Is International Virgin Reward availability now worse that QANTAS?

[Captain hum]

'Scuse my ignorance, but are you able to go on a wait list for a J class reward seat with VA?

 

[CJEMNMAC]

That's very bad news. So it's not IT glitch or anything, just simply they decided to release only on the dates that has the least demand. Similar to QF's pattern. After all, I'm not surprised, because we have the duopoly and VA has been too generous in the past few years.

Yep pretty slim pickings. A few seats here and there between now and end January but virtually nothing. I agree that VA has coached the consumer a bit over the past few years on great availability as I know I have been successful on 4 occasions only 2 or 3 months out with dates I wanted being available.

Its very hard to scale back availability whilst increasing points offers / earning promotions etc and not be able to fulfill the increase in demand.

 

[VAG newbie]

'Scuse my ignorance, but are you able to go on a wait list for a J class reward seat with VA?

No you can't.

But seems like they are loading up the award seats now. In May 2016 it's looking pretty good. But mostly Tues-Thurs. It's not what it used to be like but not as bad as Qantas.

Nothing in late Jun and early Jul, but consider it's school holiday I'm not surprised.

 

[VAG newbie]

Yep pretty slim pickings. A few seats here and there between now and end January but virtually nothing. I agree that VA has coached the consumer a bit over the past few years on great availability as I know I have been successful on 4 occasions only 2 or 3 months out with dates I wanted being available.

Its very hard to scale back availability whilst increasing points offers / earning promotions etc and not be able to fulfill the increase in demand.

Those 100k sign up bonus ruined it!

 

[CJEMNMAC]

'Scuse my ignorance, but are you able to go on a wait list for a J class reward seat with VA?

No. They work on the system if its available you can have it. You pretty much have to keep checking regularly for availabillty and take it if you see it

 

[CJEMNMAC]

Those 100k sign up bonus ruined it!

Yes indeed ....Guilty !

 

[hummel]

There are some heavy weight journalist onto this now. VA has been promoting themselves as the "best award redemption availability in the pacific", they can't just claim one thing and win the reward yet back on what they advertised for.

Let's keep an eye and see how this pen out. It will be bad publicity if people starting to know that VA is now worse than Qantas.

What.. AusBT? They can't be too critical... they've still got to get their free flights somehow!

I think i'll keep 100k for domestic and move the rest to SQ... something to do with R class I think...

 

[VAG newbie]

What.. AusBT? They can't be too critical... they've still got to get their free flights somehow!

I think i'll keep 100k for domestic and move the rest to SQ... something to do with R class I think...

Well, it worked. VA released some seats next Apr and May!

I on the other hand, will use my VA points for mostly EY redemption. I'll use LM for US bound trip. (Via Asia)

 

[hummel]

Well, it worked. VA released some seats next Apr and May!

I on the other hand, will use my VA points for mostly EY redemption. I'll use LM for US bound trip. (Via Asia)

Yeah I'm probably more interesting in using them for EY awards however am not too familiar with the EY product and booking via VA. Need to do some research.

 

[VAG newbie]

Yeah I'm probably more interesting in using them for EY awards however am not too familiar with the EY product and booking via VA. Need to do some research.

It's not hard. If there is a VA code shared flight (eg. to LHR), you just book online. Sometimes the availability is better than Etihad Guest itself (Don't ask me why. But recently I've heard someone who can find 4 x J seat SYD-AUH-LHR on VA coded EY flight, even though Etihad guest shows zero guest seat. Definitely not phantom because he called Velocity and they say it is there!).

For non VA coded flight, all you need to do is search availability on Etihad's website and look for guest seat when you search "book with miles". Occasionally you can't find 2 flights in one award (eg. BNE-GRU), this is because it is beyond Etihad Guest's routing rule. But if you search segment by segment, in this gase, BNE-AUH and AUH to GRU, if both segments are available, you can book them as one award with VA, as long as it is within 15000 miles total in distance. Just call Velocity and feed them the flight number. If it is over 15000, then unfortunately you will need 2 awards. So BNE-AUH-LAX is not allowed.

I did it myself. GRU-AUH-BNE for 125K VA points in J. It is just under the limit, 14993 miles in total!

 

[bulldog88]

That's very bad news. So it's not IT glitch or anything, just simply they decided to release only on the dates that has the least demand. Similar to QF's pattern. After all, I'm not surprised, because we have the duopoly and VA has been too generous in the past few years.

Maybe VA is anticipating less J seat availability & better paid J demand in their refreshed 77W's to LAX

 

[Spacetravel]

A special tip, i've found VA release reward seats about 2-3 days out from the flight. I've done 2 return trips to LAX in the last 2 months and all 4 flights I wasn't able to get reward seats prior but on 2-3 days out the seats became available so I called and upgraded.

Still, seems like everyone else said, they are holding back. I hardly had any issues before finding a date give or take 1-2 days. Now every time I call I check syd and bne 4 days either side of when I want to go and almost never (unless like I said its 2-3 days before).

 

[serfty]

Also, North American bloggers have been promoting the availability of 80K one way rewards with DL.

FWIW, I recently booked business for LAX-MEL for Mid June at 328 days (could have been BNE or SYD at 330 - the MEL connection from either is two days later, so it was a tremulous wait.) Note that Tue and Thu are 'optimum' days.

Another good way to search is using the Delta award booking engine - shows availability 5 weeks at a time (look for 80k).

 

[mlob]

Been having a little hunt around looking at Abu Dhabi availability. Its rare as hence teeth, have been looking at maximum days out and nada. One of the things I had previously loved about Velocity, and why I changed our earning focus was due to the excellent availability and the fact I could get 4 business award seats on the one international flight for my family. This is looking scary and I do think we should stay noisy on the topic. The fact now that thousands of extra points have flooded the program via credit card deals will not be helping the situation either.

 

[VAG newbie]

Been having a little hunt around looking at Abu Dhabi availability. Its rare as hence teeth, have been looking at maximum days out and nada. One of the things I had previously loved about Velocity, and why I changed our earning focus was due to the excellent availability and the fact I could get 4 business award seats on the one international flight for my family. This is looking scary and I do think we should stay noisy on the topic. The fact now that thousands of extra points have flooded the program via credit card deals will not be helping the situation either.

From unconfirmed source, VA will release award seats differently than it used to be. Nothing will be released at 12 months out apparently.

Time to change loyalty!

 

[mlob]

From unconfirmed source, VA will release award seats differently than it used to be. Nothing will be released at 12 months out apparently.

Time to change loyalty!

Interesting if not unpleasant information. Is it possible to get more information on this? Velocity need to inform us of there new methodology so people can make plans! Not using the same methodology of nearly every other frequent flyer program out there does make things difficult!!

 

[VAG newbie]

Interesting if not unpleasant information. Is it possible to get more information on this? Velocity need to inform us of there new methodology so people can make plans! Not using the same methodology of nearly every other frequent flyer program out there does make things difficult!!

I think VA themselves have no idea at this stage, but certainly things are changing.

Are Velocity actively cutting Virgin Australia Premium award seat availability to the US? Seems like it. - Point Hacks

 

[mlob]

Interestingly, I just had a little hunt around on Qantas and now finding good availability at 335 days out for 4 business seats to Dubai! I never use to find 4 seats!! Thinking the OP is correct in saying Velocity availability is WORSE then Qantas! :-(

 

[justcallmeryan]

Just my two cents here but I suspect this has to do with the re-fit and launching of what is supposed to be the best trans-pac J product. I am not surprised they would reduce the amount of award seats hoping for increase in revenue. I agree they must be careful to not piss off their FFers (i've managed to secure many of the SYD - LAX points upgrades to LAX over the years) but the $$ value of these supposed new seats could be quite a good win for VA.

Interestingly, about a month ago I started looking and planning for a SYD - LAX return in March 2016. Normally I would secure my Flexi Y fares in October/November and easily enough get the upgrades for the days I was after. However, availability was basically zero... I was only able to secure the return upgrade in J and the flight up in Y+. And the dates I chose were the only that were available by a long shot. When I spoke to the Plat line all of the reps had no idea what had happened to the availability and were quite surprised that there was nothing that far in advance.

Hopefully things will change in the near future.....

 

[Steve Dyer]

I am in the same position... I am now on my second trip this year to the states and have had ZERO success at all for J upgrade, or even PE with in any date ranges I have searched, previous occasions over the last 4 years, never a problem.... It really is annoying...