What I would like Velocity to do in 2014.

[rtyuiop]

Actually, that's a really good point, atreides (I think you were the first to mention it!) - things that VFF have done really well in 2013:

Fly Ahead and priority boarding - both absolutely awesome.
Great staff at airports (call centres are hit and miss)
It may have been a bit of a pain to book, but I did a return EY J redemption in Sept/October which was great! It may have been better on SQ if the points and availability issues could be sorted (certainly the routing would have been better), but I really can't complain about the flights in general.

 

[quick_dry]

I'll echo everything that is said so far - though I don't know about some of the requests for Gold benefits to increase (e.g. comp upgrades) - I think since we're hearing more people on the fence about retaining/pushing for Plat or staying Gold, it shows Gold as the sweet spot and less of a driver to put more money into VA with a lesser perceived value of being WP.

my wishes:
- ability to combine revenue and redemption bookings onto 1 ticket e.g. SYD-AUH in Y (revenue), AUH-CDG in J (redemption)
- the Plat call centre staff are awesome, if they could handle partner redemption flights as well that would be even better. Whenever I've been shunted to the redemption call centre it has been frustrating.

 

[notzac]

...if they could handle partner redemption flights as well that would be even better. Whenever I've been shunted to the redemption call centre it has been frustrating.

I think that this would be resolved with a better IBE that could actually cope with partner redemptions (seeing as the Sabre IBE seems wholly incapable of it). It would also mean that we wouldn't need to call to do redemptions in the first place, as we'd be able to do them ourselves online .. something I've been hoping for since Sabre was rolled out and we all realised just how terrible the Sabre IBE was / is..

[size=-2]Yes, I know I'm preaching to the choir *and* that I've been ranting about this for some time, but VFF appears to be paying some attention to this thread.. [/size]

 

[Deleted member 29185]

A good thread and nice to see some excellent interaction from VFF.

As a DJ "oldboy" I've gone through the full gamut from the high hopes to dashed expectations with the VA morph. I think I've come to expect the lows pretty much 100% of the time and as such have been pleasantly surprised for much of it since then (in fact I recommend the grumpy old man expectation for making an ordinary experience seem pretty good). I'm also more likely to keep any future expectations low so with that in mind, all I'd like VA to do into 2014 is finish the job you started. Stop procrastinating with promises and media releases (where is the gastronomic delight due in the lounges and what did happen with the high flying menu and seat trials?) and just concentrate on that which has been committed to previously. (This thread should remind you that there are numerous items still outstanding)

Oh, one other thing.......remember that old Skyhooks song....."Ego is not a dirty word"? You don't? well I do. Just replace the word "ego" with the word "Sabre" and then prove it to us! Astound us with the intricacy and ability of the Sabre system. Go on, I dare you! Your challenge, should you care to accept it, is to take this jaded VA flyer and put a smile back on his face.......or not. Probably neither here nor there to me.

 

[MandM]

I'd really love the international call centre to be better. They are plain terrible; total lack of knowledge about, well, everything and even their customer service is ordinary at best. The plat line, on the other hand, is supurb.

 

[Kieran2274]

That's the thing with QF; other alliance partners treat their elites better than QF do. CX are well known for the excellent treatment of QF WP/WP1's, as are BA (I've only flown a handful of BA long haul flights, and received op-up on 2 of them!).

If the AFF posts below are any indication drewbles, you are definitely not alone in saying so.

I flew on CX to LHR in J two weeks ago and was treated very nicely as a OWE (it might be said better than when I travelled as a P1 on QF9 to LHR in J in Oct).

Having flown CX a lot as a WP it's hard to imagine how they could treat you any better on board than what they do already. Every Emerald they see as a potentially valuable repeat customer and treat so accordingly.

Cannot agree more. CX treats QF Platinum far better than QF does. Service is superior and more consistent.

I think it is telling that CX and BA, for example, have flatter Frequent Flyer programs than Qantas does (with its LTS, LTG, P1, CL sub-sets) with regards to treatment of OneWorld levels.

CX's own Marco Polo Club follows the OneWorld tiers pretty closely, with 'Diamond Plus' (a LTP/E grade). BA much the same, but with a CL style 'Premiere' and recently introduced lifetime sub-subsets. Qantas, with its P1 grade, has really split its previous open elite grade.

I therefore think it's not like CX or BA treat QFF Plats/Emeralds better than their own CX Diamonds/BA Golds, rather that they give QFF Platinums/P1s treatment like they give their own CX Diamonds/BA Golds (but, of course, give more redemption/op upgrade chances to their own membership bases).

Of course, given the competition on the Asia/Australia routes, it may just all come down to that they are willing to work harder to tempt you onto their metal more often lol. Either way, competition - whether it happens within an alliance or a network, or without - is something that always favours the flyer.

 

[Kieran2274]

Thank you for:
1. Great staff
2. Amazing J
3. Did I mention great staff?
4. Shopandearn
5. Agoda booking rewards.

Overall, I'm very happy with the shift to VA and look forward to another year of patronage!

Nicely said atreides - I find the Business cabin FAs great (I have flown DJ economy on the odd occasion in the past, but it's been a while, so I can't really comment on the Y FAs currently on VA). It's why I keep going back. Of course, on my handful of Qantas Domestic Business flights recently, I've got good FAs too (just not as consistently as I have on VA) [Slightly off-topic but my rate of great Qantas Business FAs on International flights is higher than on Domestic services - perhaps because Qantas are focussing a lot of their training on the International crews, given you spend more time with them].

Hard product is important, but I often find it's the human experience that greatly enhances (or not) how you feel about a flight, and what sticks with you. A friendly, happy crew tend to make for happy pax.

 

[Kieran2274]

One thing I should mention I quite like when flying VA, in the Business cabin, (even though I don't really benefit from it, due to wheelchair assist) is that they allow the Business cabin to clear first (when they have just the one airbridge connected) before inviting Economy guests to leave via the forward door. It gives people room to get their bags down and the like - avoiding rather cramped log-jamming (I had a pax on my Qantas flight the other day, who dropped my cane from the overhead bin onto my head, because she barely could swing around in the crush to safety pull down her bag).

I'm not sure, but I seem to remember Qantas used to do this, but doesn't do it any longer by the looks of it (certainly not on the 10 or so last flights I've had with them) on domestic services. Shame.

 

[TheCityLane]

Things I'd like to see improved are the website - especially the linking of the Velocity and Virgin websites which seem to operate completely independently of each other, and the ability to book on routes that involve using partner airlines completely online.

Things I've loved (and this was my first year flying Virgin) - the service on the phone, at the airport and in the plane, family pooling which enabled me to hit gold (and will enable to me to hit platinum in April) and the quality of the business class experience (granted I've only ever flown business on Virgin from MEL-PER and have no experience with any other airline's business offerings).

 

[smit0847]

- More differentiation between SG and WP (I think SG get too much and WP not enough). There's not enough motivation to strive for WP when SG is so good.
- Points upgrades from Saver fares (say, twice as many points required as upgrading from a Flexi). I know the reasoning behind only allowing from Flexis but I don't buy flexis because they don't represent value. I would be often tempted to upgrade my saver fare to J with points if given the option if it was a special occasion or I felt particularly hungry etc.
- Points upgrades available on all partner airlines.
- Award seat booking on partner airlines to be searchable and bookable online.
- Finish the MEL lounge.
- A330s to Asia.
- SCs on reward seats for a very short window each year (say, only for bookings made and flown within a 2 month window).
- VA/EY lounges in MEL and SYD intl finished and EY A380 to these cities.
- Either fix or get rid of the Shop and Earn website - its always been a joke and continues to be.

 

[maninblack]

Well I guess my 'wish' is really for Virgin as well as Velocity. (if there is a difference?) I would like to see a decent increase to the carry-on allowance for Business and WP passengers. 2 x 7kg seems reasonable.

 

[cssaus]

The OP started this thread with the title "What I would like Velocity to do in 2014" which I take as referring to the actual Virgin Airlines Frequent Flyer Scheme and not the actual services and offerings of the airline itself.

If I'm correct then there's an opportunity for a new thread "What I would like Virgin Airlines to do in 2014".

 

[JohnK]

Hence, as a reward to your most frequent travellers, how about allowing Platinum members to upgrade using points when flying on on a saver class ticket?

Good idea. In my experience the business cabin is mainly empty so that could be a good way to minimise FF point liability and at the same time make it look the business cabin is being utilised.

Global alliance and lifetime status recognition would be nice but cant see those happening anytime soon.

 

[grubbidok]

If I'm correct then there's an opportunity for a new thread "What I would like Virgin Airlines to do in 2014".

Ooh. Then my request on this one is far simpler. Bircher muesli in the lounge at breakfast! It's the only thing I truly miss from switching over from the QP.

Pretty happy with the direction VA are headed otherwise.

 

[Kieran2274]

Good idea. In my experience the business cabin is mainly empty so that could be a good way to minimise FF point liability and at the same time make it look the business cabin is bein utilised. Global alliance and lifetime status recognition would be nice but cant see those happening anytime soon.

Nooooooooo! Lol, I guess I could share the Business cabin :mrgreen:. While I frequently used to get services where I was the sole J pax, these have been less and less over the course of the year past. I thought UpgradeMe Bids was going to see the end of any spare seats in J, but it hasn't been so. The only time I always seem to have a full J cabin is on Coast to Coast services between MEL-PER.

 

[Intra]

Nooooooooo! Lol, I guess I could share the Business cabin :mrgreen:. While I frequently used to get services where I was the sole J pax, these have been less and less over the course of the year past. I thought UpgradeMe Bids was going to see the end of any spare seats in J, but it hasn't been so. The only time I always seem to have a full J cabin is on Coast to Coast services between MEL-PER.

Same here, always seem to flying in an empty J cabin - Yet it seems I'll be sharing tomorrow "my" J cabin on my Status Run OOL-SYD-MEL, both J cabins full/close to :shock: The return segments are empty/almost empty...

I'd be keen to spend abit more points for abit less cash as a WP for J Class seats as the need/desire arises

Only time will tell what, if anything, Velocity have up there sleeve this year...

 

[grubbidok]

Same here, always seem to flying in an empty J cabin - Yet it seems I'll be sharing tomorrow "my" J cabin on my Status Run OOL-SYD-MEL, both J cabins full/close to :shock: The return segments are empty/almost empty...

Oddly I've always found the leisure routes I've flown (SYD to OOL, MCY, MKY) have had full J while my SYD-BNE,MEL etc are always empty.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Good idea. In my experience the business cabin is mainly empty so that could be a good way to minimise FF point liability and at the same time make it look the business cabin is being utilised

I'm not sure I comprehend the VA logic with this. On one hand, they don't want to keep giving away J seats but on the other they don't want to fly a plane with 1 x J pax either. At least I'm assuming that would be the case.


Beginning of this week I flew BNE-POM. I tried to upgrade to J with both Plat comp. upgrades (forgot they're dom only) and points. Both attempts were declined (was on a saver fare). I was not offered an "UpgradeMe" option and the plane flew fairly well packed, except for J which had 1 pax. I was comfortable enough in row 3 (no shadows this flight), but surely the points upgrade would have made sense, even though it was only a saver? (J upgrade with points is not enough incentive to get me to pay the fare difference between saver and flexi).

 

[Intra]

Oddly I've always found the leisure routes I've flown (SYD to OOL, MCY, MKY) have had full J while my SYD-BNE,MEL etc are always empty.

My last flight out of MKY (MKY-BNE), Friday afternoon flight, had a full J cabin, all 8 seats taken on a 737.... No idea why, every other Friday flight I'd taken in past had an empty or one person in Me flying.... Maybe everyone wanted to get out of Heat for the weekend, weekend business meetings, mehen. You could tell at least one of the passengers had no idea what he was doing, Haha

Other than that sole flight, besides an almost full E190 BNE-CNS J Cabin late last year, its been very nice to enjoy J cabin to myself

 

[Kieran2274]

I'm not sure I comprehend the VA logic with this. On one hand, they don't want to keep giving away J seats but on the other they don't want to fly a plane with 1 x J pax either.

Revenue management is a dark art in the airline world, and if you happen to know anyone working in the area, it's mind-boggling the things they keep in mind. It all comes down to maximising the opportunities that you'll purchase a seat in the premium cabin, while keeping out a reasonable hope of op-up/points upgrade/etc for those frequent flyers on full paid Y. Saver (Rigid) fares keep airlines from paying more in fuel and sunk costs than it costs to run a scheduled transport, but have no real profit benefit (the margin is just too low) - hence why you are least likely to get a seat in the front on said fares. From what I understand, VA's CRM isn't fine-tuned enough to PEV (or PCV, if you want Qantas term) automatically and it really needs that finesse to start offering Saver upgrades to those pax who justify it (based on their PEV to VA).

There is a little benefit in not fully seating J, as it increases the pax's perceived value of the J cabin (more space, etc - or you think you earnt a shadow, rather than scored a random benefit lol). It also reduces wear and tear. Minor stuff, but if profit is on the margin giving a seat to a pax on Saver fare, it's one reason why this happens.