Earning status credits on trans Tasman Air NZ flights

[ontheaisle]

I'm hoping someone can clarify something for me...

I'm looking at booking flights to Queenstown in July and figured I would take a Virgin ticketed flight operated by Air NZ as I'm looking to build up Velocity status. I've looked at the Velocity website and I'm a bit confused by the small print (might just be Mondayitis):

"Velocity Points and Status Credits cannot be earned on:*~Virgin Australia codeshare services are operated by Air New Zealand T, V, Q, N, E, U, M and S are ineligible to earn Velocity Points and Status Credits when travelling on domestic connections within New Zealand."

Does this mean that non-earning only applies to codeshare NZ domestic flights, i.e. a trans Tasman flight will earn Velocity points and status credits, even if it's in one of the mentioned booking classes?

 

[bullerdude]

That's correct as far as I am aware. I have always earned status credits as normal for the trans tasmain legs when booking via NZ but you will not earn status credits for any domestic leg on the same ticket if its in those classes.

 

[notzac]

All international NZ flights (in appropriate booking classes) will earn points and SCs. Domestic NZ flights generally earn nothing (domestic flights will generally book in to non-earning fare classes).

 

[roby]

The NZ domestic flights did earn points and status when the alliance first started. The non earning arrangement took place at a time when these flights earned nothing in their Airpoints programme and many Airpoints members protested. In order not to make themselves look too stupid, NZ took the action.

Of course, now all flights are accruable (except some grabaseat fares) in the Airpoints program and perhaps they should review this arrangement again.

 

[ontheaisle]

Thanks everyone for the speedy responses! Glad to know I wasn't as muddled as I thought

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

The only way to avoid getting a non earning S class, is to book via AKL, in J/C/D and then AKL to ZQN, on that same ticket, and you get a Y on the Air NZ dom sectors.
Anything else, grabaseat and its ilk, will give you S class.
You can go and play on the Air NZ website, and put in J $$$ Aust to NZ.
Whether you fly NZ or VA in J, earning SC will be at the same rate, but you earn less FF milage by going NZ than VA.
If you do want to earn max SC, fly into NZ in J, and then fly full Y from AKL to ZQN.
If you do want to earn max FF, then fly VA, but loose by only getting S class NZ dom.

 

[ontheaisle]

I ended up booking a flight + accommodation package through Virgin Holidays because the price was very appealing (especially with the 10% discount offer going at the moment) - $720 each return to Queenstown direct for five nights! Plus I get just over 5000 Velocity points and, since the fares ticketed in Q bucket, status credits. A win all around

Now the question is whether I should try to fit in a second trip in early September for that price

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Q bucket from am an AU city into ZQN?
If yes, good outcome.
If Q bucket to AKL or CHC, then dom NZ to ZQN, watch out.

 

[ontheaisle]

SYD-ZQN direct. Only going for six days so didn't want to be faffing about with connections, especially since I'll be taking my own snowboard and gear this time.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Very very good.
Now we all know.
My previous idea was a very expensive one.
You found a cheaper option
And Q class of bucket earns discY both with VA and NZd!

 

[freakyfly]

I flew SYD-CHC in T on a trans tasman smart saver fare then returned AKL-SYD in a fully flexi fare in Q class but only got 15 velocity status credits in both. Shouldn't flexi economy get 30 SC?

 

[Cryptarcadian]

Unfortunately Q on NZ is only considered Discount Economy, according to this: https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/content/Info/StatusEarnFareClass/

If I remember correctly, flexis on NZ are just a fixed extra cost on top of any Y ticket, and the underlying fare class doesn't change. It's an add-on, like seat+bag or whatever.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Even paying more for a Works Deluxe seat will not earn extra SCs.

 

[TomVexille]

Even paying more for a Works Deluxe seat will not earn extra SCs.

No, you have to book a flexi fare

 

[freakyfly]

No, you have to book a flexi fare

I booked through the ANZ website and booked a Tasman Flexi fare for my return leg. Unfortunately I assumed this was the full price economy ticket for SC as I was also offered the Tasman Saver on that leg. Clearly the Flexi label and price only reflected that I could change the date/time and was not full economy, although there were no other economy choices offered. Only when my SC's were credited to my VA account did I find out I'd paid extra for nothing as I had no intention of ever changing/cancelling the ticket. Feel pretty conned really.