Virgin Australia Saves the day

[esseeeayeenn]

You mean new customer.
There is a perception that there are better upgrade opportunities for QF statused customers tavelling on QF codeshares on EK hardware than on QF hardware.
The other is the Status Match.

I have had family members who are VA Gold getting no love at VA but subsequently love at QF and vica versa.

I think it happens more often that we know, and I suspect there is much behind the scenes, and other factors that are more important to the airline than passenger status that drive the particular decisions/behaviours of the airline.

I beg your pardon?

 

[Milboo]

Heaven forbid that someone could come here to have a little rant in frustration without having their story dissected to the minute and the usual VA bad/ QF posts. You see it frequently here and it puzzles me why people are so defensive of an airline (one way or another) as if it were a personal friend.

OP I feel for you on the traffic front. Sydney traffic has been horrific this week especially around the airport - my commute has been been averaging up to 3 times longer. I am only 15 mins from the airport and recently left home for a 7.30am flight at 6am and was straight to the gate for boarding.

 

[Quickstatus]

Heaven forbid that someone could come here to have a little rant in frustration without having their story dissected to the minute and the usual VA bad/ QF posts. You see it frequently here and it puzzles me why people are so defensive of an airline (one way or another) as if it were a personal friend.

OP I feel for you on the traffic front. Sydney traffic has been horrific this week especially around the airport - my commute has been been averaging up to 3 times longer. I am only 15 mins from the airport and recently left home for a 7.30am flight at 6am and was straight to the gate for boarding.

Duncan Gay (NSW roads minister) was talking on radio this morning about traffic around sydney airport and alluded to the "atrociously bad " Monday traffic that the Op was stuck in.

 

[Milboo]

Not meaning to divert the thread - the new road configuration seems to be the cause. If there is an issue on Southern Cross Drive/ M5 that is causing traffic to back up then it's impacting all the way back to the airport traffic trying to turn right on to General Holmes/ Joyce Drive. Those turning lanes back up and block access to the lanes for the traffic going straight through or turning left towards International.

This then means the entire airport loop comes to a stand still and therefore all the inbound routes grind to a halt.

I had about a 30 min wait for a taxi recently (evening arrival) as none were able to get into the rank. It then took us about 20 mins to get out of the airport.

 

[Quickstatus]

Not meaning to divert the thread - the new road configuration seems to be the cause. If there is an issue on Southern Cross Drive/ M5 that is causing traffic to back up then it's impacting all the way back to the airport traffic trying to turn right on to General Holmes/ Joyce Drive. Those turning lanes back up and block access to the lanes for the traffic going straight through or turning left towards International.

This then means the entire airport loop comes to a stand still and therefore all the inbound routes grind to a halt.

Duncan Gay and sydney airport is putting in a Government-Airport traffic committee with an aim to improve this situation.

I actually drive past Sydney Domestic to get to Syd Int. I don't drive via the southern Cross/M5 as suggested by the traffic signs

I had about a 30 min wait for a taxi recently (evening arrival) as none were able to get into the rank. It then took us about 20 mins to get out of the airport.

 

[serfty]

The VA flight in question departed at 0840. VA412 - flight aware says it departed on time.

...
So QF checkin had closed but the VA flight departed 40 minutes later so VA checkin not yet closed. ...

This is incorrect.

From a VA Domestic booking I have:

Checked bags? Please visit a bag drop counter with your boarding pass at least 45 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time.

Hmmm ... that would be check-in close at 7:55am ...OP still in T3 around that time ...

 

[Quickstatus]

This is incorrect.

From a VA Domestic booking I have:Hmmm ... that would be check-in close at 7:55am ...OP still in T3 around that time ...

That is correct but VA also says checkin closes 30 minutes before flight. My reading of it suggests that the at least 45 minute is a recommendation.

 

[serfty]

That is correct but VA also says checkin closes 30 minutes before flight. My reading of it suggests that the at least 45 minute is a recommendation.

So is Qantas' 45 minutes a "recommendation" too?

Anyway, we can go around in circles. In this case Qantas lost some business ...

It's unlikely to happen to me as I don't check luggage domestically and do use OLCI.

I am happy to be WP in both programs. But I do find most of my Oz domestic flights these days are on VA. For me they are generally cheaper and I get front row economy at time of booking.

Another differentiating thing came that up recently with the possibility of an FT event in Brisbane being moved forward in time a couple of hours. Those who had booked VA were had a distinct advantage over those who booked QF due to "fly ahead".

 

[Quickstatus]

So is Qantas' 45 minutes a "recommendation" too?

Anyway, we can go around in circles. In this case Qantas lost some business ...

It's unlikely to happen to me as I don't check luggage domestically and do use OLCI.

I am happy to be WP in both programs. But I do find most of my Oz domestic flights these days are on VA. For me they are generally cheaper and I get front row economy at time of booking.

Another differentiating thing came that up recently with the possibility of an FT event in Brisbane being moved forward in time a couple of hours. Those who had booked VA were had a distinct advantage over those who booked QF due to "fly ahead".

Yes similarly for us. VA DOM is a good service with as you say Row 3 commonly available. I do appreciate the competitive environment. Much better than the old days.

 

[OzEire]

I would be interested to hear of any other occasions on which an airline has bent over backwards to win the business of a non-customer.

Not quite the same scenario, as a QF WP and Velocity Red (in the process of building status - I've been double WP for a while now) flying VA I was delayed and asked VA if I could wait in the lounge as I have exceeded the SC required for PS but status reassessment has already taken 10+ days ? "No". Fair enough, rules are rules.

Went to QF J lounge, showed WP card and explained delay on VA "welcome in Mr OzEire, hope your day improves". An act that built substantial loyalty to QF, for the cost of a coffee and a croissant.

 

[DC3]

... Went to QF J lounge, showed WP card and explained delay on VA "welcome in Mr OzEire, hope your day improves". An act that built substantial loyalty to QF, for the cost of a coffee and a croissant.

Qantas saves the day.

 

[eric2011]

Qantas saves the day.

better start a new thread....wont get as many posts as vice versa

 

[DC3]

better start a new thread....wont get as many posts as vice versa

.... due to less complaints.