Booking reward flights with partner airline

[ferntree]

Could somebody please give me a link to wherever on the Virgin website I can find all the info about booking award flights with partner airlines, e.g. how do I do it, what are reciprocal privileges for Gold/Platinum fliers? Every time I think I've found it it turns out not to be what I'm looking for! Thanks in advance.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Velocity Reward Seat | Virgin Australia

www.virginaustralia.com

Have you seen this one?

 

[ferntree]

No I hadn't, thanks muchly!

 

[twiningb]

Through Velocity I've booked J for VA MEL-LAX (back in the day) and DL SYD-LAX / SFO-LAX-SYD (the night before voluntary admin), the latter of which was cancelled due to ongoing border closures, online with no trouble.

I booked VS JFK-LHR last week. VS specifically can't be searched or booked online but the call to the call centre was painless. He took a few minutes to find the space I found on Virgin Atlantic's own website and ExpertFlyer, and ticketed quickly. I got JFK-LHR in Upper Class (business) on VS's latest A350s with the sliding doors on suites, for 49500 Velocity points plus AUD42, which is pretty great value.

So I can't tell you what the current online bookings are like, but it probably didn't get a lot worse after voluntary admin, and the call centre seems competent. (I just got to Platinum though, so I may have been prioritised in the phone queue.)

 

[angelaorourke]

i have been looking on velocity site everyday for October reward seats SFO to BNE (or LAX ) . Nothing. United show miles seats available for those legs. If Velocity do not show seats online is there anyway I can book via United but using my velocity points?

 

[twiningb]

i have been looking on velocity site everyday for October reward seats SFO to BNE (or LAX ) . Nothing. United show miles seats available for those legs. If Velocity do not show seats online is there anyway I can book via United but using my velocity points?

Are you sure they're available to partners and not special United-only awards? Can you select it on the United website, take a screenshot, and show us? If it's the YN (economy) or JN (business) fare bucket, it's United-only.

I have found partner-level award space between other cities (like HND-LAX, for instance), which is visible on other Star Alliance partners, but doesn't show up for Velocity. But it seems to be something to do with the Velocity website not recognising all city pairs for United yet. However I would definitely expect the flights to/from Australia (BNE-SFO, SYD/MEL-LAX/SFO, SYD-IAH and vice versa) to be bookable online if there is real partner space.

 

[angelaorourke]

Are you sure they're available to partners and not special United-only awards? Can you select it on the United website, take a screenshot, and show us? If it's the YN (economy) or JN (business) fare bucket, it's United-only.

I have found partner-level award space between other cities (like HND-LAX, for instance), which is visible on other Star Alliance partners, but doesn't show up for Velocity. But it seems to be something to do with the Velocity website not recognising all city pairs for United yet. However I would definitely expect the flights to/from Australia (BNE-SFO, SYD/MEL-LAX/SFO, SYD-IAH and vice versa) to be bookable online if there is real partner space.

They are all YN or JN. I can see later in October on united site there are X which matches to the velocity website. I guess United/Velocity just don't have any redemption seats on offer in early October.