Treatment on points seat vs revenue or just rude crew?

[nathrek]

Sucks that you had such a bad experience. You're right to be annoyed when you save up points for a trip like this. I know I'd be a very unhappy customer if I had a similar experience to what you've described.

I've never paid for an international business ticket, always been an upgrade from premium economy, and can't fault the service. Super attentive and happy to do what every you ask (within reason obviously) so it does sound like you just got a bad staff member. Hopefully you get to upgrade next time and have a better experience. The 20k points will at least help with that.

 

[serfty]

Hmmm ... aside from the seeming cut and paste response, the 20k points implies a significant behind the scenes follow up by VA.

Maybe @babysun was not the only PAX to complain about the service on this flight.

 

[babysun]

Sucks that you had such a bad experience. You're right to be annoyed when you save up points for a trip like this. I know I'd be a very unhappy customer if I had a similar experience to what you've described.

I've never paid for an international business ticket, always been an upgrade from premium economy, and can't fault the service. Super attentive and happy to do what every you ask (within reason obviously) so it does sound like you just got a bad staff member. Hopefully you get to upgrade next time and have a better experience. The 20k points will at least help with that.

Exactly!

99.9% of the time I travel with my kids who are mostly well behaved and have flown enough to know the ins & outs of the planes, airport immigration etc but you can never quite relax when you feel like you're sleeping with one eye open on them.

As for "next time" It's something I may never do again since grandparents minding the kids for 2 weeks AND award seat availability at the same time is a like finding a real life unicorn in your back yard having a beer with Santa. I was tagging along with my husband on a work trip/conference.

I am not so naive to think that the seat I was in or my status granted me the right to be treated like royalty but every time I fly I expect service in a very fundamental way. I (and I think VA too) would expect ALL guests flying in ALL cabins should be treated with a basic level of courtesy and respect. Crew also have the right to be treated respectfully by the passengers.

From the comments on this thread about how replies from VA are usually very generic maybe my complaint to VA will get back to crew management and some change might take place. I can only hope.

If I encounter this kind of treatment again I might be a bit braver and call it out on the spot. I definitely would've got more sleep if I had.

 

[JohnK]

Not Virgin but I've had substandard service from Qantas crew in business a few times after an op-up. One time even serving everyone before getting my drink order in row 1.

Just like the time in SQ economy where I was having a hard time getting a can of Coke Light you'll find bad crew everywhere. Some of us more than others.

 

[Fishfaxe]

Nothing helpful to add except that I've never seen VA cabin crew be anything other than mindblowingly charming. Almost every time I get off a long haul flight with them, I can barely believe how they find the energy to be that upbeat and unwaveringly polite.

 

[N860CR]

It is worth noting that VA customer care has been outsourced to the third world, which explains the poorly worded response you’ve received.

It is odd that they didn’t just send a template written by someone in Brisbane