Gold Velocity FF wondering best VA airline partner to travel to London with.

[CeeJayOz]

Have you got a link for that? I've never heard of this?

EDIT: Found it: Virgin Atlantic | Promotions | My Virgin Money

They don't exactly go out of their way to publicise that!

Wish I'd known about that about 4 weeks ago! Oh well - next time.

 

[grubbidok]

AFAIK [as far as I know] Virgin Australia's website won't let you book flights with Virgin Atlantic. (They will push you towards Etihad... or Singapore at a pinch I believe).

You'll need to book direct with Virgin Atlantic.

Expedia or Kayak or similar will be good for finding the best days to fly if you want to keep the costs down.

Yep. I believe as a general rule VA SYD/MEL/BNE to Europe go through EY, and ADL/PER via SQ. VA will only put you on VS to Hong Kong from SYD, and even then sometimes it's via SQ. Much better going through the sites if you specifically want one carrier over the other.

I also find ITA quite useful for comparing: http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

 

[drewbles]

I never knew about the discount from the Virgin Flyer cards. That's good to know. Slightly OT but any other discounts we should know about?

None I know of unfortunately, no.

Have you got a link for that? I've never heard of this?

EDIT: Found it: Virgin Atlantic | Promotions | My Virgin Money

They don't exactly go out of their way to publicise that!

Exactly. It used to be kind of available from the Virgin Money site, but then it got de-linked and buried away. It seems to be constantly renewed with the expiry date too, as it was originally expiring June 2012. I don't know anyone that's tried to use it but I almost attempted to take advantage of it recently.

 

[notzac]

I'd agree with the recommendation to fly with VS - I did the SYD-LHR return journey with them and quite enjoyed it. The clubhouse in HKG is great, but if you want a shower and you're connecting straight through, you have to get off the plane quickly and make straight for the clubhouse (they don't have that many shower stalls and so they fill up). On the return, leave yourself a good few hours to enjoy the LHR clubhouse - it's easily the best business class lounge going and rivals quite a few first class lounges (though the QF first lounges in SYD and MEL are definitely superior).

Lastly, if you want the slightly larger amount of points and SCs - book a stopover both ways in HKG (most fares should allow this) -- if you're travelling on a discounted economy ticket, it means that you'll get 140 SCs (for SYD-HKG-LHR-HKG-SYD) rather than 100 SCs (for SYD-LHR-SYD).

 

[gee.]

if you want the slightly larger amount of points and SCs - book a stopover both ways in HKG (most fares should allow this) -- if you're travelling on a discounted economy ticket, it means that you'll get 140 SCs (for SYD-HKG-LHR-HKG-SYD) rather than 100 SCs (for SYD-LHR-SYD).

Is this even with the switch to the new system , and VA changing the way sc are calculated on multi stop flights ?

 

[BrentH]

Is this even with the switch to the new system , and VA changing the way sc are calculated on multi stop flights ?

Yes.

I booked a stopover one way.

The issue is SYD-LHR has a single flight number. So it counts as one "sector", even though it stops in HKG.

 

[AnneMarie999]

I have flown VS SYD to LHR and return several times. Have flown PE and Upper Class and highly recommend them. The Heathrow clubhouse is awesome and agree with previous comments to give yourself time to enjoy! last year I spent hour or so in the vodka lounge enjoying variety of grey goose coughtails Then had massage in the beauty salon (make booking as soon as you enter). HKG lounge much smaller but very nice also. Get in early for showers.... Can't comment on other airlines as haven't flown them. Enjoy your trip and let us know how you found it

 

[gee.]

Just booked my flights to London return on VS premium product , thanks for all the advice will report with full feedback ! should make it to platinum status , but hopefully won't be flying as much after my return !

 

[Fantic125]

<snip>, but hopefully won't be flying as much after my return !

:shock:

With a statement like that you should be expelled from this forum!

 

[gee.]

:shock:

With a statement like that you should be expelled from this forum!

Only so many cold meat / salad / sandwiches and security checks a girl can put up with !!!

 

[dmw144]

I didnt have time to read all the recommendations so don't know if this has been mentioned - but if u go through SQ (singapore airlines) then u can credit to A3 FF program as well as receive the benefits of being velocity elite - gets you the lounge access on this trip and should make u Star alliance gold on all future ones for the next 3 years

dmw

 

[k3nnis]

Do you mean a return SYD-SIN-LHR on SQ crediting to A3 FF program will get your Star Alliance Gold? Is this in Y?

I didnt have time to read all the recommendations so don't know if this has been mentioned - but if u go through SQ (singapore airlines) then u can credit to A3 FF program as well as receive the benefits of being velocity elite - gets you the lounge access on this trip and should make u Star alliance gold on all future ones for the next 3 years

dmw

 

[dmw144]

Basically YES

You will need to check A3's crediting rules as to what gets 100% (but i think singapore airlines is pretty decent for that) and provided it gets to about 19,000 miles then you are good to go - A3 gives you the first 1000 miles of the 20k miles needed to makes gold from memory. I'm not too sure what their redemption rates are like - u will need to check those out for yourself - but seems a pretty decent way to make *gold (and then make 1 trip on a * carrier every 2-3 yrs crediting it to A3 to keep it ongoing - quick trip across the ditch to NZ on Air NZ for example).

That gives u a few more options in future if virgin continues to make people unhappy.

dmw

 

[k3nnis]

Thanks dmw. I will look into this

 

[hummel]

Thanks dmw. I will look into this

k3nnis,

Did you happen to take up the KLM Skyteam Gold offer a month or so ago? If so perhaps you could use this as leverage to get *Gold without actually flying..

 

[k3nnis]

Hi Hummel,

No I didin't I missed out.

Can a *Gold access SIN SKL or only the gold lounge?

k3nnis,

Did you happen to take up the KLM Skyteam Gold offer a month or so ago? If so perhaps you could use this as leverage to get *Gold without actually flying..

 

[hummel]

Hi Hummel,

No I didin't I missed out.

Can a *Gold access SIN SKL or only the gold lounge?

Bugger. Only Gold lounge I'm afraid. I was in the SKL lounge a weeks ago, the showers were nice...

 

[k3nnis]

Ok thanks. Is it only no access to SKL in SIN? Other countries is good for access?

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

Lastly, if you want the slightly larger amount of points and SCs - book a stopover both ways in HKG (most fares should allow this) -- if you're travelling on a discounted economy ticket, it means that you'll get 140 SCs (for SYD-HKG-LHR-HKG-SYD) rather than 100 SCs (for SYD-LHR-SYD).

I tried to do this recently, it sent the price of the ticket up quite substantially, higher than picking Premium Economy on one of the legs (which is what I went for in the end as it will get me to Gold and again enjoying the Virgin Clubhouse in London).

 

[rtyuiop]

Ok thanks. Is it only no access to SKL in SIN? Other countries is good for access?

Yeah, gold/plat VFF (and Krisflyer elites too, I believe) only get access to a special 'gold' lounge in SIN (Silver Kris Lounge is just for J/F passengers - silver is better than gold in this case). It's not a *bad* lounge (although the one in T3 often seems slightly warmer than it should be!), but infuriatingly for connecting passengers has neither showers nor WCs. Having said that, SIN does have decent options available outside the loungs for both, so it's not as bad as it could be, I suppose.

Airports other than SIN just have normal SKL access. Be aware that where SQ uses a contract-operated lounge, Velocity elites won't have access... Although frequently I've been given an invite when I shouldn't have, in locations where they don't see Velocity cards all that often!