Virgin code share stupidity

[munitalP]

My parents wanted to visit from NZ over Xmas. As we were going away, they decided that house sitting was in order and it suited me as it would save me $500 in cat boarding fees, so on that note, I purchased them flights across the ditch for December return January on Virgin. This was part of my "I am struggling to find reason to fly Qantas" trans tasman thing I had going on in my head.

Well today I found reason.

Let's wind the clock back a few months. My dad has alzheimer's which is progressing quite fast and it's a heart breaker - that aside, he had an episode that he need hospitalising for a few days while mum (who has fought cancer for a long time) was in hospital as well. His specialist said no to the holiday without question. Bummer - so the flights (ROT/SYD/ROT) got pushed out till mid Jan with some change fees - in fact, basically the cost of the original change flights in change fees - so now they were flying on low fare bucket high cost fares... that's the way the cookie crumbles - can't complain too loud as the travel agent who done the changes screwed up IMHO is in NZ.

Mum needs to use the bathroom frequently - something to do with the drugs etc. 3 days prior to taking the flight from ROT, they called VA to try and get seat selection as there was no ability to select seats online (my b/inlaw tried) and were handballed to NZ as the flight was NZ metal. NZ handballed them back to VA stating it was their problem to sort out. The 80 and 85 year olds got a bit flustered and thought they would sort it out at the airport - didn't happen and they ended up window middle with a young man sleeping in the aisle seat most of the way. Mum being typical older lady didn't want to wake the young man 3-4 times to get up to the loo, so spent an uncomfortable flight across the ditch on an A320.

Skip forward to this week. I rung VA Sunday night to request seat selection - it didn't happen. See the facebook feed below:
https://www.facebook.com/virginaustralia/posts/10151185289321990

Gordon Noble Virgin, can you please PM me as I am trying to seat select my parents international and there is basically NO information on the website let alone seat selection!
This is a NZ operated flight and the PNR does not work on the NZ site. Thanks


Virgin Australia Hi Gordon, thanks for getting in touch. It would be best to give our Guest Contact Centre a call on 13 67 89 as they have visibility of your booking.


Gordon Noble (are) they open now?


Virgin Australia Yes, our contact centre staff are available 24/7.


Gordon Noble (that's) ok if you are a premium VA guest such as I am, but my folks have zero status, so how long am I going to be on hold for?
Should I ring back and enter my V number for priority answering? (after being on hold for quite some time)


Virgin Australia Hi Gordon, if you are a Velocity member we encourage you to call our team on 13 18 75. The hours for our Velocity team can be found here:Contact Us | Velocity Frequent Flyer


Gordon Noble Virgin, no joy. Let me it put out there that you guys need to get your act together with access across code share airlines for seating arrangements etc. Your system is still firmly grasped by its low cost carrier roots, but you are now charging full service charges without providing simple services like seat selection. Your phone reps based in the outer reaches of north east Mongolia or wherever they are, what a joke, and before they make comment on what other carriers do and don't do, they should know the facts.


Virgin Australia Hi Gordon, thanks for getting back in touch with us. Can you please private message us with the details of your request, Velocity Membership number and contact information so we can get it followed up for you?


Gordon Noble Thanks for the offer Virgin, but I asked that yesterday and you didn't want to help then. Since that time the horse has bolted and there's no point in closing the barn doors now. Needless to say, look at my last name, the passenger manifest for SYD/ROT tomorrow and see if you can allocate Mrs. Noble (who needs access to the isle) an isle seat anywhere on the plane. If you can, thanks.


Virgin Australia Thanks for those details, Gordon. We have passed your request onto the Velocity team.


Gordon Noble So, in the end all this was nothing but lip service :| My parents checked onto the flight and given A-B. Un believable, they asked for an isle "anywhere" on the plane and were given a window. Shocking customer service - even on cheap cough Jetstar I could have guaranteed an isle. I am totally dismayed....

Am I asking too much here for seat selection? There's no request for a front row or anything else, just a simple request for 1 of the 54 isle seats on the AC.

The social media people - nothing. Phone people in outer reaches of north east Mongolia - nothing. Check in staff at SYD this morning - nothing.

 

[dfcatch]

Gordon,

It is this kind of failing that is keeping me from embracing VA.

I have two consecutive weeks of TT flights. I was going to do 1 QF return and 1 VA return.

But VA just makes it so difficult to achieve what I need (basic requests), that even the VA rep on the phone (lovely helpful lass) quietly but honestly suggested that I'd be better off just canceling and booking QF......

Which I did.

 

[serfty]

AirNZ have recently changed their seating philosophy, to the point where even NZ Airpoints elites have been bent over.

Their agents don't even know whats happening with seating on their flights and numbers, let alone for VA flight numbers.

I no longer expect anything from them so can no longer be disappointed.

 

[EuroFlyer]

My parents wanted to visit from NZ over Xmas. As we were going away, they decided that house sitting was in order and it suited me as it would save me $500 in cat boarding fees, so on that note, I purchased them flights across the ditch for December return January on Virgin. This was part of my "I am struggling to find reason to fly Qantas" trans tasman thing I had going on in my head.

Well today I found reason.

Let's wind the clock back a few months. My dad has alzheimer's which is progressing quite fast and it's a heart breaker - that aside, he had an episode that he need hospitalising for a few days while mum (who has fought cancer for a long time) was in hospital as well. His specialist said no to the holiday without question. Bummer - so the flights (ROT/SYD/ROT) got pushed out till mid Jan with some change fees - in fact, basically the cost of the original change flights in change fees - so now they were flying on low fare bucket high cost fares... that's the way the cookie crumbles - can't complain too loud as the travel agent who done the changes screwed up IMHO is in NZ.

Mum needs to use the bathroom frequently - something to do with the drugs etc. 3 days prior to taking the flight from ROT, they called VA to try and get seat selection as there was no ability to select seats online (my b/inlaw tried) and were handballed to NZ as the flight was NZ metal. NZ handballed them back to VA stating it was their problem to sort out. The 80 and 85 year olds got a bit flustered and thought they would sort it out at the airport - didn't happen and they ended up window middle with a young man sleeping in the aisle seat most of the way. Mum being typical older lady didn't want to wake the young man 3-4 times to get up to the loo, so spent an uncomfortable flight across the ditch on an A320.

Skip forward to this week. I rung VA Sunday night to request seat selection - it didn't happen. See the facebook feed below:
https://www.facebook.com/virginaustralia/posts/10151185289321990



Am I asking too much here for seat selection? There's no request for a front row or anything else, just a simple request for 1 of the 54 isle seats on the AC.

The social media people - nothing. Phone people in outer reaches of north east Mongolia - nothing. Check in staff at SYD this morning - nothing.

That's really poor if you ask me. Iv been trying to ask Velocity people a few questions lately and just keep getting "its the transfer to the new system" issues.
Again hate to hear about things like that, especially at the check in desk. Id gladly give up my site for a good reason like that.

 

[samh004]

Not entirely related, but haven't seen the VA rep around here lately? Though maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. Either way, a pretty colossal failure for a simple request.

 

[Fruitcake]

Until the Sabre cutover, the Virgin website used to say that seat selection wasn't available on DJ flight numbers operated by NZ. It's one of the reasons that I always booked with NZ.

Since the cutover, you are informed whilst booking a NZ operated codeshare (but before payment) that no seat selection is available until check-in.

Travel agency guides (not that anyone should expect munitalP or any other passenger to be familiar with these) also state that codeshares can't have seating pre-allocated.

So whilst the situation certainly needs improvement, at least Virgin aren't over-promising.

 

[Hvr]

It amazes me that the simplest requests are the hardest to resolve. This is a no-brainer and totally legitimate request.

Hopefully VA pull their finger out soon and resolve this.

 

[pat25d]

I actually think you are being a bit unreasonable.

If you take out all of the emotion your only issue is with the lack of Seat Selection which is fair enough.

You didn't show very much respect to the VA reps on FB (from what you have posted here) and also threw in an outrageous claim about their call centre being in Mongolia. You could have PM'd the Facebook team instead of posting and asking them to PM you, and you seem to want your non-status parents to be able to bypass the call centre waiting times by letting them use the Platinum call centre team.

I think it goes back to the old saying "You catch more flies with honey"...

 

[munitalP]

I actually think you are being a bit unreasonable.

If you take out all of the emotion your only issue is with the lack of Seat Selection which is fair enough.

You didn't show very much respect to the VA reps on FB (from what you have posted here) and also threw in an outrageous claim about their call centre being in Mongolia. You could have PM'd the Facebook team instead of posting and asking them to PM you, and you seem to want your non-status parents to be able to bypass the call centre waiting times by letting them use the Platinum call centre team.

I think it goes back to the old saying "You catch more flies with honey"...

Pat - I'm interested in where I disrespected the VA reps in your mind - please elaborate. I have also included a link to the facebook thread to collaborate what I said is uncensored etc. I have dealt many times on a 1 on 1 basis with the VA reps, QF reps and CX reps and their bosses, and their bosses bosses getting sponsorship for AFF events, prizes and guest speakers, so being disrespectful is low on my agenda.

I thought there were sufficient Please and Thank You used, there was no personal attack and the "Outer Reaches of North East Mongolia" was clearly a light hearted comment, after all, we all know the call centre is in some unpronounceable village in the Philippines don't we - or perhaps you didn't know - oh well, now you do.

 

[MH_fan]

I have also had problems with seat selection on VA code-share flights (on NZ metal). I keep getting turfed from one airline to another. I ring VA first (because, according to their site, VA elites get advance seat selection for TT flights) and they say they can't allocate seats because it's on NZ metal and they ask me to ring NZ. I ring NZ and they say they can't allocate seats because it's on a VA PNR and to ring VA to get the NZ PNR. I ring VA to get the NZ PNR and then ring NZ to only be told that they still can't allocate seats because, even though there is an NZ PNR, the original ticket was booked via VA. I ring VA, who say they still can't allocate seats but will leave a note on my reservation with the specific seat requests so that NZ will see the note at the time they start allocating seats for VA passengers!

My head is spinning!! After this experience, all future TT flights will be on QF (or LA) and not VA/NZ!

 

[samh004]

My head is spinning!! After this experience, all future TT flights will be on QF (or LA) and not VA/NZ!

Or not a codeshare... just book purely NZ or purely VA?

 

[MH_fan]

VA metal only has one flight a day and the time is not particularly convenient. I suppose I could consider NZ metal but I'll wait to see what the fall-out is from their latest elite seating "innovation" first.

 

[Anna]

After this experience, all future TT flights will be on QF (or LA) and not VA/NZ!

I was completely baffled by this until I realised that TT meant trans Tasman, not Tiger.

 

[lovestotravel]

Using FB as a way to get a result is both good and bad

Most times Virgin just don't read the question and/or try to get you to call them anyway, which you have stated you did and it was no help

If Virgin want to use Hawaiian, Air NZ, Etihad, Singapore, Delta etc to do all their long-haul flying (or most of it) then they need to get seat selection and all the other bits and pieces correct

As you said they are a LCC still that charges the same or more than the other carriers.

Yeh yeh give them time give them time, how many years do customers need to give VA before they get most things right ?

 

[tuapekastar]

A lousy experience for the OP and his parents, and you would reasonably expect something like this to be simple (and it should be).

But I suspect (and this is not excusing the situation) that given it is an exception to what is normally offered, and hence probably undocumented it may just be a very convoluted and manual process, involving co-operation from reps at both airlines who don't all know how to achieve the outcome, which is why it does not happen.

 

[777]

Yeh yeh give them time give them time, how many years do customers need to give VA before they get most things right ?

... for issues like this until the new booking system is fully implemented would seem to be the logical point.

I am with the OP on this though, it's totally ridiculous that no one could find a way around this.

 

[lovestotravel]

... for issues like this until the new booking system is fully implemented would seem to be the logical point.

I am with the OP on this though, it's totally ridiculous that no one could find a way around this.

Agree, but there is always something ...

 

[MH_fan]

... for issues like this until the new booking system is fully implemented would seem to be the logical point.

I am with the OP on this though, it's totally ridiculous that no one could find a way around this.

This is not just a problem with the new booking system. There were problems with seat allocations on code-share TT flights even before the change to Sabre.

 

[777]

This is not just a problem with the new booking system. There were problems with seat allocations on code-share TT flights even before the change to Sabre.

Yes, but the whole point of moving to a new booking system is to allow better integration with partners. So when the booking system is fully up and running *theoretically* problems like this should be solved.

I'll believe it when i see it but it is a problem that could not be solved without first changing the booking system.

 

[Pushka]

This is the same with VA bookings on SQ flights. And this is nothing to do with sabre. We struck this exact problem last year - the systems don't talk to each other. The Virgin rep said they dont even try anymore because in the past, peoples seats were actually cancelled when trying to use the SQ system. And of course, trying to get any sense from SQ didn't happen.