Multiple schedule changes on MEL-PER J award booking

[jaysquared]

I just wanted to share my experience with an Velocity award booking with multiple schedule changes. I had some Etihad Guest Reward points to burn and found Business award availability for the Easter weekend.

Route: MEL-PER
Class: (the) Business (A330)
Outbound: VA679 | 30/03/18 (Good Friday) | 09:05-10:25
Inbound: VA698 | 02/04/18 (Easter Monday) | 23:45-05:15+1
Status: Velocity Silver (from Flybuys…)

22/11/2017
I booked the flight for me via Etihad Guest Rewards and for my wife via Velocity Points. I then called the Velocity hotline to link these two bookings together and to reserve seats.

27/12/2017
My wife received a schedule change notification for the return flight, as the original flight was cancelled. I did not receive any notification, despite the booking being linked to my Velocity account.
VA678 | 03/04/18 (Tuesday) | 06:00-11:30 | A330
That would have meant booking a hotel, getting up at 4 AM and missing half a day at work. So I called the Velocity hotline. They could not help me right away, as my booking was made by Etihad and my wife's by Velocity, but referred me to the complaints form on the website. So I asked to be booked on the 14:00 A330 service on Monday via this form.

11/01/2018
After some back and forth, they offered to change it to a midday flight on a 737. No flexibility, compensation or apology here. They reserved the award for me, so I could go ahead and call Etihad to rebook. Etihad was very sorry for the situation and changed the flight free of charge. I then called Velocity again to confirm the flight change for my wife and to reserve seats.
VA688 | 02/04/18 | 13:35-19:10 | B737

31/01/2018
My wife received another schedule change notification for the return flight. The 13:35 flight was cancelled and we were put on the 14:00 A330 service.
VA690 | 02/04/18 | 14:00-19:30 | A330

So back in "the Business". A few hours less in Perth, but no short red-eye either. I hope the scheduling department at Virgin made up their minds for good now…
Interestingly our original flight VA698 is back on schedule and has award availability. But if I wanted to change back to the original booking I would probably need to pay a change fee now...

Learnings:
1) I should have booked the outbound for the both of us via Etihad and the inbound for the both of us via Velocity to avoid having two separate bookings.
2) I am glad that I had them link the 2 bookings. I learned that from a previous flight cancellation, where my wife and me were put on different flights.

 

[Must...Fly!]

"Linking" the bookings does little else but add a note in each PNR. It doesn't do anything material in terms of ensuring seating together, or consistent change if cancelled, etc.

 

[jaysquared]

"Linking" the bookings does little else but add a note in each PNR. It doesn't do anything material in terms of ensuring seating together, or consistent change if cancelled, etc.

That's what they told me the first time our flight got cancelled and it worked this time. But we all know there is never any guarantee in the airline industry.
Regarding seats. We were on 1A/C on the 737 and are now on 1A/K on the A330... So that didn't work, but we actually prefer to both have window seats.

 

[Jack_OC]

That's what they told me the first time our flight got cancelled and it worked this time. .

Did it work? The way you have explained it above, it looks like it didn't help at all. You said you linked the bookings as soon as you made them (presumably before any schedule changes), but then when the first problem arose you said "My wife received a schedule change notification for the return flight, as the original flight was cancelled. I did not receive any notification, despite the booking being linked to my Velocity account." Also when the second problem occurred, you only mention that your wife got a notification about her booking changing.

FWIW, you should have received a notification whether or not the bookings were linked - since you have a booking in your own right, they are obviously obliged to tell you if your plans have changed.

Sorry if I'm missing something, but from what you have told us, it's not obvious that linking the bookings achieved anything.

 

[jaysquared]

Sorry if I'm missing something, but from what you have told us, it's not obvious that linking the bookings achieved anything.

Oh, our flights received the same changes, only that I didn't receive any notification and that having two separate bookings made it more complicated to solve the issue.

I asked Etihad about the missing notification and they only told me to always check for schedule changes 2 days before departure...

 

[Jack_OC]

Oh, our flights received the same changes, only that I didn't receive any notification and that having two separate bookings made it more complicated to solve the issue.

I asked Etihad about the missing notification and they only told me to always check for schedule changes 2 days before departure...

Ok, thanks. Still not convinced that linking the bookings made any difference though. When a flight is cancelled, it is often the case that a large proportion of people booked on it will be moved to the same alternative flight. This happened me last week with SQ - I was booked on the same flight as my wife and kids, but they were on one booking, and I was on another - not linked in any way. The flight we were booked on was cancelled, and we were all moved onto the same alternative flight without asking. I'd say there is a strong chance that would have happened in your situation even if your bookings were not linked.

Anyway, no harm in linking the bookings in this situation, just don't assume it will help!

 

[Must...Fly!]

Ok, thanks. Still not convinced that linking the bookings made any difference though. When a flight is cancelled, it is often the case that a large proportion of people booked on it will be moved to the same alternative flight. This happened me last week with SQ - I was booked on the same flight as my wife and kids, but they were on one booking, and I was on another - not linked in any way. The flight we were booked on was cancelled, and we were all moved onto the same alternative flight without asking. I'd say there is a strong chance that would have happened in your situation even if your bookings were not linked.

Anyway, no harm in linking the bookings in this situation, just don't assume it will help!

This is true. Also, if it was done manually, if the agent who did it was paying attention, seeing two people with the same surname in seats next to each other on the to-be-removed flight, it's a fair bet they're travelling together and you'll keep them together.

 

[Bagpuss]

But if I wanted to change back to the original booking I would probably need to pay a change fee now...

I would call velocity as they can see the scheduling changes (which aren't your fault), they could you move you back without any change fee.

 

[jaysquared]

I would call velocity as they can see the scheduling changes (which aren't your fault), they could you move you back without any change fee.

Probably. But they could also argue that it's only a 25 minute schedule change now. And I have to deal with Velocity and Etihad. That takes a lot of time on the phone. And while the earlier flight leaves us less time in Perth, the arrival time in Melbourne is much more convenient.

They also have availability on the 17:25 flight, which would be a good time and it's scheduled as A330 now. But that might change, as it was scheduled as 737 up until yesterday and the 14:00 service we are on already has more than 8 seats occupied in business.

I will leave it for now and wait for the next schedule changes...

 

[Bagpuss]

Probably. But they could also argue that it's only a 25 minute schedule change now. And I have to deal with Velocity and Etihad.

Interesting, I would have thought you'd only have to call Velocity as you have already been ticketed.

 

[jaysquared]

Interesting, I would have thought you'd only have to call Velocity as you have already been ticketed.

I would need to call Velocity to reserve the award for my wife to make sure we end up on the same flight . Then I would need to call Etihad to change my flight. And then I would need to call Velocity again to confirm my wife's flight change.

Theoretically they could change my flight. They did it with the schedule change after all. But they are not willing to if you don't book directly with them.

To make things worse, Velocity has to take the inventory Virgin makes available for them according to the hotline.

 

[jaysquared]

My instinct was right. The 17:25 flight is back to a 737... Is that a tactic to sell more "the business" tickets and then downgrade without compensation?

Being from Germany, the 737 business class is still better than anything we get in Europe, but worlds apart from the A330.

 

[glasszon]

My instinct was right. The 17:25 flight is back to a 737... Is that a tactic to sell more "the business" tickets and then downgrade without compensation?

Being from Germany, the 737 business class is still better than anything we get in Europe, but worlds apart from the A330.

Sounds like a mess, I wonder whether it's done automatically by the computer based on load factors and forecasts.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Sounds like a mess, I wonder whether it's done automatically by the computer based on load factors and forecasts.

I can assure you that it is not.

 

[jaysquared]

Just saw that the outbound flight was downgraded to 737 for now. Seat assignments were changed from 1A/2A to 1A/1F...
VA679 | 30/03/18 (Good Friday) | 09:05-10:25

The 7 AM and midday flights are still scheduled on the A330, but no award availability. Will check closer to departure, if I can switch.

 

[Bagpuss]

FYI, I think maintenance is occurring on the a330's or XFC has an issue. Could be why Virgin keep changing things around.

Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker!

 

[Must...Fly!]

FYI, I think maintenance is occurring on the a330's or XFC has an issue. Could be why Virgin keep changing things around.

Flightradar24.com - Live flight tracker!

-XFC is currently on it's way back home from Singapore as VOZ9944