Virgin goodbye for now

[Oldmate1]

Hi everyone,

Wanted to share experience as a VA platinum I really enjoy VA domestic product but as someone who travels regularly overseas VA just became too problematic.

The good,
1. melb and bris lounges are great
2. Plenty of reward seats to VA destinations
3. Great staff and brand
4. Partners Singapore and united great airlines
5. Economy x for plat (although had my seat moved to non econ x several times without explanation)
6. Wifi availability is improving

Things that were a problem
1. Change to needing half status credits on VA marketed or operated as intl flyer backdated based on renewal date (poorly communicated and executed imho)
2. Navigating individual SQ and United partnerships and nuances (had mixed experiences with boarding lounges)
3. Recent Reduction in UA status credits recently got 20 status credits bne to sfo on a decent economy ticket (not full fare or flex)
4. Targeted bonus status credits promos that never were available to me
5. Dogs on planes (I have a dog)

Quick call to qantas and they gave gold if 200 status credits earned in 3 months plus access to qantas club for the interim period - which was a nice touch.

I will miss VA and I tried to stay loyal, but for now it was time to try something else.

I’m interested in others thoughs

 

[kpc]

The grass is not always greener.

 

[goldenhorn]

I totally agree with your assessment. My family live in Perth and I fly quite a few times a year from the East Coast to the West Coast but the change from status credits to flight spend is a major problem for me. While it’s quite possible I would spend $6000 a year flying back-and-forth to Perth I don’t want that to have to be the minimum requirement.

Although I’ve been Gold with virgin for the last couple of years and I have enjoyed the lounge and the premium boarding, I’ve made a switch to Qantas

While I haven’t flown QF much for a few years. I’ve managed to collect 140 status credits with the recent status on the ground promotion and some other small flights.

I’ve also booked my DSC status run OOL-MEL-AKL in J return for February and that will earn me 560 SC. So all going well, I’ll have the 700 SC to make Qantas Gold and say goodbye to virgin for good.

I will continue to collect velocity points. I like their availability and every trip I’ve done - one to 2 times a year to Asia - has been in SQ business class which I really like.

 

[AIRwin]

Things that were a problem
5. Dogs on planes (I have a dog)

Were? It's only been over a month on a limited number of flights...

 

[Human]

I'd be interested in the wider issue; in fact I just thought about this a couple of days ago.

• How many disaffected Qantas customers have abandoned Qantas for Virgin, and stayed with Virgin?
• How many disaffected Virgin customers have abandoned Virgin for Qantas, and stayed with Qantas?

My almost-totally-uninformed guess (but also based on quite a few informal discussions, not least with other AFFers) is that the first group is larger than the second, but that really is just a guess.

 

[goldenhorn]

I'd be interested in the wider issue; in fact I just thought about this a couple of days ago.

• How many disaffected Qantas customers have abandoned Qantas for Virgin, and stayed with Virgin?
• How many disaffected Virgin customers have abandoned Virgin for Qantas, and stayed with Qantas?

My almost-totally-uninformed guess (but also based on quite a few informal discussions, not least with other AFFers) is that the first group is larger than the second, but that really is just a guess.

I was the first group and abandoned QF while AJ was at the helm. Swore I’d never go back.

But new QF management, Virgin changes and the better international lounge network has seen me want to cross back to the dark side again,