Webcheck and Bluecheck...does it help you, or them

[jad01]

I have abit of a gripe about Virgin Blue's Webcheck and Bluecheck advertising and the procedure at the airport.

I have seen billboards and other advertising as well as the email flight alert which maks two clear statements:
'Jump the queue'
"why not save time and use......."

Some airports like Coolangatta have a seperate queue for people who have used webcheck at home and they seem to call whoever is next in that line ahead of anyone else.
However, take Sydney or Melbourne which are considerably busy and arrive at a busy time and what you find is two queues.
One is for priority 'guests' on Corporate Plus fares, the other is for anyone and everyone else.
So after checking in at home I then stand in a queue mixed with families and others who have not checked in.
The end result is.........I havent jumped the queue nor saved myself any time at all as the promotional spin suggests.

They do have one desk marked 'web check bag drop' but their is no seperate queue to get to it....you have to get in the one and only queue.

I think that if Virgin Blue really wants to take it's business approach seriously, as not all business customers travel on their corprate plus fare.....then they need to address this.

It should be so that people like me who travel alot and are well organised can drop my bag off with ease, rather than stand in the queue with people who dont even know if they are in the right terminal.

I havent complained to them because I dont like the condecending reply like "we are really sorry you feel that way"....like it's me that's the problem.

and that's what really grinds my gears.......

JASON

 

[straitman]

I have abit of a gripe about Virgin Blue's Webcheck and Bluecheck advertising and the procedure at the airport.

I have seen billboards and other advertising as well as the email flight alert which maks two clear statements:
'Jump the queue'
"why not save time and use......."

Some airports like Coolangatta have a seperate queue for people who have used webcheck at home and they seem to call whoever is next in that line ahead of anyone else.
However, take Sydney or Melbourne which are considerably busy and arrive at a busy time and what you find is two queues.
One is for priority 'guests' on Corporate Plus fares, the other is for anyone and everyone else.
So after checking in at home I then stand in a queue mixed with families and others who have not checked in.
The end result is.........I havent jumped the queue nor saved myself any time at all as the promotional spin suggests.

They do have one desk marked 'web check bag drop' but their is no seperate queue to get to it....you have to get in the one and only queue.

I think that if Virgin Blue really wants to take it's business approach seriously, as not all business customers travel on their corprate plus fare.....then they need to address this.

It should be so that people like me who travel alot and are well organised can drop my bag off with ease, rather than stand in the queue with people who dont even know if they are in the right terminal.

I havent complained to them because I dont like the condecending reply like "we are really sorry you feel that way"....like it's me that's the problem.

and that's what really grinds my gears.......

JASON

Well said Jason,

This is one of the (business type) areas where they truely miss the market in my opinion.

 

[littl_flier]

It should be so that people like me who travel alot and are well organised can drop my bag off with ease, rather than stand in the queue with people who dont even know if they are in the right terminal.

JASON

Jason, I understand your frustrations completely and it probably is false advertising, but I doubt that there is much that will be done.

Even Qantas don't offer any benefit to those customers that have used OLCI. As with Virgin, everyone takes their boarding passes out of Quick Check and proceeds to the "Bad Drop."

As you mentioned, they have a premium check-in, and as with Qantas, I understand this is for their lounge and corporate plus customers (Business for QF). Like Joe Bloe travelling with work on Qantas with status below silver, its tough luck and face those huge lines at bag drop.

Good luck with your mission though. If they really wanted to become a formidable force against Qantas in the corporate market, they need to address this. :!:

 

[Mal]

A decent chunk of corporate customers do not check bags and just have carry on.

QuickCheck/BlueCheck/Webcheck/WhateverCheck is perfect for that type of passenger.

Agree it can be problematic at times if you have used the service and then have to still queue. But choosing your own seat and being able to move flights is actually quite handy to be able to do without needing to visit a staffer.

 

[wallacej]

Members of the lounge do not get priority bag drop treatment. We have to get in line with the rest of them.. I agree that they are not treating their regular business travellers right.

I don't want to pay a corp rate just to drop my bag off quicker, but I would expect that being a lounge member would/should entitle me to a quicker bag drop line.

 

[littl_flier]

I don't want to pay a corp rate just to drop my bag off quicker, but I would expect that being a lounge member would/should entitle me to a quicker bag drop line.

Agree completely, if they are serious about customer loyalty, particuarly amongst corporate customers, they should do what Qantas do and have the equivalent of a Qantas Club check-in lane.

 

[wallacej]

As you mentioned, they have a premium check-in, and as with Qantas, I understand this is for their lounge and corporate plus customers (Business for QF). Like Joe Bloe travelling with work on Qantas with status below silver, its tough luck and face those huge lines at bag drop.

Just to confirm, The Lounge members do not get to use the priority line. Based on the very few people that are in the Lounge at any one time (very few, and I visit 2-4 times a week) I don't think the priority line is going to be swamped by lounge members.

This small service shouldn't cost Virgin anything extra as a service, and in fact would probably encourage greater membership of the lounge... and once they start serving spirits I don't think I would bother flying with Qantas again... the price difference (for those of us with tight bosses, or are self employed) the price difference is too hard to ignore..... just enough flights with Qantas to keep my silver, the rest is with Virgin.

As a little tip, and you can do this until the start to recognise your face.... in Sydney go to the priority line. Simply show your card and play dumb. If they say anything, say that you are a lounge member.... isn't this part of the membership??? Of course they have put me through each time...
It doesn't work well in Melbourne as they normally have someone "Guarding" the entry and directing you to the appropriate line...

 

[agfox46]

I agree that Virgin needs to re-examine it's webcheck procedures. When we last travelled with them, my wife and I arrived at Tullamarine only to be informed that we couldn't use our home-generated boarding passes because '...we've been having a lot of problems with them.' I emailed Virgin on our return but never received a response
I have a similar gripe with Qantas, viz. why is it not possible to check-in online for international flights from Australia but possible to do so when flying from Japan to Australia, for example. I'm waiting on Qantas' response to my email

 

[roego]

Cannot comment on the local market, but Singapore Airlines do have a web check in.sometimes dedicated and sometimes it may be intergrated with business or first class check in..I know With SIA you can chhose your seat and even in cattle class choose a meal.
Hey I know a different area.but if it is 3 acroos there is only 4 armrests. similar 4 across 5.Who gets what?