Velocity/Virgin websites are RUBBISH

[eastwest101]

Oh, one more issue I would like to see addressed - apparently the call centre (or at least the international awards section) isn't allowed to email customers, which given the issues with website bookings is absolutely infuriating, and seems designed to allow typos and other errors...

Have added it to "the list" - which is also now a Blog Entry as that allows be to update/edit it. Let me know if there are others that aren't on there yet or if you cannot see the blog located here:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....865-velocity-virgin-websites-are-rubbish.html

 

[rtyuiop]

Excellent idea - blog post not showing up for me though!

 

[totd]

Same for me. I just get:

Invalid Blog specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

 

[eastwest101]

Same for me. I just get:

Invalid Blog specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

Sorry - am new to blogs on this site - if you go to the "Members Blog" tab at the top of AFF - can you see my blog there? I just changed the settings to be public and open so that everyone can see it, unless its awaiting moderation perhaps?

Keep on adding comments to this thread if you are still wanting to report/update VA & Velocity website problems (or things that have been fixed recently).

 

[eastwest101]

Depends on which GDS the TA's are using - the TA that I use told me that he was using Amadeus for their VA bookings.

For the information of others that have a lot of corporate TA booked travel - I just found a reference on my last itinerary to Stress-free travel from TripCase travel app with free flight alerts in my booking, will try to establish a tripcase account and see whats already in there, allegedly tripcase.com is fully integrated with Sabre - so should work for VA flyers. Will report back.

 

[totd]

Nope. Still Shows eastwest101 has no blog entries to display. On the up side I did use the opportunity to subscribe.


One other thing that I would love to bring to the attention of VA is the lack of alternative food options. I know that this has *nothing* to do with Sabre, which is why I haven't mentioned it before. I am, however, not alone in this issue. see:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ty/va-domestic-gluten-free-options-39628.html

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....iness-class-catering-38257-89.html#post780495

fwiw: I'm in the CBR lounge surrounded by people enjoying the catering... But the only thing Virgin have for me is a pile of apples and a jar of rice cakes.

 

[hummel]

While on the topic of Sabre... when/is Virgin going full service? Sometime the price difference between QF and VA is hardly noticeable and I know I'll get a cookie on QF..

 

[eastwest101]

Nope. Still Shows eastwest101 has no blog entries to display. On the up side I did use the opportunity to subscribe.


One other thing that I would love to bring to the attention of VA is the lack of alternative food options. I know that this has *nothing* to do with Sabre, which is why I haven't mentioned it before. I am, however, not alone in this issue. see:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ty/va-domestic-gluten-free-options-39628.html

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....iness-class-catering-38257-89.html#post780495

fwiw: I'm in the CBR lounge surrounded by people enjoying the catering... But the only thing Virgin have for me is a pile of apples and a jar of rice cakes.

Good point - have added GF and other meal options to the Virgin Booking part of the list, I assume it does not exist yet or is unreliable?

 

[eastwest101]

Nope. Still Shows eastwest101 has no blog entries to display. On the up side I did use the opportunity to subscribe.

Try again now someone - it had defaulted to Draft Blog not a published Blog so may be visible now from the Member Blogs tab now.

 

[rtyuiop]

Try again now someone - it had defaulted to Draft Blog not a published Blog so may be visible now from the Member Blogs tab now.

No joy so far here I'm afraid! Mind you, I've never really spent much time looking at the blogs part of the site, so maybe I'm looking in the wrong place?

 

[Fruitcake]

While on the topic of Sabre... when/is Virgin going full service? Sometime the price difference between QF and VA is hardly noticeable and I know I'll get a cookie on QF..

Well, as a starting point, flights longer than 2.75 hrs get complimentary food and beverage on all fares "from April." Not sure which end of April that will be though.

 

[hummel]

Well, as a starting point, flights longer than 2.75 hrs get complimentary food and beverage on all fares "from April." Not sure which end of April that will be though.

Should be for all flights really if they want to take it to QF. Ok for those that have status with lounge access but not good for attracting new customers.

 

[totd]

Good point - have added GF and other meal options to the Virgin Booking part of the list, I assume it does not exist yet or is unreliable?

http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/plan/special-needs-assistance/special-meals/

First line says it all:
"For Guests with Different Dietary Needs (International Long Haul Flights Only)"

The virgin position seems to be, for domestic or int'l short, you can figure it out yourselves. (Subtext: and stop being so difficult...)

 

[eastwest101]

Try again now someone - it had defaulted to Draft Blog not a published Blog so may be visible now from the Member Blogs tab now.

Looks like Blogs section is either stuck in moderation or somehow not viewable by anyone else, pretty much the opposite of what I thought a Blog entry would accomplish, so here is the updated laundry list of VA/Velocity Website bugs to fix (as of this morning).



Whoever does communicate with Virgin about the Sabre transition – please take the following list of problems with them – gathered from trawling the numerous AFF complaint threads. I have kept this up to date as of the 25th March as it appears that some problems are being rectified so it is a "moveable feast".

Corporate Communication:

• Whilst having done a sterling job of hiding/burying all the Website/Sabre/IT problems so that its not in the mainstream press, the official company rep has gone totally AWOL
• Complaints to Virgin about a lot of the following issues are never answered by phone, email, mail etc or if they are - they are answered on an "ad hoc" basis.

Virgin Website:

• “double charging” of peoples credit cards seems to have been fixed (mostly)
• Repetitious data entry/multiple prompts to log in again
• Is it possible to book JASA or YASA using velocity points (genuine question as I have not tried yet)
• Sale fares advertised but unable to be booked on website (potential bait & switch legal issue)
• Seat selection and allocation only at time of booking (hey 1986 called – they want their seat selection process back)
• Manage my booking broken for some (FF# and VA ref nos cannot locate confirmed bookings)
• In bookings with flight calendar view prices bear no relation to actual prices (potential bait & switch legal issue)
• Mobile check-in also reportedly unreliable/broken
• Web check-in OLCI works at T-48hrs for most passengers but not some
• Award flight booking process unreliable/unavailable online, especially partner and mulitsector awards
• Fare rules links are broken so customers cannot see fare rules (may be fixed now)
• Many overseas destination not loaded at all and unable to be booked
• Seat selection issue with Velocity Plats/Golds when travelling with no/low status companions
• Seat selection issue with reports of Gold & Plats being unable to select seats
• Seat selection issue with no status passengers placed in 3B & 3E over-riding possible Plat shadows
• Manual intervention or possible automatic seat allocation results in aircraft with all Y pax jammed into the centre of the aircraft
• Seat selection and seat allocations on A332 and E190 flights unreliable
• VA International seat plans with ATR72, E190 & B737 aircraft appearing
• In Manage my Booking or at time of booking suggest new "tickboxes" for special meals such as Vegetarian, Gluten Free meals etc
• External websites able to see & book nearly all VA sectors but not the VA web site
• The Ethiad website that was transitioned to Sabre after the Virgin transition is already more reliable and useable than the Virgin website

Velocity Website

• As per the Virgin Website but with the following additions
• Multiple prompts and re-prompts to login/book/redeem points
• Incorrect/inaccurate SC balances and point earning – points credited not matching fare classes
• SC and points all being credited manually (for pre-sabre boookings and flights not crediting within 72 hours)
• Retro points claim tool totally unserviceable/unreliable for some but working for others (may be getting fixed at the moment)
• Family pooling function unreliable/broken for some but not for others
• Some airline partner flight SC and points earning & crediting faster and more correctly than Virgin flights, others not crediting correctly or at all.
• Earning fare classes booked through external sites are not crediting to Velocity

At the Airport:

• Self check in kiosks unable to find confirmed reservations by either VFF or Booking nos
• Check-in staff unable to see accurate actual flight departure and arrival times
• Confirmed seat selection at time of booking not honoured at the airport
• Rare operational upgrades from Y to J given and then revoked at the gate

Call Centres:

• Totally overwhelmed and unable to assist customers due to IT/Sabre problems and previously online functions now being broken/unavailable thus increasing wait times for all phone customers
• Insufficient training or familiarity with Sabre
• Reports of Velocity Awards call centre staff being unable to email customers information or itineraries/etickets after booking award flights
• Call centre staff offering vouchers instead of cash refunds when valid refundable tickets are cancelled
• Call centre staff going through security questions before telling customers that they are unable to select seats
• Call centre staff unable to make multi-sector award bookings in some cases
• Some refunds booked pre 14th Jan and then cancelled post 14th Jan are taking longer than 21 days to be processed
• Wages bill for call centres must have risen sharply to deal with all issues

Maybe give some general positive feedback about the Lounge staff helping out where they can, priority boarding still executed properly most of the time and the on-board service getting a bit more stretched than before the Sabre transition. We already have comments that the transition was rushed/implemented before they were ready and under resourced. I suspect that quite a few of these problems are really that the current web sites are not talking to Sabre at all or properly.

My advice to them would be, try to replicate and confirm all of the bugs first, then take anything that isn’t working properly off the web sites right now, then see what you are left with. Then draw up and prioritise an action plan of rebuilds/fixes. Then test all these fixes in a sandbox before letting them loose on the public. And communicate this process to all your passengers and your own staff.

 

[day-heg]

To reiterate what others have said, terrific effort Eastwest101!

 

[QF WP]

I have great admiration for eastwest101 for spending the time trawling though the previous threads, updating the list with known fixes (although there may have been some over the weekend as well). Now he's and all of you who have put in issues have made the bullets, now time for me to fire them.

I can see the Blog now, so hopefully it can continue to be a live document (either thre or here). Mods can always make changes to posts

 

[rtyuiop]

Lovely work eastwest101 !

 

[QF WP]

Okay, I have just had a 30+ min chat with my new Virgin contact.

I do have some initial news I can share. Virgin Frequent Flyer is back on-line from this week and you WILL see a significant uplift of communication. Virgin understand that they "dropped the ball" on the Corporate Communication and have made immediate steps to resurrect that position.

Yes, they are reading this and other threads on the Virgin Forum - so they know of this list compiled by eastwest101. As you can imagine, they need to take that away and assess them from the manpower (IT), cost and importance/urgency. They have agreed that they will be back to us with some estimated dates on some points by the end of the week, others may take longer to timeline but they will be shared. Some of them may have been fixed, or already be in the next fixes (generally done over the weekends).

We also spoke about increased involvement between AFF members and Virgin. We both have items to consider and these will be released down the track.

 

[Markmat]

That is a great list eastwest101. I think the communication with Lindsay Wilson is very positive but from the list collated by EastWest101 there is a lot of ground to cover.

 

[eastwest101]

That is a great list eastwest101. I think the communication with Lindsay Wilson is very positive but from the list collated by EastWest101 there is a lot of ground to cover.

Well I think we can thank Lindsay Wilson for taking the initiative and getting the attention of VA, as the recent posts indicate - we now know that someone with some clout in VA is aware of the issues and is communicating them. Some fixes to the web sites may be reasonably quick/urgent and others will take longer to get working - as a matter of fact - some of the things in the list have not been done by VA before (i.e. Vegetarian Mela/GF Meal selection online) so I expect will take quite a bit longer to do.

At the very least we will hopefully see more communication from the VA/Velocity team/rep even if the outcomes may not be as fast as we would like them to be.