I finally bit the bullet and severed my Aussie loyalty to Qantas.
Like any relationship I probably hung in there too long. Long after it was all over on their side. Qantas have been showing unmistakeable signs that they just didn’t want me any more, but like a lot of people in a relationship past its use-by date I chose to ignore them. After all, I’m an Aussie through and through, how could they not want me? Qantas is the Australian airline – we’re made for each other.
But now I’ve booked a ticket to Adelaide on Virgin Australia.
I still feel like I’m cheating, like it’s an illicit relationship. Virgin are doing all the things a new lover does. I tweeted the booking and Virgin responded immediately. They’re even seeing if they can get me champagne for breakfast on my flight. If I turn up and there are flowers or chocolates waiting I’ll be hooked!
Still, I hedged my bets and included Qantas in the tweet, but they didn’t respond at all. I guess they really don’t care, they don’t want my business back.
A couple of weeks ago I was contacted about a new website for South Australia – the food and wine capital of the world. It’s a big call, and a claim they back up quite well.
I don’t usually do “food and wine tourism”, nor fly to major cities. I’m a 4WD, outback type of girl, at least now, but even when I’m out camping in the outback food and wine are important to me. I often start trips at a wine region to stock up, and always have a great Australian sparkling wine when I make it to any major landmark (and there are lots of them!!).
Looking through the site reminded me that I have family in Adelaide and I don’t see them nearly often enough.
And I do enjoy my weekends away with the girls to nice places – usually food and wine regions like the Hunter Valley.
So I’m taking this as a sign. Now is the perfect time to see my sister, try out some of the recommendations in the SA food and wine site, and test out whether I really want a new relationship with Virgin.
I have noticed a few flaws in the website already, though that might be just because there’s so much to see in South Australia they had to make some tough choices. The Adelaide Hills makes the best sauvignon blancs in the world, and my favourite wine, and it is glossed over pretty quickly in the “Adelaide” section of the site.
So even though we’re going to test out some of their recommendations and try some new things, we’ll probably make a sneaky trip up to the Adelaide Hills. Some old relationships are just too difficult to leave!
