Whinge moan and complain

Okay here it is Virgin Blue.

Last Saturday morning P and I were discussing a wine deal which involved purchasing two cartons of wine and getting a free return ticket. However the deal stated that we would have to pay the taxes and charges on the ticket.

So in an effort to find out just how good a deal it was we decided that I would find out what taxes and charges are for a Virgin Blue Flight. I selected a journey on their website and then did some comprehensive searching to find out what the tax and charge would be however, there was nothing on their site that assisted. So we decided I would call Virgin Blue and ask them what proportion of their ticket price involved a tax or charge.

Of course I was on hold and on hold and on hold - listening to some extremely tinny "rock muzak" I was on for so long I had to turn the phone away from my ear it was that annoying it was beginning to physically hurt having to listen to it. The muzak was occasionally interrupted with a helpful suggestion that I go to their website where I would find the answer to my query. Well been there and done that - your website absolutely NO HELP!

I also decided that while I was on hold that I would ask another question that was not able to be answered by their ineffectual website - like what the hell is the happy hour countdown about, because no amount of searching their site would assist in my finding the answer.

Finally someone picked up - a giggly boy named Jason I recall, who did
not understand my initial query but after a few giggles abandoned me on
hold again with the crap muzak. He then returned without an answer of
course but a few more giggles and I soon realised I had to put the question again - in words that has less than 2 syllables each " How much
of your fare consists of a tax or charge i.e. a return flight to Brisbane to Sydney $89 down and $75 return - how much of each fare is tax?"

"Okay" he says I will have to put you on hold .. yet again except this time he doesn't, because pretty soon I am listening to the unmistakeable sound of having just been dis f#%*king connected!

Two explanations:

1. Jason is sooo inept he did accidentally disconnect me; or
2. He is quite shrewd and intentionally disconnected me because of his
wanting to avoid the obviously too hard question that he or anyone else
he spoke to while I was on hold couldn't answer.

I was fuming - no answer to anything, half an hour wasted of my Saturday morning listening to crap music plus I didn't have time to go through it all again even though I dearly wanted to let rip into the next Virgin Blue Staff member I could connect with. I so wanted to write them a letter of complaint, but I consoled myself with the fact that I could vent right here the next time I got a chance to.

So Virgin Blue - I don't care how cool you think you are with your cluttered and busy website, your tasteless choice of hold music and your
clearly inept staff but I think your crap and NOT cool!