Things Virgin Australia Does & Doesn’t Do Well

[aventhusiast31]

I am growing tired of these QQ Fokker 100's that serve sporadically on some VA east coast routes I take often. Both legs I knowingly booked these services due to timings, but these aircraft are really showing their age and lack of amenity on board!

 

[simmomelb]

I am growing tired of these QQ Fokker 100's that serve sporadically on some VA east coast routes I take often. Both legs I knowingly booked these services due to timings, but these aircraft are really showing their age and lack of amenity on board!

They won't be around too much longer.
The second Embraer E190-E2 just arrived and is already in service, with more on the way

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[ozstamps]

This simple matter was trumpeted 2½ years back as a 2 year project to complete. What a roll-out mess.

I refuse to book a Business class seat now as pax streaming to the loo on many flights is a huge devaluation to what was once a reasonably private section.

Has that cost them money - I bet it has.

Temu shower curtains, when they FINALLY figure out how to add them, after years of planning them, will not enhance the experience either. Race to the bottom.

 

[Bolter]

totally agree with codeshare pricing when it comes to SQ, most of the time i look its more expensive than booking directly with SQ

And Air Canada. Won't be spending $100s more just to chase SCs.

 

[Haplo]

If there was a choice of SQ gold and VA gold as a choice, most would take SQ gold. Outside Australia VA elite recognition is limited to a few airlines, and most of the time have to fight for it.

 

[simmomelb]

I definitely don't think this way if booking Qatar Airways, as I posted a few days ago; quite often, it's cheaper via VA than on the Qatar site. But the rest, yep, not great, usually.

 

[Scarlett]

After a couple of VA flights over the past week:

Well
- They were on time.

Not well
- Lounge offerings getting cheaper and cheaper. (why do half the VA lounges keep the juice behind the bar rather than having the dispensers out; bacon became sausages became ‘Tuscan beans’; PER had margarine instead of butter)
- Can someone let me know where in my VA profile I clearly have the ‘when seated in EconX please put the broadest shouldered person possible in the middle seat beside me’ selected? Or have they snuck a few mm off the seat width?
- 6 flights. Functional access to free WP wifi on two of them.

Flying in whY is not enjoyable on most short haul aircraft.

 

[Human]

- Can someone let me know where in my VA profile I clearly have the ‘when seated in EconX please put the broadest shouldered person possible in the middle seat beside me’ selected? Or have they snuck a few mm off the seat width?

I know that you know that this is not VA’s fault … apart from the fact that they choose to fly 737s rather than (slightly wider) A320s. Presumably this is to keep costs down; I assume that VA doesn’t have access to A320 pilots and training facilities that Qantas does.

- 6 flights. Functional access to free WP wifi on two of them.

Believe it or not, internet on VA was getting more reliable over the second half of last year (from a very low base). What now frustrates me more than anything is that the inflight internet’s IP address is now from outside Australia, preventing access to sites that geoblock access from overseas. Extremely frustrating.

 

[BCons]

Small thing. I know.. VA’s refitted 737s have a coat hanging ‘button’ in row 2 of business but not in the front row, and on several flights, where I for reasons of formality have rocked up with a jacket, there’s not even been an offer to hang it somewhere.. they squeezed out the old J/Y divider screen which at least used to have a few coat hangers.

 

[LionKing]

One thing Virgin Australia clearly failed: Lack of International Focus.
Not joining a major international alliance and inconsistent lounge access rules.
This will not work for the airline in the long term.

 

[ben95]

Not joining a major international alliance and inconsistent lounge access rules.
This will not work for the airline in the long term

Except plenty of airlines survive for ages without being in a major alliance or have extensive partner lounge networks. And not all of them are LCC.

Clearly it’s annoying and a weakness for Velocity the FFP, but I can’t see it being a big problem for the airline business itself, especially one that focuses on “value”.

 

[simmomelb]

One thing Virgin Australia clearly failed: Lack of International Focus.
Not joining a major international alliance and inconsistent lounge access rules.
This will not work for the airline in the long term.

No need to join one of the alliances, the cost of it is outrageous. Plenty of great airlines aren't in one of the alliances and survive perfectly well.
That doesn't stop Virgin Australia having a more consistent offering with it airline partners (lounge access), which they are well aware of as per interviews with Nick.

 

[HS-TQE]

One thing Virgin Australia clearly failed: Lack of International Focus.
Not joining a major international alliance and inconsistent lounge access rules.
This will not work for the airline in the long term.

Ansett tried that by joining Star Alliance. Didn't exactly gave them "guaranteed profit" but arguably made their operating costs worse considering their financial situation before their administration and subsequent liquidation.

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

Small thing. I know.. VA’s refitted 737s have a coat hanging ‘button’ in row 2 of business but not in the front row, and on several flights, where I for reasons of formality have rocked up with a jacket, there’s not even been an offer to hang it somewhere.. they squeezed out the old J/Y divider screen which at least used to have a few coat hangers.

Dress code standards have fallen so far in Australia that wearing a jacket is now unusual. Look at the slobs we have for MPs who show up to Parliament without even wearing a tie.