New virgin-atlantic.com website release (update 29/02/12)

[mitchja]

'Fixed' is a bit of an exaggeration IMHO - more like just rolled back to how it was previously!

Well at least it works I guess!

How can VS justify taking so long developing their website?

TfL, with a limited budget, have managed to completely redesign their website and fully launch in overnight (well there was a public Beta running alongside the 'old' website for 9 months), and its not a simple tarting up, lots of brand new systems running to power it.

I could excuse VS taking a while over something like the booking engine, but the rest of it?

How can VS justify taking so long developing their website?

TfL, with a limited budget, have managed to completely redesign their website and fully launch in overnight (well there was a public Beta running alongside the 'old' website for 9 months), and its not a simple tarting up, lots of brand new systems running to power it.

I could excuse VS taking a while over something like the booking engine, but the rest of it?

For a supposedly customer centric and marketing savvy company it's a diabolical case study in how not to develop an ecommerce site. One could write a book ... I did forecast back in 1999 when they started that it would take until 2015. May need to revise that ): ): .

I suspect that lack of cash has a lot to do with the delays.

Because they don't get IT. If they did it would not be the POS that it is. Loading up an itinerary is like waiting to contact the dead. It's all just rubbish though. There is no point going into everything that is wrong with it as it would just take far too long. Prime example of their latest cock-up is the seat allocation delay, and I am not holding my breath on it being ready in June either. It really is a shame as the onboard experience is fantastic.

Latest update on the new seat selection date…..

Advanced seat assignment
Published 21/11/2013 02.44 PM | Updated 31/03/2014 11.03 AM
Will I need to pay to choose my seats in advance?

• If you are in Upper Class, Premium Economy or Economy booked in Y or B Class you can choose your seat free of charge. From 25 June 2014 you will be able to do this any time from making your booking. Corporate passengers using their current deal code can also select their seats in advance for free and Flying Club Gold members have free access to standard seats for all their party (within the same booking) and exit row seats or extra legroom seats for themselves.

• Other Economy passengers who want to choose seats in advance of check in will be able to pay to do this from 25 June 2014. Please note, passengers flying in Economy after 25 June 2014 who made a confirmed booking before we announced our new advanced seat assignment policy on 16 December 2013, will still be allowed to request their preferred seats free of charge up to 60 days before departure, or after 25 June 2014 336 days before departure.

Latest update on the new seat selection date…..

Advanced seat assignment
Published 21/11/2013 02.44 PM | Updated 31/03/2014 11.03 AM
Will I need to pay to choose my seats in advance?

• If you are in Upper Class, Premium Economy or Economy booked in Y or B Class you can choose your seat free of charge. From 25 June 2014 you will be able to do this any time from making your booking. Corporate passengers using their current deal code can also select their seats in advance for free and Flying Club Gold members have free access to standard seats for all their party (within the same booking) and exit row seats or extra legroom seats for themselves.

• Other Economy passengers who want to choose seats in advance of check in will be able to pay to do this from 25 June 2014. Please note, passengers flying in Economy after 25 June 2014 who made a confirmed booking before we announced our new advanced seat assignment policy on 16 December 2013, will still be allowed to request their preferred seats free of charge up to 60 days before departure, or after 25 June 2014 336 days before departure.

That fits with what they told me on the phone yesterday

Just another little funny nugget of incompetence that I have seen today... when you log in to FC from the homepage, it takes you to a 'Welcome to Flying Club' landing page. And the first thing it suggests is....

'Log In - Make the most of your membership - log in your account online'.

Really? I log in just to be taken to a page where you tell me to, erm, log in?

OK, maybe I'll look at the second option... and guess what that is...

Yep... 'Join Flying Club'

Sheesh.

Because they don't get IT. If they did it would not be the POS that it is. Loading up an itinerary is like waiting to contact the dead. It's all just rubbish though.

It's not so much that, it's a question of priorities with limited resources. Clearly the web site comes low on the list ... VS outsourced much of its IT to CSC (I believe) in a multi year deal, and CSC is a good company. My guess is that the web site was not part of that and it's managed internally with a skeleton staff ... but I don't know!

[Darren Wheeler]

Just another little funny nugget of incompetence that I have seen today... when you log in to FC from the homepage, it takes you to a 'Welcome to Flying Club' landing page. And the first thing it suggests is....

'Log In - Make the most of your membership - log in your account online'.

Really? I log in just to be taken to a page where you tell me to, erm, log in?

OK, maybe I'll look at the second option... and guess what that is...

Yep... 'Join Flying Club'

Sheesh.

Mine logs me in, takes me to my account where I see all my miles etc.

They are damaging their brand, why can they not see this? ?|

They seem to be living in the past when websites weren't the first point of contact as they are now. No point in praise-worthy CC, decent UC, well-regarded CH or anything else if first impressions are so dismally off-putting.

Let's hope those in charge of the website don't somehow get moved to aircraft maintenance..........

Just another little funny nugget of incompetence that I have seen today... when you log in to FC from the homepage, it takes you to a 'Welcome to Flying Club' landing page. And the first thing it suggests is....

'Log In - Make the most of your membership - log in your account online'.

Really? I log in just to be taken to a page where you tell me to, erm, log in?

OK, maybe I'll look at the second option... and guess what that is...

Yep... 'Join Flying Club'

Sheesh.

Mine logs me in, takes me to my account where I see all my miles etc.

I log in and it takes me straight to my account summary page as well

They appear to have fixed one thing, though -- TPs and miles posted automatically for a flight I took and upgraded with miles the other week. Saved a tedious phone call.

They appear to have fixed one thing, though -- TPs and miles posted automatically for a flight I took and upgraded with miles the other week. Saved a tedious phone call.

They didn't for min only 2 days ago I had to call and get them added ?|

I waited a week and they appeared by magic -- I hadn't got around to calling. I think this is the first time this has happened, or maybe it has once before, but it certainly normally doesn't!

For the last three weeks I still can't select an upgradable fare, select an S as usual, it heads to the matrix and shows as a H [LHR to PVG] --- currently have 6 separate UC flights to book with up to 3 passengers per flight spread over the rest of the year, the thought of calling and trying to search/arrange this via the telephone makes me put this to the bottom of the pile and hoping that flexible fares will reappear very soon!
We are very flexible, historically searched for a Z [always plenty of availability on this route], checked to see if S was available, agreed dates with colleagues and called FC and booked --- now cannot find any upgradable fares M, S or W over numerous dates.

So is this a website failure?, is it my machine?, is it planned to make upgrades harder to come by?, is there less flights/seats to PVG [I know the 346 and 343 swop about a bit on this route]?, is this the same problem on all other routes?

It's not just you! I suspect an IT glitch rather than anything else, but I agree it is blooming annoying.

NB you can use the ITA matrix to do specific fare code searches.

Thanks at240,

I also suspect its a glitch, thanks also for the ITA matrix tip

John