Veterans to receive Priority Boarding & "thank you for your service"

[Ausbt]

Veterans to get priority on Virgin flights

As the son and grandson of veterans, I hate this idea. Maybe the PB is ok, but some sort of announcement on-board would be just way over the top and smacks of that American-ness that I find a bit sickly. Of course I do respect those who serve, but I don't need this shoved down my throat.

 

[Pushka]

Veterans to get priority on Virgin flights

As the son and grandson of veterans, I hate this idea. Maybe the PB is ok, but some sort of announcement on-board would be just way over the top and smacks of that American-ness that I find a bit sickly. Of course I do respect those who serve, but I don't need this shoved down my throat.

I think it would be appropriate say the week of Anzac and Remembrance Day. But that’s it. Where do we stop?

 

[Denali]

I think it's appropriate for Nov 11th and Anzac day but after that it makes me uncomfortable because Americans are like sheep about their military and bleat off thanks like breathing. Do we really need to do it as well, give them a double digit discount instead.

Although many have done actions for us to be proud of or thankful for, we're not a militarised society and I like to keep it that way.

Edit. And yes, lounge access plus one as well if VA really wants to do something or it's all for publicity/what the average pax will hear.

 

[kermatu]

I suspect most veterans will not wear any pins or identify themselves as vets. Why would you want the attention? And would you want to board first (ahead of folk with small kids, or with mobility issues)?

Some kind of understated but meaningful recognition (lounge access, discounts etc) would be much better. You could still promote these. But then that would cost money....

 

[Antoallison]

As the wife of a Vietnam Vet, aunt of a Timor vet, daughter of a Battle of Britain vet and being ex Army nursing myself, I would cringe at the prospect of getting Priority Boarding ...
Can’t see the purpose of it anyway ..that plane’s not going to leave any earlier !

I would be more interested in a 5-10 % discount off airfares and perhaps even lounge access perks for the Vet and their spouse/carer.

Airline announcements - NO WAY... I believe DVA has 283,942 clients currently, that could be a lot of annoucements on board.

 

[samh004]

Ever so slowly Australia becomes America. Shouldn't be too much longer before we become their next 8 states and territories and then don't need to worry about ESTA's

More seriously, I was of the understanding that veterans already receive discounts, but then hadn't really looked into it. I think having access to certain discounts depending on their level of involvement, and even the gold star family thing would be appropriate... but none of this has anything to do with civilian business. Next we'll have active duty members turning up in uniform for op-up's and similar.

Like others in this thread, I think it would be appropriate to recognise them during ANZAC and Remembrance Day, and I think they should have access to discounts prior to booking, if VA/QF want to offer them, but as the pool gets bigger for priority boarding, it soon becomes a flight to CBR... and as you start to recognise more people on board, the FA may never stop talking as they recognise every partner and person

 

[kermatu]

More seriously, I was of the understanding that veterans already receive discounts, but then hadn't really looked into it.

I won't claim to be an expert on this, but my understanding is veterans receive DVA Cards (Gold, white, orange - maybe others) that entitle them to free or heavily discounted health services and/or pharmaceuticals. But these are Government provided (or reimbursed in the case of private medical practitioners) health services, not commercial products.

I gather what's contemplated by the Government is something a bit more formal where companies/businesses opt-in to provide guaranteed discounts to veterans. Government involvement would be limited (I hope) to just providing the certification that an individual is indeed a veteran. Some kind of Vets Card, not specific to health care.

 

[samh004]

I won't claim to be an expert on this, but my understanding is veterans receive DVA Cards (Gold, white, orange - maybe others) that entitle them to free or heavily discounted health services and/or pharmaceuticals.

That's probably what I was thinking of. In that case though, why reinvent the wheel when you can simple repurpose the existing cards – with different colours there can even be different levels of discount if businesses want to go down that path.

 

[kermatu]

I suspect the different colours represent different levels of entitlement based on qualifying conditions (eg, what service you actually gave, any specific medical conditions etc). I doubt that's wise to use for differing levels of commercial support.

But I agree it seems wasteful to create a new card. I've dealt with DVA from a work perspective in previous roles and nothing comes cheap in the DVA world I can assure you.

 

[juddles]

I suspect many people, after being in a combat zone, just want to forget.

 

[Pushka]

I won't claim to be an expert on this, but my understanding is veterans receive DVA Cards (Gold, white, orange - maybe others) that entitle them to free or heavily discounted health services and/or pharmaceuticals. But these are Government provided (or reimbursed in the case of private medical practitioners) health services, not commercial products.

I gather what's contemplated by the Government is something a bit more formal where companies/businesses opt-in to provide guaranteed discounts to veterans. Government involvement would be limited (I hope) to just providing the certification that an individual is indeed a veteran. Some kind of Vets Card, not specific to health care.

These benefits tend to only kick in when someone has had active war service so not all Veterans receive a high level of compensation. And you are speaking of the Gold card which is difficult to get although Dad did receive one as his Naval War Service (Korean War) on Aircraft carriers made him profoundly deaf and those stupid caps they wore on deck meant he was a mass of patchwork from years of having skin cancers removed, including loss of an ear.

He would have hated being acknowledged on the plane. As would my Grandfather as WW1 Vet; the latter didn’t apply for any medals because he figured if after seeing the battlefields of the Somme you still had to apply then the medals weren’t worth it. He never talked of the war to anyone and died in his early 50’s of heart issues from trench warfare and before I was born.

 

[JohnM]

B-b-b-but QF can't get PB right. How could they be expected to do this when it's something beyond their capability?

 

[samh004]

B-b-b-but QF can't get PB right. How could they be expected to do this when it's something beyond their capability?

QF haven't offered it, VA have.

 

[JohnM]

QF haven't offered it, VA have.

Correct. I should have been more explicit about it from this report (may be behind a paywall) that QF is under pressure to match it:Nocookies

 

[kermatu]

QF haven't offered it, VA have.

But if VA do, surely QF will 'respond' in some way.

 

[kermatu]

Correct. I should have been more explicit about it from this report (may be behind a paywall) that QF is under pressure to match it:Nocookies

Very sensible comments from Chester in that article.

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

Why not look at the possibility of giving passengers the opportunity of making a tax deductible donation to a suitable organisation in the booking process. Something that might lead to an actual benefit as opposed to an empty platitude said umpteen times a day.

This proposal just seems so empty and hollow to me.

 

[JohnM]

It runs the risk of being US-style where one almost feels that it's an assuaging guilt and/or is an overtly patriotic thing (plus they have enormous numbers of veterans) - or a virtue-signalling exercise where people don't think through the implications and our style before jumping in.

I've flown on some AA flights during the height of the Iraq war where the FAs would note the presence of military personnel in uniform and rouse a round of clapping for their service. A bit awkward; I sort of made hand-moving motions so as not to attract ire.

 

[Blinky]

As a grandson of a WWI veteran, I find this quite ridiculous. I thought VA would be above pointless gestures like this.

The way things are heading, frequent flyers will soon be last on after every type of “socially worthy” groups. “We would like to invite bike riders and vegans to board next.....”

Please note, I am not criticising veterans who I hold in high regard. Just stupid airline management.

 

[JohnM]

Next we'll have the easily offended needing to go first....