Disappointing Velocity Reward booking experience :(

[Brooke01]

[FONT=.Helvetica NeueUI]Whinge for the day !

Sat up until midnight on Thursday night to secure 2xJ reward seats MEL-LAX for July 19 next year on VA.

Got all excited - selected seats etc - got all the way to the "payment" page for the taxes etc. Put in AmEx number, submit etc.........happy dance turned to sad dance

Got the below error - wasn't even trying to use travel bank. I have no idea how that works !

Rang at 7.30 am Friday - of course no seats are now available.

Pretty cranky about the whole thing, especially as I am a VA Plat[/FONT][FONT=.Helvetica NeueUI].

Will have to try again over the next few days. Hopefully I will have better luck.

VA could not explain why I got the error, and they also told me that, regardless of what the website says, they are there 24/7 and I possibly could have got it sorted out when the error occurred. Wahhhhhh [/FONT]

Brooke

 

[blackcat20]

Use your platinum powers and the error to get them to release extra seats for you?

 

[Brooke01]

If I have the same problem when I try again - I certainly will give it a go. When I spoke to the Platinum Velocity line on Friday - I actually had to argue that the reward seats had been released for that date. The lady I spoke with was adamant that they are only released 8 months in advance. She basically told me that there was nothing further that could be done

 

[DGW]

Wow, do J seats on this route really go that quickly? I booked a MEL-LAX return for October in April this year, then changed the dates a month or so ago and J reward seats were still available.

 

[cove]

Good luck will be needed Brooke01.
Don't be afraid to call when the system clags out on you and don't wait.
I wish you good luck from the Irish town of Kilkenny.

 

[Brooke01]

Maybe because I was after 2 seats - and it was a Saturday departure ? Hopefully during the week departures may be a little less busy. From what I can see - only 3 seats are released.

**Edited** - sorry I should have "replied with quote", the above was in response to DGW.

 

[Brooke01]

Good luck will be needed Brooke01.
Don't be afraid to call when the system clags out on you and don't wait.
I wish you good luck from the Irish town of Kilkenny.

Thanks Cove - I would have rang straight away at the time, but the website said that the hours were 7.30am til 10.30pm. I will be ready to dial next time !!!! Hopefully I won't need to though !

 

[cove]

You could be brave and travel on different aircraft a number of hours apart to improve your chances.

 

[UP4014]

What a build up then what a let down.:evil:

 

[Brooke01]

What a build up then what a let down.:evil:

It sure was ! Even getting me to stay up past midnight these days is quite the accomplishment ! LOL

 

[Brooke01]

You could be brave and travel on different aircraft a number of hours apart to improve your chances.

I will have one more shot at it over the next few days, and if I have no luck - I will look to go through Sydney, or even Brisbane - availability seems a little easier through those two routes. More points though

 

[DGW]

You could be brave and travel on different aircraft a number of hours apart to improve your chances.

Agreed. Being willing to go via SYD for slightly more points (or via BNE +/- a day) should dramatically improve your chances.

 

[Melburnian1]

If flights operate on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, it's often a good idea to try those days as compared to a Saturday international departure ex MEL, those other two days are likely to be less popular. It's mostly to do with our 'finish work on Friday, head off on Saturday' mentality. The same applies for overnight international flights due back in Australia on Sunday morning.

 

[blackcat20]

Wow, do J seats on this route really go that quickly? I booked a MEL-LAX return for October in April this year, then changed the dates a month or so ago and J reward seats were still available.

Could also be that July is peak summer season over there. Only last week I noticed that seats are still available for October this year...