Air NZ/ Virgin Australia Trans-Tasman Alliance

[roby]

Can someone please clarify when we will be able to credit DJ flights to NZ Airpoints and access DJ lounges with NZ Gold?

 

[AirlineGuy]

So to align with ANZ's product, are Virgin Australia flights going to offer complimentary tea, coffee and water to all passengers including those on saver fares? I do hope so, but there is no mention of this from Virgin Australia yet...

 

[Noob]

So to align with ANZ's product, are Virgin Australia flights going to offer complimentary tea, coffee and water to all passengers including those on saver fares? I do hope so, but there is no mention of this from Virgin Australia yet...

I hope so to, not a very expensive thing to provide yet it makes passengers feel much more comfortable. The alliance document which was posted on here says complimentary tea, coffee and water will be provided on VA saver fares, as does the Air NZ website when trying to book. I hope this will be made standard across the VA network because really the customer satisfaction to cost ratio is pretty good when you consider a coffee or tea would only cost cents.

 

[serfty]

Can someone please clarify when we will be able to credit DJ flights to NZ Airpoints and access DJ lounges with NZ Gold?

This came onto the AirNZ agents site today: (http://www.airnzagent.co.nz/assets/agents/fare-advice/tasman/Alliance-QAs.pdf)

Loyalty/Koru

Do I earn Airpoints Dollars on Smart Saver fares now?

Yes, The Works - $5APD and $10APD for Works Deluxe - applies to a booking made after 8 July and flown from 26 July.

For existing Trans Tasman bookings, will they receive the new higher Airpoints accrual?

Accrual on DJ services will be for any travel from 26 July irrespective of the booking date. ...

How does Koru work?

Passengers entitled to lounge access on either carrier will be granted access to both NZ and DJ lounges and will need to show their boarding pass and Airpoints Gold Elite, Gold or Koru membership card, or their Velocity or Virgin Australia lounge member card on entry. ...

No specific mention of lounge access commencement but 26th July might be a reasonable guess.

 

[jsd]

Got this from AirNZ this morning:

Hello jdevereux3, [FONT=Arial, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]
More flights, more destinations, more options

It's here. Our brand new alliance with Virgin Australia has officially taken off. Together, we've created the largest Australasian network – connecting 29 domestic ports in Australia with 27 destinations within New Zealand. With more flights and better connections and schedules, you can now enjoy the best of both worlds. And you'll be able to earn Airpoints Dollars™ flying with Virgin Australia and redeem them for great Virgin Australia flight rewards too.

Bonus Airpoints Dollars across the Tasman

We're also working on new ways to reward your trans-Tasman travel with Airpoints Dollars. In the meantime, you'll earn them on all The Works and Works Deluxe Smart Saver fares. While you currently don't earn Airpoints Dollars on these fares, when you make a new booking for travel after 26 July 2011, you'll receive five bonus Airpoints Dollars on The Works Smart Saver fares, and ten bonus Airpoints Dollars on Works Deluxe Smart Saver fares.

Celebrating our destinations

We'd love you to celebrate the alliance with us, so we're giving you the chance to win one of two return flights for you and a friend to any of our New Zealand destinations.

To find out more about our expanded network, visit airnz.com.au

[/FONT]

 

[777]

Details are now up on the VA site:

Air New Zealand | Virgin Australia

 

[pshepvic]

The one thing missing from the site is the Status Credit earn rate. It has points but not SCs - I'm hoping it's the same as the VA/DJ rate, rather than the VS rate.

 

[AirlineGuy]

So looks like the comp tea, coffee and water will just be for the trans-tasman services. I personally find this disappointing and creates yet another product inconsistancy - I thought Borghetti wanted a seamless customer experience across all his airlines.

 

[LiamR]

So looks like the comp tea, coffee and water will just be for the trans-tasman services. I personally find this disappointing and creates yet another product inconsistancy - I thought Borghetti wanted a seamless customer experience across all his airlines.

I agree. Was chatting to the crew on my flight this morning. Water, tea and coffee is only for TT flights at the moment. I'm sure once all the airlines become one, we will see this service introduced onto domestic sectors.

 

[777]

So looks like the comp tea, coffee and water will just be for the trans-tasman services. I personally find this disappointing and creates yet another product inconsistancy - I thought Borghetti wanted a seamless customer experience across all his airlines.

Which is happening in a process that is meant to take until the end of the year. Sheesh, If you complain that much when they add something i'd love to see you when they take something away.

 

[antycbr]

Introductory pricing offers $149 for most TT sectors (and cheaper returns ex-NZ) - including the somewhat pricy ZQN. Looking to book in February, and every date seems available, but there are no Flexi fares showing up on the NZ codeshares at the moment (bug?)

 

[Saab34]

Seems to be a lot of $129 outbound, $95 inbound too. Pretty unreal for ANZ.

 

[serfty]

Reciprocal Lounge access commencement is from 26th July: (Air New Zealand | Virgin Australia - Lounge Tab)

From 26 July 2011, members and Guests eligible for access to the Virgin Australia or Air New Zealand lounges will receive reciprocal entry to the other carrier’s lounge.

You must be travelling on a trans-Tasman journey with either Pacific Blue or Air New Zealand, domestic Air New Zealand, or domestic Virgin Australia flight on the day to be eligible for lounge entry.

You will need to present your boarding pass and Airpoints Gold Elite, Gold or Koru, Airpoints Silver Single entry pass, Velocity Gold or Virgin Australia lounge (Velocity) membership card on entry.

The actual access travel requirement is a bit confusing, so I have re-written it:

You must be travelling on a:

• Trans-Tasman journey with either Pacific Blue or Air New Zealand,
• domestic Air New Zealand, or
• domestic Virgin Australia

flight on the day to be eligible for lounge entry.

Looks like I won't need to persue Velocity Gold for lounge access already having AirNZ GE.

 

[dk4]

Looks like I won't need to persue Velocity Gold for lounge access already having AirNZ GE.

So does that mean that you see more value in the Air NZ program over Virgin's? And presumably continuing with QF + NZ as a dual program "status" strategy?

 

[serfty]

So does that mean that you see more value in the Air NZ program over Virgin's? ...

Actually I perceive that Virgins FF scheme as far as redemptions go is better value.

However, for me it's more about lounge access and while DJ treat me very well as a Gold, 90% of my travel these days is international and *G is more useful (especially when combined with *O).

 

[jsoprano]

I have a few questions regarding an upcoming flight in November. Currently I am only DJ Silver but will be DJ Gold by then pretty sure (fingers crossed).

My partner and I will be flying MEL-AKL-PPT-AKL-MEL in Y all on NZ metal and flight numbers, booked as a *Alliance Reward from my hard-earned LH miles, so I do not need to waste any thought about SCs or points. That's why it's all about lounge access. Questions:

1. MEL-AKL and AKL-MEL are trans-tasman, so I am sure to have lounge access when departing MEL for AKL and when returning in AKL bound for MEL. But what about when connecting in AKL for the flight to PPT? Is PPT considered a pacific island service and therefore excluded, or would I have access as it is part of a trans-tasman itinerary? Also, the PPT flight is only leaving the next day but within 24 hrs, so making it a connection and not a stopover.
2. DJ Gold allows to host one guest in DJ lounges but also with all the partner airlines as outlined on their homepage (EY etc.). Now NZ seems to charge $35 for a guest. Will NZ lounges grant free guest access for DJ Gold cardholders?
3. I think NZ has no lounge in PPT (only 2 flights a week), so no access there anyway.

No questions to loose much sleep over, but would be good to know.

 

[serfty]

1. Is PPT is definitely a pacific island service and therefore excluded. So no lounge access for AKL-PPT (nor PPT-AKL).

2. You will be permitted one guest FOC as a DJ gold when on eligible NZ services. So at MEL and AKL on the return.

3. There is a partner lounge at PPT, but the point is moot.

 

[antycbr]

Very excited by the Trans Tasman Alliance - booked myself into Wellington and out of Queenstown for $265AUD in January 2012. Also booked a flight across Cook Strait for $55AUD on a Beech 1900 - the last time I flew one of those was VH-IMP between Sydney and Canberra on Impulse!

Looking forward to lounge access in SYD,WLG and ZQN. Images of the NZ lounges look pretty impressive. Will be interesting to see how the alliance status benefits are recognised at checkin and boarding.

 

[jsoprano]

1. Is PPT is definitely a pacific island service and therefore excluded. So no lounge access for AKL-PPT (nor PPT-AKL).

Okay, thanks serfty. That's how I read it as a "minimum" as well, because there is not much doubt about the trans-tasman flights.

However, with the Pacific Islands exclusion, I just had another look at the brochure (link provided in the OP), and on page 15 of that brochure it states above the table:

Lounge access is not permitted when flying on Pacific Blue or Polynesian Blue Pacific Island flights.

So it seems when flying on NZ Pacific Island services you still get lounge access as a DJ Gold? At least that's what I read between the lines. It's all a bit unclear at this stage and I think we just have to wait to hear from personal experiences. Or the VA or Velocity crew here can clarify some more things?

 

[kamchatsky]

The Premium Lounge at PPT is actually quite average (worst one I have been to anyway). Just some biscuits/cheese/fruits and some local Tahitian beers (Hinano and Tabu). So you won't missed much (ok, except the beers).


Of course, if you can you can always try to change your award ticket to J class all the way then you don't have to worry about whether you can get lounge access or not. AKL-PPT is considered as long haul and NZ serve long haul food which is great!