Domestic tickets lower earn if part of international PNR?

[dajop]

My partner recently booked and flew VA as part of international itinerary booked in Singapore.

Structure of the itinerary was:

- SIN-MEL return on SQ, one ticket
- 2 MEL-SYD returns - flexi fares on VA on separate tickets, each sector costing equiv of $250 aud.

However even though no flight connections were involved the travel agent but all different tickets on the same PNR.

As a result the earn came through as 1 pt per mile on the domestic sectors not $5 points per dollar (ie. 450 pts instead of 1250 pts. So after calling Velocity, he was told that this is correct as they were part of an international itinerary. So it seems they are basically earning as if they were on the same international through-fare, even though it is not and on separate tickets. So if the travel agent had put them in separate PNR they would have earnt at domestic rate not international rate. Seems wrong.

Also, last time this happened the call centre could see the flights were on a different tickets and corrected it immediately, this time the call centre said that was wrong and they shouldn't have done this.

Its only a 3000 pts, but it is the principle! Any Velocity "experts" know what the correct answer is?

 

[notzac]

I believe this is technically correct - if it's a through fare, there's no way to separate the $$ spent on the domestic segment and thus you can't earn points per $ - so it needs to be points per mile.

I think you've got a reasonable case if it was a completely separate ticket in the same PNR - recommend PM'ing the VFF rep here and see if you can get them to review?

 

[dajop]

I think you've got a reasonable case if it was a completely separate ticket in the same PNR - recommend PM'ing the VFF rep here and see if you can get them to review?

Yep completely separate ticket with dollar value of domestic tickets clearly visible. Thanks, I will PM VFF rep if we have no luck with call centre, who are just following the script and cannot deal with "outside of the box" issues. On a separate note the promo double miles for SQ flights taken in about 6 weeks ago didn't come through and that is another whole drama with the call centre. Organisations really need to empower someone in their call centres to troubleshoot issues that are a little bit different to normal, it is a bad reflection on the company, and just makes you want to direct business to companies who have got their call centres nailed, such as QF. Give me rude competency over polite incompetency any day.

 

[markis10]

I agree it should not be an issue, i you bought a domestic fare then the points should accrue as per that fare.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Tip:
If OP had booked for wife, personally on the VA website, for the flight from MEL to SYD, it would be 5 points per $1 paid for fare, excluding credit card surcharge.
If I were in the his position, I would have not gone through a T/A, and booked directly on the VA website.
Do not book anything in conjunction with SQ if you are a VR member, and want to collect as much points as possible. If VR member, book separately on the VA website. The earn rates are not worth paying the combo/or any fare, where there is even a smidgen of a link with SQ.
Eg, just 0.10 of miles flown, on cheaper fares (flying SQ metal but with VR miles collection).
OR 0.25 points of the miles collected flying NZ, with VR, but if booked on the VA website, earn rates are 0.50 point of miles flown.
Best of luck for the OP, fingers/paws crossed, but I don't hold a lot of hope that the 5 points per $1 paid will get amassed to her (OP's wife's account).