online booking system - what a clunky mess

It does make you wonder how many bookings are lost by people trying to use the clockwork booking system on the website.

I've been playing around with options this morning;

8/10 times I get "can't be processed, please ring" etc

other times, shows for certain dates "no flights", when there actually is, just not in the bucket I was searching for. (the default wording will likely make people look at other carriers..

An embarrassing state of affairs... v(

[Neil]

You know it, I know it, V-Flyers know it, heck even VS knows it. The new system that is being worked on can't come in soon enough.

I'm guessing the new system is part of the website rollout - any educated guesses on when it might be live (and working?)

Do we know whether the new system will offer 'book and upgrade' options? That would be a real step forward.

The clunkiness of the current one is pretty shocking sometimes. I found earlier this week that if you seach for reward flights and your dates are not possible, then even if you select dates on the calendar that are possible, the system falls over. v(

The IT department of Virgin is an embarrassment but their execs, heads of departments, all talk a good fight and would have you believe that it is a world class example.

Do we know whether the new system will offer 'book and upgrade' options? That would be a real step forward.

The clunkiness of the current one is pretty shocking sometimes. I found earlier this week that if you seach for reward flights and your dates are not possible, then even if you select dates on the calendar that are possible, the system falls over. v(

Yes I've had this before yet if you redo your search with a valid date (given from the matrix) it allows it to proceed.

VS are aware of this as they have been told about on the FB page.

I think someone needs to kidnap Steve Ridgeway and set him ten tasks to complete using the VS website and he can only be released when they are complete.

Me thinks he would take some time to do even basic things!

Let's just hope that when the new booking engine is released, it is not implemented in the manner of Virgin America (see here)!

The IT department of Virgin is an embarrassment but their execs, heads of departments, all talk a good fight and would have you believe that it is a world class example.

I'd qualify that myself having known some people who have worked in VS IT, it's not necessarily the IT department itself, but reported more that management of VS operates a 'Tesco-like' approach to IT, underfund, over commit, and squeeze unrealistic dates

Let's just hope that when the new booking engine is released, it is not implemented in the manner of Virgin America (see here)!

Wow, what a mess that was !

David

[mitchja]

I also just hope VS also don't follow Virgin Holidays as their new system + website is a complete an utter mess and really is a step backwards compared to what they had before.

I'm completely fed up with the website now.

Key issues i've experienced:

- Speed - immensely slow to access bookings. Not just at home, but trying to access from work or elsewhere on a variety of PC's.

- Inconsistencies with booking system - as NH has experienced, errors to call, "no flights" and speed.

- Pages not loading, sometimes only part of the screen loads.

Can't wait for the new website to be finished!! I hope the fact they are taking so long to rollout means they will complete thorough UAT prior to going live.

ooo, I've found something, right ok lets select it and get the flight details etc....

Ooops, we're sorry our website is shite, if you could bothered to ring and wait 20 mins for a rep, we might be able to get that extra info you require, in the meantime, feel free to give up and look at our competitors websites..

ooo, I've found something, right ok lets select it and get the flight details etc....

Ooops, we're sorry our website is shite, if you could bothered to ring and wait 20 mins for a rep, we might be able to get that extra info you require, in the meantime, feel free to give up and look at our competitors websites..

Great translation there NH y) y) y)

I know it's a work in progress, but I'm bemused as to whether VS actually performed any usability design on the new site - for example finding the UC sale fares in the special offers section ... much more mysterious than previously.

The booking engine of the current website is a complete mess agreed. I had an interesting one a few weeks ago when I had a situation where only a couple of seats were left on a flight, I bought one, then went to buy another and the pricing was changing all over the place the more I seemed to check. Even within the same 15min period, a jump of up to £100 on a Y seat. Interestingly, I logged out as me and logged in as my partner who is just FC Red and boom! the price was back down £100 less. Tried to snap it up and got all the way through to trying to purchase and the site fell over. Grrrrrrrrr, most annoying. I understand that it holds a session and therefore sometimes a price, but when I called customer services to find out what was going on, he explained that even him looking at the flight I wanted was holding one price and subsequently when I then looked at it while we were both on the phone, it was even higher. I got him to "unhold" the fare and then I logged in to purchase for fear of it getting any higher due to there only being about 3 seats left. Guess what??? Next day, back at the lowest fare again. Mega annoying.

Scruick -

I've noticed this too - can be very unnerving to find a price you're happy with, only to find it's all changed in the time you've gone to make a cup of coffee. For it all to change again within a very short time. Yep, get very frustrated at the site too - it always starts with the fact that it takes so long to load in the first place.

I'd welcome an upgrade to the site, but am sceptical that it would work properly. I'm sure the IT folk here will know why this is, but it seems to me that new and improved sites never seem to measure up - even if they've had usability testing.

Would paper and pen work better?!

its not only VS where this happens, I also see this on other travel websites

its Dynamic pricing, yield management, or simply supply & demand. The systems see multiple queries for flights/hotels or whatever within a short space of time, and adjusts the price accordingly, especially with flights as it may mean jumping to the next higher fare bucket.

clearing cookies often helps

Recently, I've had cause to look at the booking engnes on AA and BA, plus travel websites like Expedia and Opodo....

Really, VS booking engine is in the dark ages, and I'm convinced must loose customers...

Come on VS - break the mould and get it right!!!!

To be honest, I have more or less given up on the online tool and phone instead - but that experience is somewhat variable as well...

Oh well........

NH - that "error message" you came up with made me laugh out loud (and I'm in the office!!)

its not only VS where this happens, I also see this on other travel websites

And I can't see how adding additional fare codes is going to help this ...

The virgin holidays website is a joke in January 2012 I was looking at booking a holiday for 2 adults and 1 child for 28 nights for January 2013. I manage to find the details and it was offering a 10% discount which is good as I am a member of the virgin holidays frequent flyer and am entitled to the same discount over the phone. However on trying to complete the booking the discount is being added onto the total holiday cost minus 1p. Thought I was going mad so rang them to be given a totally different price! I dont think anyone knows the prices. I have now been to the high street co op travel agent who beat the price that virgin were quoting and its still booked with virgin. What is the point of them offering me discount or offering the 10% saving when i can get a bigger saving on the high street? Also noticed that this new website does not give you a full breakdown of costing!

They should take a look at Air France's website and communication abilities. It is world class.

Booking, and indeed Change of Booking are easy and logical to see, with really clear graphics/ information on your flight and connections.

Communication is exemplary: On my most recent flight I got email alerts 5 hours ahead of departure, that the flight was 2hrs delayed, which was great to gain extra time in the city. On arrival at the airport we got vouchers for food/drink without asking, and on landing in Paris, there was an email apologising for the lateness, and gifting 2750 miles into my account for the inconvenience. Amazing.

[mitchja]

Also noticed that this new website does not give you a full breakdown of costing!

This really does annoy me about V Hols and I'm sure they aren't supposed to be doing this ?| It's another way of hiding costs and supplements.

It's not just the website either, it's also down to the back-end reservation system that VS use. I don't know what VS use but I don't think it's a standard 'off-the-shelf' package such as Amadeus that airlines like BMI and BA use which has online booking change/fare refunding built into it as standard.

Also worth remembering that if and when VS ever join an alliance, the first thing they will have to do is start using the same reservation system as the other airlines in that alliance.

The Avios site is also steam driven.
I've been trying to spend 100k Avios on a trip to USA but every time I try to do a Business Class search it bombs out...not bad for a new start-up site .... not!.

Also worth remembering that if and when VS ever join an alliance, the first thing they will have to do is start using the same reservation system as the other airlines in that alliance.

:0 having read the flyertalk thread about Virgin America, the thought of that is pretty terrifying...