Buying Virgin Australia Marketed Tickets on Singapore Air

[PP075]

Due to recent changes to earning Status Credits on VA‑marketed flights, including a 50% cap on partner airlines, I need to book my Singapore Airlines flights to Asia through Virgin Australia to retain Platinum.
When booking through VA, I can only select Flex or Business fares (when available).
I’m curious about the options once a VA‑marketed, SQ‑operated Flex fare is booked. Can I select Economy seats with extra legroom using Singapore Airlines reference on their website and pay SQ directly with a credit card?
Can I upgrade to Premium Economy through Singapore Airlines, select a seat, and pay the fare difference with a credit card?
I’d appreciate any insights from anyone who has tried either option?

 

[Rayesfeg]

Can I upgrade to Premium Economy through Singapore Airlines, select a seat, and pay the fare difference with a credit card?

No. You cannot upgrade your ticket on this Singapore airlines flight.
From the SQ website "Regardless of your upgrade option, your flight must be ticketed and operated by Singapore Airlines.".
As you will be booking through VA, it will not be ticketed by Singapore airlines.

 

[simmomelb]

Can I upgrade to Premium Economy through Singapore Airlines, select a seat, and pay the fare difference with a credit card?

Just to add to this, I wouldn't change to Premium Economy even if you could, as this is not a VA sold fare class, so you wouldn't earn a single status credit in Premium Economy.
Needs to be Economy or Business Class (not Premium Economy), which in my view is absolutely ridiculous, but that's how it is, unfortunately.
Same as booking First Class with Qatar out of Sydney on the A380, zero status as it's not a fare class VA sells.

 

[drron]

And the kick in the backside is that you will pay considerably more booking through VA. Status isn't worth that much. VA. Eg on BNE-SIN it is a $1000

 

[Rayesfeg]

And the kick in the backside is that you will pay considerably more booking through VA. Status isn't worth that much. VA. Eg on BNE-SIN it is a $1000

I can't believe the price difference in booking with SQ/VA.
It used to be like that with the Air NZ alliance but those prices seem to now be equal. I wonder why there is such a gap for SQ bookings.

 

[AIRwin]

I wonder why there is such a gap for SQ bookings.

Post in thread 'VA on SQ booking limitations'

Feb 4, 2026

cheers thanks. Always though VA had access to every fare class on every SQ flight

Not even close. VA can't sell Premium Economy or First at all.

Remember for codeshares VA offers a minimum of Choice fares...the equivalent of Lite fares, which often appear for sale on the SQ website (e.g. Economy Lite), will not be available as VA codeshare...hence the perception that the codeshare is often more expensive.

• bcworld

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[simmomelb]

This screenshot attached says it all, booking the same flights on the Singapore Airlines site vs Virgin Australia site.
All other airlines I find are much the same now, and in some cases, I've found Qatar flights slightly cheaper via the VA site (never used to be this way with QR).
I really don't know why they are adding such a hefty premium on SQ.

 

[ben95]

I really don't know why they are adding such a hefty premium on SQ.

As the post above mentioned VA gets rather limited inventory of to offer as Choice fare (which SQ brand as Economy Lite) on VA code. So often once they are exhausted on a particular segment the entire trip has to be priced using the more expensive Flex fare. Even Flex is not unlimited and I’ve seen the codeshare being completely unavailable in certain routes and dates

QR and VA obviously has a different agreement which enabled VA access to more inventory to offer at the lowest Choice fare matching at least what QR offers in terms of pricing. IIRC the QR VA JBA as approved by ACCC allowed VA/QR to coordinate pricing. Whereas the other VA agreement simplify allowed VA to “replicate” pricing offered by the other airline

 

[simmomelb]

As the post above mentioned VA gets rather limited inventory of to offer as Choice fare (which SQ brand as Economy Lite) on VA code. So often once they are exhausted on a particular segment the entire trip has to be priced using the more expensive Flex fare. Even Flex is not unlimited and I’ve seen the codeshare being completely unavailable in certain routes and dates

QR and VA obviously has a different agreement which enabled VA access to more inventory to offer at the lowest Choice fare matching at least what QR offers in terms of pricing.

Oh yes, I can see it's a Flex fare with VA, it's just a bizarre relationship that every travel agent has access to the Lite fares, as seen here, yet a major airline partner gets the scraps.

 

[Rayesfeg]

As the post above mentioned VA gets rather limited inventory of to offer as Choice fare (which SQ brand as Economy Lite) on VA code. So often once they are exhausted on a particular segment the entire trip has to be priced using the more expensive Flex fare. Even Flex is not unlimited and I’ve seen the codeshare being completely unavailable in certain routes and dates

That makes a lot of sense, thanks for the explanation. Even so, to the everyday person who doesn’t understand these intricacies, it just looks like VA is ripping people off for the same product.