VA wishlist. Time for.....

[rocket47]

I agree, although I don't do anything like the flights you do. I have managed to save points though, have nearly 600,000 and that is likely to grow by next year when I want to take my kids to Disneyland... I'd really like to do First Class MEL-LAX on the A380 then come back from SFO on the 747-400 via SYD. Obviously will either buy LAX-SFO or use my meagre Velocity points to travel on Virgin America... preference would be to use AA, anyway, it's an equivalent of MEL-SYD or less so don't really care.
Been weighing up the long sectors. A travel agent friend of mine said don't waste points on P Class as other than a bigger chair and better meals (as meat isn't cut a la carte anymore, etc because of security (knives) so a bit of the mystique is gone, Business is really what First used to be many years ago.
Whatever, wondering whether we'd be better to do a Classic Reward or Any Seat Reward as Any Seat earns SC and points???
I want to be able to turn up a the airport and know we're in Business or First, I don't want to be waiting to see if we get upgraded, taking a chance.
Any advice on the best way to do this, while getting something back (SC).

 

[flybynight]

It's what keeps me young!!

 

[flybynight]

I see a lot of people agonising over options and end up being disappointed anyway. All I can say is go for it and as the Advertisement says " just do it".
Been maybe 4 or 5 times in first to USA with my wife and we loved the 747's because we would take centre seats and could talk.
Love the A380. Great plane but the compartments are very private which we didn't like so much. My wife did invite me to join her for a 7 course degustation meal with matching wines as each compartment had a guest seat.
I'm more of an economy/business person but first is really nice to indulge. I'd rather spend my money in a swanky hotel when I get there. Flights still take the same amount of time no matter where you sit!!

 

[24601]

might seem minor but scream that there was no attention to detail

Speaking of which, this is a thread about how VA could be improved; think there are other areas on AFF for advice on flights etc

I like the VA lounges, but spirits could be a welcome addition.

 

[Mattg]

I just wish that I didn't have to explain to the check-in agent what Virgin Australia/Velocity is, then 2 weeks later do a missing points claim... every single time I fly on a partner airline!

 

[Thomasa]

The Virgin Website is frustrating for Velocity members. It seems you have to put in your Velocity number almost every time you change screens. As well, the seat selection page is misleading: it should simply ask you to confirm your request and that is that. Instead, it suggests that you have changed your booking and/or may have to pay a fee (you don't, but still..)

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Airlines and Innovation don't really belong in the same sentence...

Kind of like the headline I saw today "American Airlines launches new, innovative premium economy cabin".

There is a long laundry list of simple changes VA could make to increase revenue, to stop annoying customers/make a smoother experience, to earn more FF points into the ecosystem, to charge more to customers, to increase margins AND have customers love it in the process, to foster new partnerships which stimulate new bookings, to capture the hearts of young FFers, to identify and exploit data opportunities and I could go on all night on ways money is being left on the table by VA.

But as Albert Einstein said: "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them".

 

[Cult of one]

Hey VA if you could make it easier to use my points for flights, have direct Mel-lax, get my points and sc from codeshares faster (it angers me to have to put in missing points claims and wait 4-6-8-10 weeks), lifetime status would be nice. Would love a phone app that mirrors the departure screens in the lounge to save me walking over to check on them while waiting.

things I love and want you to never change are fly ahead, staff that smile

 

[warbrook]

I don't travel with any airline very often, but I purchase fares for others (e.g. visitors to Oz) and, while I much prefer VA's extra baggage policy over Qantas's, the VA website is atrocious. It's so difficult and clumsy to navigate, to find bookings, to find ANYTHING!!! I've found that Virgin staff are good to deal with though, very helpful when I have to phone them to do things that can't be done on the totally inadequate website. The website is a flyers nightmare!

 

[juliusg]

In the two weeks since I started this post I've become more despondent about VA. Now I'm dreading a possible 737 substitution for my Sunday A330 Syd>Per flight in February. Today the Velocity website had a makeover and it is broken. The run of comments here and elsewhere are almost overwhelmingly negative. I suspect having three major airline shareholders is blocking a lot of decisions, and also note last February's media comments that Christopher Luxon (Air NZ) said 'get profitable' may be playing out.

That many of the comments here are on matters that should have been fixed, like the website, augers poorly.

C'mon V.A. .... give us something new!

 

[diablotaz]

I strongly agree on almost every point made here. Here's my list (repeating many previously mentioned):

1. Platinum is terminal: Yes, I secured renewal 4 months into the year and I've been wondering if it's worth going for status with QF given the amount of travel I'm doing. Virgin should offer lifetime Platinum as something worthwhile to shoot for.

2. Platinum is OK, but not great: The difference between Plat and Gold isn't that great. More benefits would make it worth the effort.

3. The Virgin website sucks: There are so many things wrong with it that have been mentioned before like doing multi-city or weird bookings, searching for economy and premium economy in one go, etc. So much room for improvement here.

4. The Virgin app sucks: Why do I have to log in every single time I use it? It's ridiculous. Just enable touch ID on iPhones or something simple. Also, every time I check it it asks me for my gender. I'm pretty sure you should know it after entering it 100 times no?

5. Consistency in airplanes (or a warning at least): I often fly to/from Perth and the plane you get is a gamble so it makes it hard to know if paying or upgrading to business is worth it. If I'm going to spend thousands of points in an upgrade I'd like to know if it's a new plane with the new business class or an old one without divided cabin.

There are so many things they could do.

 

[JohnK]

C'mon V.A. .... give us something new!

I would rather consistency in what they are providing....

 

[drewbles]

probably, but the Velocity bag tags have the airline name on them.

The non credit card FF cards have 'loyalty program of Virgin australia' printed prominently on the front. I don't use the CC function so cancelled the option and they sent me a regular card. Saves ambiguity when i'm on DL.

 

[24601]

The non credit card FF cards have 'loyalty program of Virgin australia' printed prominently on the front. I don't use the CC function so cancelled the option and they sent me a regular card. Saves ambiguity when i'm on DL.

That's a good tip, thanks. I think I'll do that too. Especially because I've also had "no that's just a credit card" at check in flying a partner airline.

 

[SuzieQ68]

All I want for Christmas is online check-in for overseas flights! SQ and so many other airlines can do it, why can't VA? So frustrating!!!

Also a +1 for Lifetime Status. Have stayed loyal to VA for a number of years, so wouldn't mind some of that loyalty being acknowledged......

 

[Pleb Status]

Now I'm dreading a possible 737 substitution for my Sunday A330 Syd>Per flight in February.

You should be fine as I have just noticed that my Sunday BNE-PER flight in early February has just been downgraded from a 332 to a 73H. They have at least changed my seat allocation as well from 10H to 3C which has softened the blow slightly.

 

[Chicken]

They are just a domestic airline to me. They don't fly anywhere. Not even to Europe.

Instead of code share with Singapore or Etihad, imagine if they fly to Hong Kong themselves, then off load us to Virgin Atlantic in Hong Kong.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Instead of code share with Singapore or Etihad, imagine if they fly to Hong Kong themselves, then off load us to Virgin Atlantic in Hong Kong.

Are you suggesting that would be a good thing or a bad thing? Remember that it wasn't too long ago that VS did that very option and it would appear they couldn't get it to work for themselves (although personally I'd love to have that option back).

 

[MarkD]

How about they work out who they are. At the moment they think they are an upmarket carrier. An upmarket carrier does not take 4 years to evolve and still not have a functional website. An upmarket carrier does not offer you a tiny biscuit or a cheese and crackers pack and call that a meal. Seriously getting disillusioned with VA and feel they really don't know what they want to be. To me they are still LCC with a PE seating section up the front (a handfull of Airbuses that don't fly anywhere except PER do not count so don't drag that J product into it as it is not indicative of the airline generally). Its embarrassing really, I feel for them, thinking they are a full service airline.

 

[justcallmeryan]

One simple request, surely not to difficult: Put the name of the airline on the frequent flyer cards.

++++++++1!