J to Hawaii

[lovestotravel]

I cannot see how it is fixed. Just tried a dummy booking and it still just returns you to the search page with no result at all and no explanation. DUD. I can make a booking to LAX no problem so it's not browser related. I can only assume that they do not want customers.

Doing the same thing here when you select Business class, but works fine for Economy

 

[maninblack]

I assume you talked directly to the plat desk? If you can bare the frustration maybe call again and explain the situation and ask that they follow up with you on Monday. Make sure you get the agents name, I've had a few probs with agents not making any notes on my account in the past and having to rehash everything again.

Unfortunately my experience with the Platinum desk is that they cannot provide any assistance outside of simple domestic booking issues.

 

[dandandan]

I just checked now maninblack and you are able to book Y and J online as per yesterday. So maybe try again. UA_SYD, thanks for your post, I am just heading out so will come back on that.

I cannot see how it is fixed. Just tried a dummy booking and it still just returns you to the search page with no result at all and no explanation. DUD. I can make a booking to LAX no problem so it's not browser related. I can only assume that they do not want customers.

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  [*=center]2. Calendar
  [*=center]3. Select
  [*=center]4. Confirm
  [*=center]5. Passenger
  [*=center]6. Payment
  [*=center]7. Itinerary

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• Credit card purchases are subject to a surcharge of $25 AUD per passenger (except infants) per booking. This will be added to the total price of your fare on the payment page. Find out more about the credit card surcharges.
• If your itinerary includes a non-Virgin Australia International flight segment, please check the partner airline website for information about their in-flight entertainment and meal service offering.
• Guests who require assistance when travelling please read our Special Services Requests information.
• A child must travel with a passenger 15 years of age and over OR the parent/legal guardian. Passengers aged 12-15 may not be able to travel alone on services operated by our partner carriers, find out more by contacting our Guest Contact Centre.
• Baggage exceeding the fares included allowance will be subject to excess baggage charges.

[h=2]Fare Select [/h]Fares are per person, include taxes, fees and charges and are quoted in $AUD Fare Type Guide[h=3]Departing Flight - Sydney to Honolulu - Sun 31 Mar 2013[/h]Change Dates

Departing	Arrival	Flight	Business Deal	Business Flexi
Airbus Industrie A330-20021:20 Sydney	10:10 Honolulu	VA6970Operated by Hawaiian Airlines	$ 1548	$ 1958

[h=3]Returning Flight - Honolulu to Sydney - Thu 4 Apr 2013[/h]Change Dates

Departing	Arrival	Flight	Business Deal	Business Flexi
Airbus Industrie A330-20011:50 HonoluluThu 4 Apr	19:20 SydneyFri 5 Apr	VA6971Operated by Hawaiian Airlines	$ 1490	$ 1900

Flight operated by Hawaiian Airlines



[h=2]Fare Rules [/h][h=3]Departing Flight[/h]Select a flight and fare (above) to see rules here

[h=3]Returning Flight[/h]Select a flight and fare (above) to see rules here

Total Price (Including taxes and charges)

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Search AgainBook Now© 2009 Virgin Australia International Airlines Pty Ltd ABN 63 125 580 823

 

[maninblack]

Still cannot make a booking. I'm impressed

 

[dandandan]

I am sure you can on the website now, what route are you looking at?

Still cannot make a booking. I'm impressed

 

[maninblack]

I am sure you can on the website now, what route are you looking at?

Aha. It seems that you can but only from mid July onward and only on very limited days. This is a daily service SYD-HNL and HA has availability on nearly all the dates that VA does not so one can only assume that VA got a very small allocation as codeshare or there is still a glitch or both.

 

[dandandan]

Are you wanting for before July? You seem to be able to book up 9 tickets at once in any class. There is plenty of availability in March next year on nearly everyday however I did not check other dates.

It's is all well and good now that Virgin has fixed the problem, but we had to go and book direct with Hawaiian due to the incompetence in trying to book these flights through Virgin. I am sure plenty of others experienced the same problem.

The only correspondence we have had to date, in regards to the matter, was a call from group bookings saying the information they provided was correct. It is always good to find out after the fact that a group booking cannot be made unless all flights leave from same destination ("anyway 3x SYD 8x BNE to Honolulu return is not a group booking so we would not have been able to help you") and being told by the general call centre for bookings that 11 tickets is a group booking. I have become a big fan of Virgin and supporter I suppose. The changes they have made are great and yes mistakes and problems happen for which there is usually a solution etc however In this case it was simply call Hawaiian which is poor.

I really look forward to missing out on my PLAT 100% bonus points but at least I get the J status credits at same rate, with family pooling x3.

Aha. It seems that you can but only from mid July onward and only on very limited days. This is a daily service SYD-HNL and HA has availability on nearly all the dates that VA does not so one can only assume that VA got a very small allocation as codeshare or there is still a glitch or both.

 

[dandandan]

Just updating that Virgin's higher management has come to the party and offered us some excellent support and compensation after our experience in booking these flights. I think it shows their customer service is excellent and their willingness to try and fix genuine problems or compliant's is second to none.

Are you wanting for before July? You seem to be able to book up 9 tickets at once in any class. There is plenty of availability in March next year on nearly everyday however I did not check other dates.

It's is all well and good now that Virgin has fixed the problem, but we had to go and book direct with Hawaiian due to the incompetence in trying to book these flights through Virgin. I am sure plenty of others experienced the same problem.

The only correspondence we have had to date, in regards to the matter, was a call from group bookings saying the information they provided was correct. It is always good to find out after the fact that a group booking cannot be made unless all flights leave from same destination ("anyway 3x SYD 8x BNE to Honolulu return is not a group booking so we would not have been able to help you") and being told by the general call centre for bookings that 11 tickets is a group booking. I have become a big fan of Virgin and supporter I suppose. The changes they have made are great and yes mistakes and problems happen for which there is usually a solution etc however In this case it was simply call Hawaiian which is poor.

I really look forward to missing out on my PLAT 100% bonus points but at least I get the J status credits at same rate, with family pooling x3.

 

[ataline]

On a different note, my family and I are flying to Honolulu in a few weeks' time (half in business, half in economy). I'm trying to work out how many status credits that those in economy will earn, ie are they on a discount economy or a full economy rate. Their booking class is 'Q'. Any ideas?

 

[drewbles]

On a different note, my family and I are flying to Honolulu in a few weeks' time (half in business, half in economy). I'm trying to work out how many status credits that those in economy will earn, ie are they on a discount economy or a full economy rate. Their booking class is 'Q'. Any ideas?

Q is discount economy. Y/B/H would be full fare.

*edit*
only Y/B fares not Y/B/H

 

[ataline]

Interesting. Thanks for that.

On the Virgin site it states that Q class earns 1 velocity point per mile, whereas 'K' earns 0.5 points per mile. I didn't realise you could earn 'full' points on a discount ticket.

 

[drewbles]

Interesting. Thanks for that.

On the Virgin site it states that Q class earns 1 velocity point per mile, whereas 'K' earns 0.5 points per mile. I didn't realise you could earn 'full' points on a discount ticket.

Actually I was wrong. on DJ it's just Y/B that earn full fare SC's.

Saver fares (L/K/H) earn 1 point per mile
G/T/Q/V/U/N and E all earn 0.5 points per mile.

The earn page is here Points Earn with Airline Partners | Velocity Frequent Flyer and states that Q only earns 0.5 points per mile.

*edit*
These are the long haul rates, which are applicable to HNL.

 

[ataline]

Under the Hawaiian airlines section (scroll down the page) it says 1 point per mile for Q.

Anyway, I guess we will find out in a couple of weeks!

 

[drewbles]

Under the Hawaiian airlines section (scroll down the page) it says 1 point per mile for Q.

Anyway, I guess we will find out in a couple of weeks!

Ah my bad. Sorry

 

[jad01]

I just got back 2 weeks ago from a trip to Hawaii in business class so thought I'd share what my experience was which may answer some of the questions raised:

Route: Brisbane-Honolulu-Brisbane
Booked: online at virginaustralia.com.au
Class: return business class fare
Sectors:
BNE-SYD - Virgin Australia flight number and aircraft
SYD-HNL - Virgin Australia flight number, Hawaiian Airlines aircraft
Lounge access:
Brisbane - Virgin Australia lounge at domestic terminal
Sydney - pass given at check in for Air NZ lounge which both Virgin and Hawaiian use
Honolulu - Hawaiian's Premier club lounge
Access is based on business class fare, not sure about access if flying economy.
Points:
Some confusion here as the Velocity Terms and Conditions suggests that a VA ticketed flight with VA flight number earns points as per the VA long haul table. However points have been credited as per HA table.
Oddly HA sectors were credited within 6 days but the VA domestic sectors are still showing as PENDING.
As for status credits, you do earn status credits on HA flights regardless of whether you book with HA or VA.

Hope that helps clarify some of the points raised.