Fly Forward scam

[bluenics]

Just got to the airport four hours before my 4pm flight SYD - MEL, as I had to urgently get back to SYD. I was on a flexi ticket and VA WP.

Asked to service desk in the lounge to fly forward and they said no availability sorry(didn't even look it up on his computer).

I went online where seats were showing on the 2pm and 3pm both economy and business.

Ended up buying a ticket 3pm flight as I had to get home.

Looks like fly forward only applies when it's convenient for VA.

Thanks for going above and beyond Virgin, couple this with the cheap soup in the lounge and I'm off to QA.

 

[TomVexille]

I'll just leave this here

 

[Milefest]

Seats being displayed as vacant isn't a reliable way to find the loading of a flight.

Looks like fly forward only applies when it's convenient for VA.

As stated in the T&Cs:

22.5 Fly Ahead

...

22.5.5 Fulfilment of a Member’s request is not guaranteed <snip>

Thanks for going above and beyond Virgin, couple this with the cheap soup in the lounge and I'm off to QA.

Everyone has issues with airlines now and then, at least fly ahead is available (most of the time), many airlines do not even have that benefit.

Hopefully you'll have better luck next time!

 

[bluenics]

This makes me feel better, someone get me a wambulance

 

[blueturkey]

I've always found the SYD lounge crew considerably less helpful for upgrades or fly ahead.

 

[bean]

I've always found the SYD lounge crew considerably less helpful for upgrades or fly ahead.

The Sydney staff can be pretty unfriendly at times-one time my gold membership had expired by one week. The lady at the priority entry cut my card in half and told me I had to walk around to the 'normal' lounge entry lol

 

[Dannyism]

Wow, pretty rough stories here.

I've had exceptionally good experiences flying ahead and with Sydney premium entry.

Sorry to hear about the bad experiences. Give 'em hell on their facebook page and lodge a complaint.

 

[PDog]

Just got to the airport four hours before my 4pm flight SYD - MEL, as I had to urgently get back to SYD. I was on a flexi ticket and VA WP.

Asked to service desk in the lounge to fly forward and they said no availability sorry(didn't even look it up on his computer).

I went online where seats were showing on the 2pm and 3pm both economy and business.

Ended up buying a ticket 3pm flight as I had to get home.

Looks like fly forward only applies when it's convenient for VA.

Thanks for going above and beyond Virgin, couple this with the cheap soup in the lounge and I'm off to QA.

Which lounge? You were flying Syd-Mel, but urgently had to get back to Syd? Just asking as in my experience Melb staff are very flexible. Apparently fly-ahead is taken advantage of & they are cracking down (or so I heard in Bris). Send feedback.

 

[Mattg]

Which lounge? You were flying Syd-Mel, but urgently had to get back to Syd? Just asking as in my experience Melb staff are very flexible. Apparently fly-ahead is taken advantage of & they are cracking down (or so I heard in Bris). Send feedback.

What's there to crack down on? It's an advertised status benefit - of course people are going to try to use it.

 

[PDog]

What's there to crack down on? It's an advertised status benefit - of course people are going to try to use it.

Apparently those who regularly purchase the 8pm flight but fly forward to the 4pm. I don't know the details of the policy, but I think the fare class has to match now? Doesn't make sense for a flexi though?

 

[Mattg]

Apparently those who regularly purchase the 8pm flight but fly forward to the 4pm. I don't know the details of the policy, but I think the fare class has to match now? Doesn't make sense for a flexi though?

Fair enough then...

That's correct. Officially there needs to be a remaining seat in the originally booked fare class. There are 5 Flexi fare classes, so it is possible for the original fare class to be sold out, even on a Flexi fare.

If this was the case though, why wouldn't Virgin offer to change the OP's flight and just charge the fare difference?

 

[JohnK]

What's there to crack down on? It's an advertised status benefit - of course people are going to try to use it.

Sometimes the only option with specials are for last flight of the night only. Other flights could be $40-$50 higher or more.

I booked an 8:05pm OOL-SYD flight in July and will more than likely turn up early and try for earlier flight.

 

[PDog]

Fair enough then...

That's correct. Officially there needs to be a remaining seat in the originally booked fare class. There are 5 Flexi fare classes, so it is possible for the original fare class to be sold out, even on a Flexi fare.

If this was the case though, why wouldn't Virgin offer to change the OP's flight and just charge the fare difference?

Exactly. And I think the terms say 'same or lower class' so on a flexi wouldn't any saver fares count also? If they were available, of course.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

If you are on a flexi fare you shouldn't even need to rely on "fly ahead". You should be able to change the booking yourself online.
Subject to availability, any fare difference, blah blah blah.

 

[Dannyism]

Apparently those who regularly purchase the 8pm flight but fly forward to the 4pm. I don't know the details of the policy, but I think the fare class has to match now? Doesn't make sense for a flexi though?

I regularly do this...

BNE to MEL for example, often 120 to book the saver last flight at 8pm, arrive at the airport at 4pm and take the flight that would have cost 180 or more... I usually check availability on the flight beforehand and make sure savers and reward are available..

Also, you aren't supposed to fly ahead when you have checked baggage, but have let me do this every time, so maybe they will crack down on that.

 

[yohy?!]

If you are on a flexi fare you shouldn't even need to rely on "fly ahead". You should be able to change the booking yourself online.
Subject to availability, any fare difference, blah blah blah.

this.

asking for fly forward on a flexi ticket seems redundant - this was simply a change to your ticket in line with the fare conditions, next time get the call centre to do it or insist they check the availability and process the change. seems like a simple miscommunication.

 

[Milefest]

I bought a reduced fare BNE-SYD $95, arrived 13 hours early for the $172 flight, had no problems and still got row 3.

Last 12 months I've had 100% success on getting an earlier flight - I haven't seen them cracking down on this benefit at all.

 

[JohnK]

Also, you aren't supposed to fly ahead when you have checked baggage, but have let me do this every time, so maybe they will crack down on that.

Never had an issue fly forward with checked luggage. I have even been paged in lounge and asked if I wanted to go on earlier flight and they will move luggage as well.

This is one thing you cannot do with Qantas once you have checked in.

 

[Bagpuss]

I think the terms say 'same or lower class'

That's my understanding and that you have hand-luggage only. Though never used the service (yet).
Though I believe the new check-in system will allow any customer to fly-ahead (if an earlier flight is possible) which is what Qantas has done for years. It's probably as random as Qantas at offering too probably.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

That's my understanding and that you have hand-luggage only. Though never used the service (yet).
Though I believe the new check-in system will allow any customer to fly-ahead (if an earlier flight is possible) which is what Qantas has done for years. It's probably as random as Qantas at offering too probably.

Qantas allow it when it suits them only