Deceptive advertising?

[Ken Borough]

Today V Australia placed an advert in the media headlining ' North America be warned: The Aussies are coming'. The ad went on to say that from now on V Oz can 'take you to destinations all over North America' and went on to specify six cities. Nowhere in the copy was any comment about code-sharing nor the fact that V Oz simply fly, in its own right, to and from LAX in the US.

To us who are savvy about commercial aviation, the ad's just a bit sneaky but to the great market of generally ill-informed consumers, I think Virgin are being deceptive about their operations.

Discuss.

[airtags]

Ken

the ads running in MEL for MEL LAX direct, state subject to reg approval - however no app is listed with the IASC.

For that matter all of VB's apps with the IASC seems to be confused about who the operator is (VB Holdings, Pac Blue Aust P/L, VB PacBlue NZ....).

As for the US ads, the laws are very different - on one hand very tight in some aspects while on the other being very ...pardon the pun, lax.

The reality is that the current VOZ schedule puts the 777 into/out of LAX at an akward time for some copnnections. Also the usual 'soft' code share arrangements will quickly teach travellers that it is not such a good idea.

Happy for competition, and better Australians than others, but I demand it to be ethical and honest and compliant with all the safety standards.

Currently VB flies several international routes on a/c that only have minima equip and some regs are conveinently skirted with standing dispensations ..........or are bypassed using a foreign AOC (afforded by our blind government's bilateral obession).

What's worse is that VB would (like QF et al) happily squeeze eveerything out of the crew and then when they can't screw them down look for downscale alternatives. (QF wrote the book on this one)

AT

PS: Still waiting for the promised reply to my letter from B. Godfrey following Mrs Airtags month of LWOP & pay reductions....guess he's too busy planning the next Branson p*ss up or watching the out-takes from VOZ "sleeze in the sky" ads (which according to the union, the crew -including the lipstick in the toilet girls- were only paid their normal wages)

BTW - was it me or did I hear a VB 737 using a VOZ callsign the other day?

[Tangan]

Airtags,

Currently VB flies several international routes on a/c that only have minima equip and the various regs are conmveinently skirted with standing dispensations or are bypassed using a foreign AOC (afforded by our blind government).


This is a big accusation....I would like to hear your evidence...

[airtags]

tangen

note edit ...."some regs etc "

Waiting on Minister's reply - but VB themselves in correspondence acknowledge dispensations

Issue is not the airline but the bureaucratic empire that allows it

will gladly publish when I rec reply

[ROH111]

"I nooooo, it'z very misleading.."

(beached az bro)

[Eastwest Loco]

V Oz have a codeshare deal with Delta, but could also have an oncarriage deal with them as well.

Best all

EWL

[haughtney1]

Ken, I think you are reading just a weeeeee bit to much into things when you say..
Today V Australia placed an advert in the media headlining ' North America be warned: The Aussies are coming'. The ad went on to say that from now on V Oz can 'take you to destinations all over North America' and went on to specify six cities. Nowhere in the copy was any comment about code-sharing nor the fact that V Oz simply fly, in its own right, to and from LAX in the US.

To us who are savvy about commercial aviation, the ad's just a bit sneaky but to the great market of generally ill-informed consumers, I think Virgin are being deceptive about their operations.

Because a very quick scan of the fine print revealed this:

USA: Connecting flights between Los Angeles and Atlanta are operated by Delta Air Lines, between Los Angeles and New York are operated by Delta Airlines or Northwest Airlines, between Los Angeles and Orlando are operated by Delta Air Lines, between Los Angeles and Portland are operated by Alaska Airlines, between Los Angeles and Salt Lake are operated by Delta Air Lines, between Los Angeles and Seattle are operated by Alaska Airlines.

All of whom offer a service comparable to V Oz

As ever, caveat emptor, which most interenet savvy customers are these days.

[Buster Hyman]

Took this in LA earlier this month...seems pretty innocuous...
http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr301/BiggyRat/IMG_0782.jpg

[7378FE]

the ads running in MEL for MEL LAX direct, state subject to reg approval - however no app is listed with the IASC.


No application for the MEL-LAX route required.
V Australia has an unlimited capacity allocation on the Australia to United States route.

No specific city pair authority is needed under the bilateral.

7378FE

[Sunfish]

Ken? You work in the Qantas finance department don't you?

[Tangan]

Airtags,

but VB themselves in correspondence acknowledge dispensations

You've done it again......another accusation, please show us the evidence.
Or are you just slinging mud because you allege that your "missus" has been singled out and given a rough deal.

You've made the statements....now back them up.

[overhere]

PS: Still waiting for the promised reply to my letter from B. Godfrey following Mrs Airtags month of LWOP & pay reductions

Airtags - not sure what your issue with that was - VB Cabin Crew were offered PT & LOWP - they weren't required to take it.

The uptake was so big that quite a few crew who wanted it actually didn't get it.

If Mrs Airtags didn't want it, she didn't have to have it just like many others didn't apply.

BG is probably trying to work out what you're on about?

[airtags]

sorry overhere,
many crew were heavily pressured by their mgrs to accept it - some said PT or LWOP for 1 week and got a month. When they challenged it they got told timees are tough so take it or resign

re the response:
BG via his PA sent a response to our letter promising a reply the following week. - we're still waiting.

Remember the difference between Brand Manners and Bad manners is just two letters!

VB CC are clearly taking a hit they don't deserve

[Tangan]

Airtags...
...the difference between Brand Manners and Bad manners is just two letters!

While I don't know exactly what constitutes "Brand Manners" and I suggest neither do you, we do know that "Bad Manners" is posting unsubstanitated, distorted and disparaging remarks about the company you, or in this case your wife, works for while you hide behind a pseudonym.

VB CC are clearly taking a hit they don't deserve

The fact is that no employee, who takes a hit as the result of the current economic climate, "deserves it", however it is the responsibility of company management to take whatever action is necessary in response to the GFC.
VB CC are bearing no greater proportion of the burden than employees in other VB departments. Your wife still has a job and you should be thankful for that. I know of several others, from other departments, who have been made redundant.

I am still waiting for the evidence, of the VB correspondence, which supports your wild assertion that VB operatea/c that only have minima equip and some regs are conveinently skirted with standing dispensations ..........or are bypassed using a foreign AOC

[peuce]

I would have thought the "minimum equipment" would be legal and safe.
I would also have thought that any "dispensation" was leagl and safe.

[Ken Borough]

Sunfish questioned

Ken? You work in the Qantas finance department don't you?No I don't. I was simply indicating that an airline needs a finance dept and HR department (or the functions thereof). They are just as neccessary to an airline as are the pilots!

Back to the topic. Fine print was not in this advertisement - it said:
"It's official, V Australia can now take you to destinations all over North America. So with new destinations being added weekly, it won't be long until you'll be able to fly between Australia and key cities in North America - Seattle, Atlanta, Orlando, Portland, Salt Lake City, and New York. Which only leaves one questions - where do you fancy going? vaustralia.com.au"

To the uninitiated, any reader would assume from this that V Australia flies from several Australian cities and several US cities as the illustrating map in the ad. showed. There was absolutely zero comment about code-sharing. As such, I think the advertisement is deceptive and requires ACCC investigation.

BTW, I wonder how our Canuk cousins feel about North America being limited to the 48 contiguous states of the USA?:ugh:

[7378FE]

There was absolutely zero comment about code-sharing.

That's correct, V Australia don't codeshare, they interline.

7378FE

[John Citizen]

There was absolutely zero comment about code-sharing.


That's correct, V Australia don't codeshare, they interline.


Fair enough, interline or codeshare. If you want to be anal, for you sake there was absolutely zero comment about interlining either (as you define it) !!

[Hugh Jarse]

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i6/HugeArse/retarded.jpg

In a nutshell....

Who gives a rat's arse?:ugh:

Some people have too much time on their hands!

[Ken Borough]

If some of these posts are typical of consumer thinking, then it's clear that the claim by V Australia requires correction and/or clarification. If VA code-share with a US operator, then they can say that they can fly a punter to dstnation X Y or Z - the VOz flight number must be attached to the flight number of the operating carrier with the added comment that the (code-share) flight is operated by ABC Air.

V Oz apparently do NOT code-share - they simply interline like most full service airlines, something that's been done for more than 60 years. In this case, V Australia do NOT take the punter to all of these various destinations they came.

Their claim is a bit like saying that Qantas can take you from Quito to Quirindi! As QF flies to neither Quito nor Quirindi, but interlines with carriers that do, is the claim be valid? If you believe VAustralia, the answer is 'yes' but in fact it is a false premise.

As for Mrs Jarses's son's (:yuk:) last comment, I think he'd be better advised to stick with flying aeroplanes - he may therefore know what he's talking about as I think he's living proof that matters commercial are a total mystery to many in the industry. He says 'who cares?' Perhaps he should ask around to learn what passengers say that they ended up on carrier A when they thought they were flying with carrier B. There is a lot of thought around that code-sharing is not necessarily kosher from a consumer's perspective.

[John Citizen]

Some people have too much time on their hands!

Yes, I agree. Especially when they have the time to read this thread in the first place then post a reply with a picture :p

No doubt such people got too much time on their hands, just like you say. :ok:

[walaper]

I suppose it's a bit like buying QANTAS ticket and finding your self on Jetstar.

[Orangputi]

Touché walaper I wonder what the red rat brigade will say about that!

[peuce]

It's gone vewy, vewy, qwuiet ...