Comments on: Consumer win: my triumph over Virgin Blue’s incompetence http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:48:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kirk Broadhurst http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36557 Kirk Broadhurst Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:54:59 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36557 In my limited experience this behaviour is par for the course for Tasmanian flights. It appears that Virgin & Jetstar (I haven't yet seen this with Qantas) both advertise around twice as many flights to Tasmania as they actually intend to service. Then, as departure date approaches, they cancel those flights with fewer passengers and shuffle them to other, better filled flights. I've had this happen twice to me, and has also happened on no less than 5 occasions to family and friends. Only to & from Tasmania. In my limited experience this behaviour is par for the course for Tasmanian flights. It appears that Virgin & Jetstar (I haven’t yet seen this with Qantas) both advertise around twice as many flights to Tasmania as they actually intend to service. Then, as departure date approaches, they cancel those flights with fewer passengers and shuffle them to other, better filled flights.

I’ve had this happen twice to me, and has also happened on no less than 5 occasions to family and friends. Only to & from Tasmania.

]]> By: Altakoi http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36546 Altakoi Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:02:19 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36546 There would seem to be more than $122 dollars in damage to the brand in having an event like this publicised. They could have saved a whole lot of marketing, which is appropriately viewed as cynically manipulative, with just one instance of doing the right thing. Companies are always saying they are on the customers side, but what actually motiviates customer loyalty is acting that way. There would seem to be more than $122 dollars in damage to the brand in having an event like this publicised. They could have saved a whole lot of marketing, which is appropriately viewed as cynically manipulative, with just one instance of doing the right thing. Companies are always saying they are on the customers side, but what actually motiviates customer loyalty is acting that way.

]]> By: Scoogsy http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36533 Scoogsy Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:47:26 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36533 Great story Adam! I'm actually quite a fan of Virgin in general (they have some amaing PR and advertising) but it just goes to show that in these extremely large companise, sometimes it's a case of burocracy gone mad. This of course is now not a $120 fine - it's on the front page of Crikey. Virgin will be cringing far more that they stuck to such a silly policy and ended up with egg on their face. This reminds me somewhat of KFC vs Monika Samaan case - eating a twister and ending up brain damaged and parralysed by salmonella in their chicken. She may not win but good luck with KFCs image. Great story Adam!

I’m actually quite a fan of Virgin in general (they have some amaing PR and advertising) but it just goes to show that in these extremely large companise, sometimes it’s a case of burocracy gone mad.

This of course is now not a $120 fine - it’s on the front page of Crikey. Virgin will be cringing far more that they stuck to such a silly policy and ended up with egg on their face.

This reminds me somewhat of KFC vs Monika Samaan case - eating a twister and ending up brain damaged and parralysed by salmonella in their chicken. She may not win but good luck with KFCs image.

]]> By: Ian Bryant http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36495 Ian Bryant Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:42:08 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36495 It's always worth a complaint. I have a current one in with Qantas (advertised, booked and confirmed at the desk as a Qantas flight with food only to end up on Jetstar with no food) but scored a victory some years back when the airline changed my booking two weeks prior to departure, booking made nine months previously, said it was a result of timetable changes introduced three months prior, and politely, somewhat naively, asked me if I wouldn't mind seeking an alternative flight (to NZ in December, sure!). Scored a very nice dinner for two, though I don't think it really made up for their actions. It’s always worth a complaint. I have a current one in with Qantas (advertised, booked and confirmed at the desk as a Qantas flight with food only to end up on Jetstar with no food) but scored a victory some years back when the airline changed my booking two weeks prior to departure, booking made nine months previously, said it was a result of timetable changes introduced three months prior, and politely, somewhat naively, asked me if I wouldn’t mind seeking an alternative flight (to NZ in December, sure!).

Scored a very nice dinner for two, though I don’t think it really made up for their actions.

]]> By: jordan_k http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36488 jordan_k Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:03:58 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36488 Fantastic. It's a shame that no one at Virgin went "Um, guys - what is fair here?" not "What is policy". Now we have this lovely article that is going to be read by many many people, and is going to get indexed by Google and might come up when someone searches on the company. Interestingly CIO magazine release data today showing that 23% of people will boycott an organisation after reading a negative comments by a customer of that organisation on a social media site. When will big business empower people to make intelligent decisions, not just follow policy? Fantastic. It’s a shame that no one at Virgin went “Um, guys - what is fair here?” not “What is policy”.

Now we have this lovely article that is going to be read by many many people, and is going to get indexed by Google and might come up when someone searches on the company. Interestingly CIO magazine release data today showing that 23% of people will boycott an organisation after reading a negative comments by a customer of that organisation on a social media site.

When will big business empower people to make intelligent decisions, not just follow policy?

]]> By: Robert Garnett http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36485 Robert Garnett Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:57:18 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36485 There is more and more of this "I've got your money and you aren't getting it back crap going on." Especially with direct debit arrangements. It is egregious, unethical and should be made illegal. There is no excuse for it. If we had politicans who stood up for individuals rather than big business we might get somewhere. But they are a gutless bunch of rentseekers just like the companies they protect. So no help likely to come from there. There is more and more of this “I’ve got your money and you aren’t getting it back crap going on.” Especially with direct debit arrangements. It is egregious, unethical and should be made illegal. There is no excuse for it.

If we had politicans who stood up for individuals rather than big business we might get somewhere. But they are a gutless bunch of rentseekers just like the companies they protect. So no help likely to come from there.

]]> By: Misha Ketchell http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36478 Misha Ketchell Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:25:08 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36478 But were there any orders as to costs? Unless you got costs the victory is more moral than real, with the cost of fighting the action a massive disencentive to others without the ability to represent themselves. That said, great stuff Adam. But were there any orders as to costs? Unless you got costs the victory is more moral than real, with the cost of fighting the action a massive disencentive to others without the ability to represent themselves.
That said, great stuff Adam.

]]> By: Leslie Bursill http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36473 Leslie Bursill Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:11:36 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36473 Every time one of these power mad businesses default we should revel in the idea of a legal suite. They will soon learn that the little guy can cost a heck of a lot when s/he is thwarted. Well done Adam, go for it. Every time one of these power mad businesses default we should revel in the idea of a legal suite. They will soon learn that the little guy can cost a heck of a lot when s/he is thwarted. Well done Adam, go for it.

]]> By: SusieQ http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36460 SusieQ Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:55:04 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36460 Great story and a good win! Great story and a good win!

]]> By: pwnerous http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36457 pwnerous Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:34:23 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36457 Nice one! Amusing to see a big company pay for lawyers to defend $122, and now having an article written about it. That's money well spent. /s Nice one! Amusing to see a big company pay for lawyers to defend $122, and now having an article written about it. That’s money well spent. /s

]]> By: Margaret Bozik http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36453 Margaret Bozik Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:25:38 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36453 Great story - it shouldn't have had to come to this but hopefully we will now see an improvement in airline policies (is that a new airline or pig flying outside my window?) Great story - it shouldn’t have had to come to this but hopefully we will now see an improvement in airline policies (is that a new airline or pig flying outside my window?)

]]> By: Adam Barker http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36444 Adam Barker Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:01:52 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/09/03/my-triumph-over-virgin-blues-incompetence/#comment-36444 Good work Adam - score one for the little guy! Good work Adam - score one for the little guy!

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