Qantas or Virgin Australia ?

I believe there will be an endless battle between QF (Qantas) and VA (Virgin Australia) in Australia aviation market. Many travelers where forced to pick a side and defend their decision accordingly. I have summed up some aspects before you are about to stand in the path.

Frequent flyer membership:

As a higher tier airline membership can get you pretty much everywhere, either you are flying with Qantas or Virgin or its alliance partners, it is good to figure out which airline has a better fit with your travel routine.

Category	Qantas	Virgin Australia
Tiers	Bronze Silver Gold Platinum Platinum One	Red Silver Gold Platinum
Lounge access	Gold and above	Gold and above
Lounge membership	Yes	Yes
Partner alliance	One World	No
Partner airlines outside alliance	Jetstar Emirates Aer Lingus Air Niugini Air Vanuata Airnorth Alaska Airlines Alitalia China Eastern Israel Airlines Fiji airways Jet Airways Westjet	Virgin Samoa Virgin Atlantic Virgin America Singapore airlines Silk Air Air Berlin Alitalia Hawaiian Airlines South African Airways Etihad Airways Air New Zealand Delta Air Lines FlyPelican
Credit card	QANTAS Cash	Velocity Global Wallet
Earning points	Qantas and partner airlines* Partner Bank credit card Qantas FF Co-brand credit card Woolworths Rewards David Jones Apple Store Other top brands Airbnb GoCatch Car hires Qantas Hotels Qantas Insurance Qantas Cash transactions Qantas Epiqure Qantas Holiday Qantas restaurants Vodafone QBE	Virgin and partner airlines Partner bank credit card Velocity Co-brand credit card BP (Fuel) Flybuys (Coles & Liquorland) EnergyAustralia Laithwaite’s Wines Opentable Babylon Restaurant Virgin Wines Virgin Holiday Virgin Mobile E-Rewards Car hires Star Privilege Accorplus

From the above chart, we can see two major airlines offer a wide range of ways to earn points for redemption. However, it will be another case when comes to using those points.

For the world fourth busiest air routes, Melbourne to Sydney, Qantas and Virgin Australia both offer award tickets in Economy and Business class. With Qantas offers 8,000 points + 34.73 AUD (tax) in Economy and 16,000 points + 34.73 AUD (tax) in Business, while Virgin Australia offers 7800 points + 21.11 AUD (tax) or 11100 points in Economy or 15500 points + 21.11 AUD (tax) or 18800 points.

For international flights, both Qantas and Virgin Australia offer reward ticket not only on their operating routes but also partner airlines and in varieties of classes, passengers can easily work out which is the most beneficial. With a bit of research, I figured if flying Qantas to Los Angeles from Melbourne, it will be best to fly with Qantas (45000 points) instead of Cathay Pacific (75000 points); if fancy flying with Virgin Australia, better off using points + pay instead of pay in full with points.

If you are status oriented but don’t travel that often, sometimes it can be overwhelming to maintain your shining membership tier every year. However, there is still a leeway for you to maintain or even move up to the top of food-chain if you know how to shop around.

Take Qantas for example, if you are to fly to Singapore from Melbourne (round trip), with Jetstar Starter fare with Max Bundle, you will easily earn 120 status credits while earning 60 status credits with discount economy fare on Qantas, which somehow can be the same airfare. If you decide to stick to Virgin Australia, with flexible Economy fare on Singapore airlines to Hong Kong (round trip) get you an easy 200 status credits while only 70 status credits on new Virgin Australia direct services.

Of course if you are always paying top dollars on QF and VA, I believe these strategies wouldn’t matter much as Melbourne to Singapore on Qantas business round trip get you at 240 status credit and also on Singapore Airlines business class. But with the money you spend, it goes without saying that it is better off flying with Premium Economy or LCC with bundles.

Airport Experience:

If you are like me, fuss about how the airport experiences are to decide which airline to be loyal to, I am sure with the following information can give you a rough ideas as to which airline you will adore the most.

• Qantas:

Qantas is the largest airline in Australia, it also operated some of the airport terminals in Australia. With that, you can brief through airline security screening and face less flyers in the terminal (in theory).

Qantas has a very high-tech check-in and bag drop process for flyers to walk through the hassle in ease. Plenty of auto check-in kiosks will be right in front of you when walking into Qantas terminal. After presenting your membership or Qantas club card, you will get your boarding pass and luggage tag (you don’t need one if you have Q bag tag). Automatic bag drop system shorten the process in just under a minute and you are on the go to relax at the lounge.

Qantas Club is famous for it crowd, traveling with Qantas for more than 50 flights both domestically and internationally, I only have 2 encounters where the lounge isn’t packed with travelers and their guests, one for 6 am Sydney flight and one for afternoon out of Canberra flight. However, with the services and food varieties offered at Qantas Club, I am sure you will still enjoy those pre-departure moments especially in Brisbane, Perth and Hong Kong.

One thing about Qantas I truly adore is its lounges at some international destinations. In some airports (Hong Kong, Singapore, Los Angeles etc), Qantas has it own operated lounges, which automatically filtered a lot of  OneWorld alliance partner airlines’ guests. Not only are they doing a great job on the quality of foods and efficiency in services, the location of lounges can sometimes get you a view of red tails.

• Virgin Australia:

Speaking of Virgin Australia, there is always a mixture of feeling when comes to airport experiences. Not like Qantas, Virgin Australia doesn’t necessary have a designated terminal all to itself, but a joint terminal in most of the capital airports. Luckily in Melbourne airport, where I am based, is not the case.

With no check-in kiosks, passengers will have to queue up for checked-in luggage and paper boarding pass, except in Melbourne airport. However, if you are Velocity gold, platinum member, the waiting time will normally be short enough. Unlike Qantas, because there is no kiosks to check-in, remember to bring a photo ID with you to verify your identity when flying with Virgin Australia.

Virgin Australia has rather a modern interior design than Qantas and most importantly, more USB charging station than Qantas. So if you normally travel with only USB core, I believe VA is your way to fly.

However, with all the frequent flyers I interviewed and my personal experiences (20+ flights), Virgin Australia’s lounge food and beverage are rather disappointing. Less options for alcohol drinks and average quality with foods. You won’t be able to have a meal if you haven’t eaten prior to departure.

Another downsides is it international lounges, unlike Qantas, Virgin Australia do not have much international lounges, makes it very difficult for VA top tier members. Sharing with Singapore airlines and Air NZ (Star alliance top tier flyers), it will rather be a crowded few hours.

Apart from lounges, if you are a big fan of collecting luggage tags and dislike to wait for your luggage, you will adore VA a lot! If you are eligible for priority baggage handling, you will definitely get a priority tag on VA operated flights and amaze by how quick you will get your luggage. However, it is certainly not the case for Qantas. They will have a priority sign on the actual luggage tag but not an attached ones and also you will find yourself waiting for your bags along with other lower tier members with no priority luggage handling services.

In-flight experience:

• Business & First Class:

Everyone has different opinions about Business class product on VA and QF and even within the same airline. To me however, Qantas falls behind with their international services until later this year with business suite on board their Dreamliner 787-9.

Virgin Australia’s Boeing 777-300 ER and A330 services equip with their New Business Class with a fully flat bed and a direct aisle access, make it easier to move around and with more privacy. These all make it more competitive than Qantas’s dated Shell-shape business class.

Qantas international business class do not have direct aisle access on their A380 and Boeing 747 services, the seat layout is rather squeezed and not much privacy even. However with their reconfigured A330 international fleets, Qantas do offers business suite with 1-2-1 layout. With Qantas CEO announce the makeover of its A380 fleets and new aircraft, I believe this will no longer be the case as Qantas business suite is another level of luxury.

Domestically, both Qantas and Virgin Australia’s Boeing 737-800 business class are rather similar. But the coast to coast services on both Qantas and Virgin Australia aren’t A330, so if you are thinking of doing coast to coast, better check which aircraft you are going to be on to avoid ultimate disappointment.

• Economy and Premium Economy class:

I am sure people will easily point out which airline’s economy class product are better. When flying with Virgin Australia Economy, you will still feel like flying on a budget airline in some ways.

On Qantas, you will have free coffee, tea, juice, soft drink and alcohol beverage along with proper meal (if applicable). However, there will be an extra charges on Virgin Australia if you order something else other than coffee, tea, water or beer (yes beer!) and you will rarely get a proper meal on short Virgin Australia services.

Both airline provides entertainment streaming on your own devices. Some Qantas flight (On selected A330 services) also have on board Ipad to use for Economy Class passengers. Apart from entertainment, seat comfort on Qantas is better than on Virgin Australia, and this is not a fact but my personnel and many others’ opinions.

A big shout out to Qantas international premium economy class. The seat is relaxing and with priority boarding, you can get to your be-loved seats in just minutes. With pre-departure drinks and cabin crews call you by names, you will feel that extra luxury than economy class. The  seats itself is alike business class with just one seat less in each row compare to business class on Boeing 747 service.

Partnerships:

We all know Qantas is one of the founder of Oneworld alliance, this fact automatically open the door to 13 other airlines and some are the largest among others in the region. With Cathay pacific in Asia, British Airways in Europe, American Airlines at Northern America and LATAM at Latin America region, as a Qantas member, you will have no problems of moving around the world. Qantas X Emirates is another brilliant move, with a quick stop over at Dubai (DXB), you can easily reach every corner in Europe and northern Africa or fly in style to New Zealand with Emirates A380 services.

Virgin Australia on the other hand has it disadvantage on the world map with no belonging to any alliance. However, with the partnership with Delta, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Etihad, if you are not going to remote area, Virgin Australia can still get you there. With my bias preference towards Singapore Airlines and Delta Air Lines, it is a rather easy answer when choosing an airline to stick to if flying internationally often.

Bottom Line:

Qantas (QF) and Virgin Australia (VA) has its die-heart fan and it is no surprise. With similar domestic products and a wide varieties of choices between two major airlines, it is your homework to decide which to fly with. In the end of the day, without focusing on the same airline, it will be a hard task to be on top of the game.