Lapsed VS flyers? Why?

I really don't think that lack of investment is the answer here. Yes, some of the aircraft are looking a tad dog eared. But that doesn't explain the downright rudeness of some of the staff, and the real sense that frequent fliers are just ignored.

Perhaps if they spent a little more time talking to the FFP community, they might not be losing so much money?

I really don't think that lack of investment is the answer here. Yes, some of the aircraft are looking a tad dog eared. But that doesn't explain the downright rudeness of some of the staff, and the real sense that frequent fliers are just ignored.

Perhaps if they spent a little more time talking to the FFP community, they might not be losing so much money?

A lack of investment doesn't just mean the aircraft - it means all of the systems that everything runs from in the background. A member of staff may appear as being rude to someone who is being rude to them, through sheer frustration of having to use cobbled together systems whilst having to listen to annoyed and frustrated passengers all day.

Maybe frequent fliers feel like they're being 'ignored', because the member of staff dealing with your query has no idea how much of a frequent flier you are until they access your Flying Club account, due to the lack of investment in a decent system.

We're talking about an airline here where miles aren't credited for a ticket you've bought, where you upgrade using your miles to a higher cabin. That should give some indication to how cranky and old the system is.

I really don't think that lack of investment is the answer here. Yes, some of the aircraft are looking a tad dog eared. But that doesn't explain the downright rudeness of some of the staff, and the real sense that frequent fliers are just ignored.

Perhaps if they spent a little more time talking to the FFP community, they might not be losing so much money?

I agree with what you say. A supposed customer-centric company should always listen to it's customers. And beyond the occasional xplane surveys, they should reach out by email to their FFs. Many of us are always eager to leave feedback.

But on the issue of the rude CC,while I wouldn't want that to happen to me, and I can't say how it would have made you feel, ocassionally I try for my own benefit to believe that people aren't generally rude and that someone who's been rude to me is just having a bad day. As for VS's response, it might just be them trying to protect one of their own from the consequences of what hopefully was a one off event and them not wanting to accept liability. Who knows?

I would advise that you always keep your options open and not write VS off totally as someone posted recently, the grass isn't always greener.

If only it were a 'one off' - they must be having a LOT of bad days!

I do pride myself on my manners; I really do go out of my way to be polite and courteous, particularly to people in the airline industry (since I work in the industry and have a very real idea of the cr*p so many customer service staff have to put up with). But some of the rudeness I have had from VS on my last five flights has been way beyond just a bit of grumpiness.

Is the grass always greener? Of course not. But on recent experience the VS side has no grass at all...

I still haven't worked out why Virgins web site is a mix of old and new after all this time. When did they relaunch the one new page?

My last flight with VS was Nov 2010. I have moved to the dark side. I still don't see what people see in the BA lounges, they aren't great and I'd rather be in Plane Food in T5 than the lounge. I prefer the layout of the UC cabin but that said, the ability to upgrade sale PE fares to CW are the main reason I now stick to BA and use my BAPP card for most of my purchases and collect Avios. I've also just used my companion voucher with no issues.

The CWLCY service really is the best way to get to NYC and back though, and VS just can't compete there.

I still have a load of VS miles and I hope to use them soon once I decide where to go. It'll be nice to use them again, I do miss sitting at the bar whilst on board.

[Scrooge]

Well for one, I do not fly nearly as much as I did even 5 years ago, so status is not a driving force for me.

What has driven me away from VS is the fuel surcharge, they have actually forced me on to US carriers, right at a time when DL/AA/UA are stepping up their game.

The big thing being, if I book a flight from the LAX to LHR the YQ surcharge is $ 904

However the YQ surcharge is booked from LHR to LAX is $567.

Now as I book the vast majority of my flights ex US, just why would I give my money to VS ?

Also of course, it should be noted, VS charges the fuel surcharge on reward flights, US carriers do not.

I usually fly 3 to 4 trips a year all from either MCO or JFK. I cant honestly say I can remember really bad service. i only carry hand luggage so generally avoid contact with ground staff. The CC from memory have all been very good, maybe the odd one lets things slip but overall they are the thing that kept me going back. I am another non-gold so lack of recognition isnt an issue ,although I have to admit being greeted by name in UC was nice....

the thing thats really starting to turn me off is the new bubble layout and use of 330s to MCO. one of the big things was being able to sit upstairs in peaceful surroundings AND be amongst the first to de-plane.not gonna happen anymore and also some of the reviews on the 330 arent exactly encouraging.

coupled with this I finally got qualified for a BA card over here (the Chase one) and have already hit the spending targets for the bonuses, which coupled with the amount spent means I have 125000 avios to blow. So I am going to take the plunge and try the LCY-JFK service, all the reviews are pretty good and while the pre clearance wont matter (taking the later flight and staying overnight in NYC)it will be an interesting experience. i am going to save the rest of the miles for a CW 241 trip when BA get the 380

so right now not a lapsed or deserter from VS but its getting closer sadly
what has turned

I'm a once/twice a year leisure traveller. I'm still with VS because I haven't seen anything to convince me that there's a better PE cabin (except Air NZ) flying the routes I wish to use.

BA frankly doesn't appeal, and the idea of paying £160 return for a seat reservation in club is laughable.

You don't pay for a seat reservation, it's a request. You still get to choose seats without charge at OLCI.

Given recent experience, these seat reservations are not worth it anyway, you seem to get moved regardless.

And, you don't pay if AG with BAEC.

You don't pay for a seat reservation, it's a request. You still get to choose seats without charge at OLCI.

Given recent experience, these seat reservations are not worth it anyway, you seem to get moved regardless.

And, you don't pay if AG with BAEC.

To be honest, I've got better things to do on my last day of holiday than be fretting about doing OLCI at exactly T-24 for fear of ending up with a rubbish seat. I also don't do enough flying to get anywhere near Silver on BA.

BA frankly doesn't appeal, and the idea of paying £160 return for a seat reservation in club is laughable.

remember the little loophole - if you have the Marco Polo gold card (free with AMEX Platinum) you're automatically Sapphire on One World which equates to BA Silver. Then, to get free seat reservations on BA just go to Finnair.com where you access your BA booking and swap out your BA FF number for the CX one. Then wait 5 mins and return to your booking on BA where you will be able to select seats for free. Then just go back to Finnair and swap your BA number back in - works a treat - do it all the time! Thanks Penny for the original tip

BA frankly doesn't appeal, and the idea of paying £160 return for a seat reservation in club is laughable.

remember the little loophole - if you have the Marco Polo gold card (free with AMEX Platinum) you're automatically Sapphire on One World which equates to BA Silver.

True, but £450 is a lot to pay for lounge access and seat reservations for an occasional flyer!

£450 is a lot to pay for lounge access and seat reservations for an occasional flyer!

Exactly.

£450 is a lot to pay for lounge access and seat reservations for an occasional flyer!

Exactly.

I couldn't agree more, thankfully though in my case it's the other key platinum benefits that matter for me, the seat reservation loophole is just that - a loophole Each year I tally up what my plat card's net 'worth' has been that year and the moment I see it's costing me I'll be rid of it. Certainly through 2012 it paid for itself big time, and that's with just one long haul hol and a few European jaunts.

Thanks
James

I think I have worked out where VS is failing. It's in their market focus.

I've been flying more and more over the last few years, from a pretty high base anyway. I now do a long haul return (usually DXB, more often CPT, JNB or DAR) at least twice monthly. All of this is in J (thank you, employer!)

Reading the VS Facebook page, I think they are now focused on giving people who are used to Thomas Cook, or easyJet, or even Ryanair a good experience - Upper seems to be focused on that one time special event.

For those of us who use them a lot - I just think we are off their radar. As a five year Au, I would expect someone to care that I have a complaint. They don't seem to. They won't respond to my emails, even tweets to Richard Branson go unanswered, or are routed back to the Facebook team - with the standard "we're sorry you don't like our offering' message.

If this company carries on like this, they are toast. No-one succeeded long term by ignoring regular customers.

Any suggestions who else I could write to? Steve Ridgeway??

I think your bang on the mark. I have just submitted 8 claims forms (covering 3 flights) for delay compensation following the recent legal decision. All delays (one over 24 hours) were all when I was gold and at the time I was simply fobbed off. In the end I just became fed up with having to pay for new onward connections or hotels because I couldn't rely on VS to get e there on time or compensate me if the didn't. I therefore take my business to ONE world when I need multi stops or the best price on the DXB run.

I don't know the ratio of VH customers to independent travellers but as you said I think they concentrate on the Virgin Holiday customers to the detriment of the regular flyers

[buns]

Thank you for reminding me of that tip James oo) oo)

buns

Hi Howard, Good topic and a valid question.

For us it really is quite simple, when we moved out of the UK initially to Russia we still travelled VS for vacation but BA to and from UK. The miles simply built up with BA, same when we moved to Serbia, hence BA got the last couple of long haul flights. Now we are in DXB the company favout EK for our biz flights and it is a simple of decision of best utilisation of points/miles. I have approx 270K VS miles to use simply through VS CC spend and zero tier points. I did look at VS for our next trip home in March with the family but VS were 2K GBP more expensive for the 4 of us to fly home in J, so EK got the business. For our family it is simply a price issue and best use of miles etc. Planning to blow the VS miles on our 10yr anniversary.

Iain

And to add my comments to this thread -

having flown with VA thru VH for about 7 years now, twice a year for the family holidays, and like all we love the virgin experience it cant be beaten. y)
however this year i thought i would have a dabble at a few other sites for our trip to cancun.

best two options were -

option 1 VA to cancun PE 10 nights 5 star hotel 4 people £7565
flights from jersey to gatwick with BA £365 for 4 people total £7930

option 2 BA to cancun CLUB 10 nights same hotel 4 people including jersey flights to gatwick £5475.

WOW i said as i almost choked on my coffee. £2455 difference. ?| ?|
im not defecting but at this price i had to book it and try it


regards jason

As an 18 yr regular on VS, I have now defected.
The final straw wast the 333.
Difficult to get the 744 on MAN/MCO and having experienced UC 333 on LHR/IAD (burning our remaining miles) I have booked CW for our next Florida trip.
Currently in the middle of an EK UK-New Zealand trip by A380 Business with an open jaw SYD-MEL.
Saved well over £1000 compared to VS/ANZ.

It's a different world with EK (trip report will come when I get home)

Better service, far far better suite, better food in-flight and in their lounges, gratis good hotel at DXB layover which results in much less jet lag, CDC at each end of every sector.
The A380 suite is so much larger - has plenty of good storage both above, the 2 large bins alongside the seat, wide slot alongside that you can easily get your hand into (unlike the knuckle scrapper VS A333), excellent IFE with nice camera options, the new A380 lounges at DXB are excellent and EK fly from my home airport: NCL.

If only they flew west as well as east.

VS is well and truly beaten on almost every aspect - and yet they still expect us to pay more for the "privilege". The choice eastbound is a complete no-brainer. Westbound we will soon also have a comparison.

My fear is that VS are so comprehensively beaten that they will struggle to survive when competing with such as Emirates and other gulf airlines.