Is ANZ a real partner airline with VA?

[lissthree]

Does being a velocity member actually allow you access to a reward OR any seat access on ANZ flights between Auckland and Vancouver?

I am looking at a one way flight from AKL to YVR and I can see today on expertflyer that ANZ has 4 premium economy award seats(A) on MANY different flights in both Dec this year( even around premium xmas time) and even the magical 11mths 1 day rule out in May 2015(and on various random dates in between when I do mock searches) but when I ring MCC they tell me that there are none and that VA doesn't get access to any other seats EXCEPT reward seats!! And there are seats available for the general public to buy today so why can't I access those?

Yet on Veolcity's web page it says that ANZ is one Virgin Australia's SELECT airline partners. How is this a partnership at all if you can never access not just a rewards seat, but ANY seat?

 

[Velocity Frequent Flyer]

Hi Lissthree,

Our points burn agreement with Air NZ includes Economy Class and Business Class but not Premium Economy.

You could consider flying AKL - SYD - YVR using VA in Prem Econ over the Tasman and Pacific sectors?

Hope that helps.
Regards,

 

[Mwenenzi]

Reports on FT are that Air NZ now offers very very few award seats. Any seat access is not the same as award seats
What happens to NZ? Very hard to get business class award seat nowadays! - FlyerTalk Forums

Agreed that NZ is pretty much impossible now to get any J award space on (barring PVG and NRT routes),

 

[lissthree]

Thanks for the fast response VFF.

Problem is I am an Aussie and would be flying to AKL to take the NZ flight to YVR!! Was trying to avoid LAX if possible which I have to fly through if I took the VA option .... AND it appears that VA only release 1 award seat in PE from all the mock dates I have entered.

Would consider getting the business award seat on ANZ but can anyone give me an approximate idea on how many V points that would burn?
Thanks.

 

[lissthree]

PS. And thanks Mwenenzi but yes I did know that any seat is not the same as an award seat. Thus my frustration with it being considered a partner airline : no award seats AND no PE any seats.

 

[Mwenenzi]

..Would consider getting the business award seat on ANZ but can anyone give me an approximate idea on how many V points that would burn?

The chances of getting an award business seat with Air NZ to North America are extremely low to nil, so just forget about it

 

[serfty]

As an AirNZ *E for the last 6 years I can safely state reward seats are almost impossible these days in premium cabins.

That's not why my *E expires next month, but it is related - they have halved the number of confirmed upgrades avaliable to Elite.

This week I booked a Velocity LAX-MEL award in March for 94k and $25.75 ...

 

[lissthree]

Thanks serfty Will just hope that SOME award seats in business and x1 in PE are available when I need to start booking with VA. Otherwise maybe I can try and find some ways to use the V pt's with Delta and Hawaiian as I've got 5 flights in North America to also book.Just have to figure out which ones will be the best use of my points.. Or is that an oxymoron?? Lol