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.
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.