA256 no longer operates on Saturday! A real sucker for me - it was one of the few things they had a leg up over QF, a flight in between the ~0630 and ~1030 offerings of QF and VA, but now it's gone!

Anyway Filipino person on the phone told me it had been changed over a week ago, I had not received any updated email about it and told him I was quite unhappy about that.

I then did some investigating and I found out that VA has reduced direct services between CBR and MEL to only 3 services on Saturdays, departing 0635, 1005 and then 1700! Imagine having the 1005 flight cancelled and then being told to wait at CBR airport for 7 hours! And even on same weekdays, VA284 departing CBR at 1840 does not run every weekday, the last CBR-MEL service on VA is at 1700. There are 4 QF services after that!

Am I just really slow in these updates to the VA schedule, why the reduced number of services out of CBR after they were so proud of their new lounge? I thought they were trying to ramp up the fight to QF, but if anything this looks like they are backing down.

You are usually informed of domestic flight changes 14 days out.

 

[Kiwi]

14 days notice would be nice. I got an email from VA overnight giving me 10 days notice. A substantial change. Will work to get it reversed.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Am I just really slow in these updates to the VA schedule, why the reduced number of services out of CBR after they were so proud of their new lounge? I thought they were trying to ramp up the fight to QF, but if anything this looks like they are backing down.

With the masses of seats they are inserting for transcon (A330) they have to find a way to keep the load factors and RPK at respectable levels...I suspect this is one such way.

 

[pauly7]

With the masses of seats they are inserting for transcon (A330) they have to find a way to keep the load factors and RPK at respectable levels...I suspect this is one such way.

Mmmm could be onto something there though I suspect the loads into CBR are winding down - Winter and end of parliament playing in as well, It's no secret CBR is a QF stronghold so you'd expect them to maintain their schedule more so than VA.

However a colleague recently had to fly VA trans con as QF was sold out.... Load was 46! On an A330 service. Said it was eerie - really quiet.

I would have thought VA would have junked a flight like that but I guess they needed the plane at the other end anyway. That kind of load has to hurt. (Probably just a one off I guess)

 

[Deleted member 29185]

You are usually informed of domestic flight changes 14 days out.

^^ This comment is what I've been told as well. Apparantly they don't like to tell of changes before that, just in case they make more!

It's pretty annoying in my view as we also need to make alternate arrangements when changes are made as the flight times are generally a major contributing factor in the initial purchase. The sooner we know of changes, the better chance we have of minimising adverse impacts. This concept is all about VA putting their embarrassment at an inability to supply the product sold ahead of their customers needs. Poor attitude in my mind.

 

[hdfb]

However a colleague recently had to fly VA trans con as QF was sold out.... Load was 46! On an A330 service. Said it was eerie - really quiet.

I would have thought VA would have junked a flight like that but I guess they needed the plane at the other end anyway. That kind of load has to hurt. (Probably just a one off I guess)

That is drastically low! Surely they should just discount those seats a bit if the load is that low.

 

[williamsf1]

That is drastically low! Surely they should just discount those seats a bit if the load is that low.

How low can they go ? $199 one way is very cheap!

 

[Mogul]

All my A330 flights from Syd to Perth have always been relatively full irrespective of what day of the week it is. Last Sunday would have been about 80% full in Y and the same in J.

 

[pwae]

I checked my booking tonight and while my itinerary still lists VA256, it also lists VA 262 which departs at 1005.

I noticed the same the other day after getting an email about a flight change (MEL->SYD). don't know whether that was because i 'accepted' the new sector change, but it had two listed, with one being noted as 'FLOWN' (the one i was no longer on).

 

[hdfb]

I noticed the same the other day after getting an email about a flight change (MEL->SYD). don't know whether that was because i 'accepted' the new sector change, but it had two listed, with one being noted as 'FLOWN' (the one i was no longer on).

Yes mine is shown as FLOWN as well for the flight that is no longer in service. Put in a complaint because I chose that flight specifically for the timing!

 

[esquire]

Flew A330 PER-BNE Tuesday lunch time - 3/27(Old EY bird) in J - all upgrades I was advised. Can't be good either.

But on topic of CBR-MEL - as someone who flew out of CBR a lot over the past 4 years I gave VA a wide berth in CBR as they were too difficult.

 

[hdfb]

My partner flew on VA277 yesterday and said the plane was about 20% full! :shock:

 

[lovestotravel]

Yep the MEL-CBR-MEL flight scheduling debacle is the main reason I refuse to fly Virgin domestically now.

They have been doing this for well over a year and I have been burnt again and again with Virgin with flight changes on this route.

They will schedule a flight, then cancel it and just give you the standard 14 days notice... Either that or change the flight times by an hour or so, which again is not acceptable

Out of many many Qantas flights I have yet to have a schedule change of more than 10 minutes, and that's one flight in 2 years....

They wonder why people can't rely on them and loads on the route are low. Well as the route is primarily business/corporate they do not deal with with flight cancellations/schedule changes

Qantas has been rock solid for me on this route and the new 738's and refurbished 717's will put VA further behind

 

[froggerADL]

Out of many many Qantas flights I have yet to have a schedule change of more than 10 minutes, and that's one flight in 2 years...

My QF flight ADL-SYD just got changed from 07:00 to 06:00 and that means I have to spend an extra hour in the SYD First Lounge. Such is life!

 

[TheInsider]

My QF flight ADL-SYD just got changed from 07:00 to 06:00 and that means I have to spend an extra hour in the SYD First Lounge. Such is life!

Changed or cancelled?

 

[Melburnian1]

esquire, what made VA 'difficult?'