Involuntary flight change now original flight operating but won't re-instate

[Daver6]

After some advice from the experts here.

I used VS points to book award flights on GA. DPS direct to SOQ. A few months after booking the direct flights were scrapped so I was put on connecting flights via CGK. Far from ideal but need to get to my destination.

I just happened to check today and noticed the original direct GA flight is now running. I called VS and asked to have my original flight re-instated, especially given the change was involuntary. They advised that there were no partner award seats available to them and for me to contact GA directly to get some issued into the ticket. Contacted GA who said there is X available, they don't touch the ticket go back to VS.

I guess X isn't quite what VS need. Explained this to VS who then contacted GA directly. GA refused to released partner award seats to get my back on my original flight.

I then asked VS if I could just cancel the outbound leg, thinking I might just pay for the direct flight and keep the return. To do so, VS a) want to charge me as a voluntary change and b) tell me there are no partner award seats on the return sector anyway.

I don't really want to cancel the whole thing as I'd just have a bunch of VS points that will land up orphaned (I only transferred some Amex MR points in for these flights).

So thoughts, do I have any recourse to force GA to release partner award seats on my originally booked flights? Or do I just need to suck it up here?

Why this is a big deal is the direct flight is a 8:10am DPS departure verse a 9:40pm connecting flight in whY, so a night of no sleep.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

After some advice from the experts here.

I used VS points to book award flights on GA. DPS direct to SOQ. A few months after booking the direct flights were scrapped so I was put on connecting flights via CGK. Far from ideal but need to get to my destination.

I just happened to check today and noticed the original direct GA flight is now running. I called VS and asked to have my original flight re-instated, especially given the change was involuntary. They advised that there were no partner award seats available to them and for me to contact GA directly to get some issued into the ticket. Contacted GA who said there is X available, they don't touch the ticket go back to VS.

I guess X isn't quite what VS need. Explained this to VS who then contacted GA directly. GA refused to released partner award seats to get my back on my original flight.

I then asked VS if I could just cancel the outbound leg, thinking I might just pay for the direct flight and keep the return. To do so, VS a) want to charge me as a voluntary change and b) tell me there are no partner award seats on the return sector anyway.

I don't really want to cancel the whole thing as I'd just have a bunch of VS points that will land up orphaned (I only transferred some Amex MR points in for these flights).

So thoughts, do I have any recourse to force GA to release partner award seats on my originally booked flights? Or do I just need to suck it up here?

Why this is a big deal is the direct flight is a 8:10am DPS departure verse a 9:40pm connecting flight in whY, so a night of no sleep.

New ticket, new contract.

Appreciate the original flight has been reinstated, but trying to deal between parter airlines on this, especially when they probably don’t delve into the history of the booking, is complicated.

If this was you dealing with qantas/VA for a qantas or VA ticket, things would be a lot easier. And you’d have ACL to back you up.

 

[Daver6]

New ticket, new contract.

PNR and ticket numbers haven't changed though. Does that count for anything?

Edit: new ticket number, same PNR in closer inspection

Appreciate the original flight has been reinstated, but trying to deal between parter airlines on this, especially when they probably don’t delve into the history of the booking, is complicated.

GA actually acknowledged the changes

If this was you dealing with qantas/VA for a qantas or VA ticket, things would be a lot easier. And you’d have ACL to back you up.

Suspected as much. Thanks for the input.

 

[Daver6]

What's just as frustrating is I'd be willing to throw away the outbound flight, but by not boarding I'd lose the return.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

PNR and ticket numbers haven't changed though. Does that count for anything?


GA actually acknowledged the changes


Suspected as much. Thanks for the input.

I know what you mean… same PNR… but it’s like the ‘when flyahead backfires’ thread… once you’ve changed, you’ve changed and as far as most airpines are concerned, that’s your new contract with them.

In a way you’ve semi ‘voluntary accepted’ the change because the other option would have been a refund.

You might have some luck within 24 hours when the ticket goes over to airport control. But that’s leaving it quite late in case it doesn’t work out.

What's just as frustrating is I'd be willing to throw away the outbound flight, but by not boarding I'd lose the return.

You could try and ‘short segment’ the ticket… dropping the first segment, but there’d probably be fees involved. Unless you can convince VS to drop the fee given the circumstances?

 

[Daver6]

I know what you mean… same PNR… but it’s like the ‘when flyahead backfires’ thread… once you’ve changed, you’ve changed and as far as most airpines are concerned, that’s your new contract with them.

In a way you’ve semi ‘voluntary accepted’ the change because the other option would have been a refund.

Makes sense and pretty much what I feared

You might have some luck within 24 hours when the ticket goes over to airport control. But that’s leaving it quite late in case it doesn’t work out.

I'll be over-nighting at the Novotel DPS anyway, so could be a last ditch attempt.

You could try and ‘short segment’ the ticket… dropping the first segment, but there’d probably be fees involved. Unless you can convince VS to drop the fee given the circumstances?

VS want to charge a $50 USD change fee per person and since there are no partner award seats on the return sector, so they can't do it anyway.

 

[Aeryn]

Can they split the PNR?

The you should be able to write off the outbound whilst not risk losing the return.

On award seats there is generally no premium for one way tickets, so unless doing an OWA I will generally book the outbound and inbound under separate PNRs as this allows for maximum flexibility when stuff happens.

 

[Daver6]

Can they split the PNR?

Not sure. Will ask VS

The you should be able to write off the outbound whilst not risk losing the return.

On award seats there is generally no premium for one way tickets, so unless doing an OWA I will generally book the outbound and inbound under separate PNRs as this allows for maximum flexibility when stuff happens.

Hindsight

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Not sure. Will ask VS



Hindsight

I would also try asking if they can ’short-segment’ the ticket. That’s the terminology airlines have used when I’ve had a return ticket but wanted to refund the outbound (but keep the inbound - usually for fares where the return flights are sold individually).

Splitting a PNR generally means you have multiple passengers on a single booking and you want to split that, so that one or more passengers in the book g now has their own, separate booking.