SQ metal booking using VA site - seat selection?

[awkwardpaws]

Have a booking in whY on the VA website for SQ metal (but have a VA flight number) for SYD-SIN - wanted to know when seat selection opens up for me? Would that be 24 hours prior to the flight? And do I use the VA website, or would I use the SQ website?
Thanks!

 

[Lemon_Party]

This will be difficult. You cannot check in online on the SQ website if you are booked with a VA flight number, and I'm fairly sure that means you cannot manage a booking either.

There is a work around though - when you are issued a VA PNR and ticket number, a corresponding (but different) set are registered in the SQ system. If you can get hold of those you can check in online. I have had these provided (upon request) by our corporate travel agent before, but if you booked through VA website I'm unsure if Virgin can/will provide them. Worth a call though.

The SQ PNR allowed me to check in online and select my seat. I didn't try to manage my booking on the SQ website and change seat ahead of this time but it should be possible, but SQ don't usually open many seats up for selection until 72 hours before a flight anyway.

 

[tea&coffee]

I do it frequently in Business. Just ring VA and ask for the SQ PNR which they've always provided. From there you can call SQ and seat assign (and also book the cook if in J).

 

[awkwardpaws]

I do it frequently in Business. Just ring VA and ask for the SQ PNR which they've always provided. From there you can call SQ and seat assign (and also book the cook if in J).

Thanks guys for the reply! I might try and ring VA tmrw and get my booking ref on the SQ side and see what I can do with that on the SQ website.

tea&coffee - unfortunately my booking is in a lowly whY so no book the cook there!

As a general rule, does anyone know how far out SQ opens seats for seat selection?

 

[Cryptarcadian]

They have multiple blocks it seems, but I've seen T-96 on my most recent SQ flights.

I'm probably going to be in a similar situation to you later this year, booking SQ on a VA ticket, so keen to hear your experience!

 

[Denali]

Thanks guys for the reply! I might try and ring VA tmrw and get my booking ref on the SQ side and see what I can do with that on the SQ website....

If the website doesn't allow you to make changes, because it knows by the PNR that its a VA booking, try the SQ app. I read sometimes the app works, sometimes it doesn't. I know the app works for J seats/VA bookings, having tried it for Y. Goodluck!

 

[awkwardpaws]

Thanks guys for the reply! I might try and ring VA tmrw and get my booking ref on the SQ side and see what I can do with that on the SQ website.

Hi all - just to update - I got the SQ booking reference number from VA, and once I got that, I tried to 'manage by booking' on the SQ website, but this came up:



Looks like I cant access my booking on the SQ side.

Am I out of luck then - or is this something that I can only access a few days prior to flying?

 

[SuzieQ68]

As a general rule, does anyone know how far out SQ opens seats for seat selection?

If you book direct with SQ, you can select seats at the time of booking. Unfortunately don't know when they release if booked with a partner airline. Do you have status with VA? If so, maybe you could give SQ a call, give them your booking reference and see if their team can select seats for you. Nothing to lose.

 

[awkwardpaws]

If you book direct with SQ, you can select seats at the time of booking. Unfortunately don't know when they release if booked with a partner airline. Do you have status with VA? If so, maybe you could give SQ a call, give them your booking reference and see if their team can select seats for you. Nothing to lose.

Update: Called up VA and they send me to the SQ call centre.

Called up SQ call centre, they said I can select seats over the phone, but most seats open T-72 hours (I assume that is right?), so he recommended me to call the SQ call centre 72 hours prior to select my seat (I'm allocated a whY seat in the back, I prefer to be up front as I have a connection I need to make).

So the answer is - seat selection is possible using SQ booking ref via the SQ call centre, and not online. If anything has had an experience otherwise, feel free to let me know!

 

[Abdul_A350]

Have you tried both the app and the mobile version of the website?

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Have you tried both the app and the mobile version of the website?

Yeah, definitely try the mobile website. This used to let me select from from quite a few options, and then most seats opened up in the days prior.

 

[awkwardpaws]

Yeah, definitely try the mobile website. This used to let me select from from quite a few options, and then most seats opened up in the days prior.

Thanks guys - on the mobile website, i got the same error message "was booked via our partner airlines, please contact the partner airline.." and I couldnt proceed further

With the SQ app - my concern is this. I booked this on VA to make sure I got the sectors, and it is not linked to my KF account at all. The app requires you to login to manage a booking, so I just didnt want to do this and then my KF number gets linked to the booking and my Velocity is unlinked (or something like that)

 

[Denali]

Thanks guys - on the mobile website, i got the same error message "was booked via our partner airlines, please contact the partner airline.." and I couldnt proceed further

With the SQ app - my concern is this. I booked this on VA to make sure I got the sectors, and it is not linked to my KF account at all. The app requires you to login to manage a booking, so I just didnt want to do this and then my KF number gets linked to the booking and my Velocity is unlinked (or something like that)

*checks mobile ap*

Im currently logged into KF with my KF account/PIN.

When I go to My Trips, its shows my Booking Reference as the SQ PNR and my flights are listed with VA flight numbers (VA5510 for example)

When I click the Change Booking/Seats button, I then select the PASSENGER INFO tab and I can see my VA details so points/sectors for this flight are going to my VA account.

 

[awkwardpaws]

*checks mobile ap*

Im currently logged into KF with my KF account/PIN.

When I go to My Trips, its shows my Booking Reference as the SQ PNR and my flights are listed with VA flight numbers (VA5510 for example)

When I click the Change Booking/Seats button, I then select the PASSENGER INFO tab and I can see my VA details so points/sectors for this flight are going to my VA account.

Thanks for that Denali, its comforting to know that an AFFer has gone through this before so that I dont have to deal with VA/SQ to get my sectors credited to VA. I'm going to download the app and see how I go

 

[awkwardpaws]

Thanks for that Denali, its comforting to know that an AFFer has gone through this before so that I dont have to deal with VA/SQ to get my sectors credited to VA. I'm going to download the app and see how I go

Denali & mrsmart - great advice.

Yep - it does show the seat maps and the available seats (it corroborates with what the phone agent told me is available - which isnt much since mine is a Y booking on VA). But that is super interesting to know that the app shows more than online!

I'm going to check this T-96 and T-72 to see what opens up then to see what I can choose! Thank you!

 

[Comoman]

Unfortunately this is one of the reasons why I gave up on VA. Between seating issues and severe point posting delays it all got too hard. Booking direct with SQ/EY is much easier. I am already gold on SQ after 5 months of travelling with more trips to come as well as QF Platinum (seamless with QR/CX).

For people who the majority of travel is international through partners VA just doesn't seem to work well IMO. Ex-Perth we don't have any choice!

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Thanks for that Denali, its comforting to know that an AFFer has gone through this before so that I dont have to deal with VA/SQ to get my sectors credited to VA. I'm going to download the app and see how I go

Definitely not alone! These are very much shared frustrations

 

[awkwardpaws]

Unfortunately this is one of the reasons why I gave up on VA. Between seating issues and severe point posting delays it all got too hard. Booking direct with SQ/EY is much easier. I am already gold on SQ after 5 months of travelling with more trips to come as well as QF Platinum (seamless with QR/CX).

For people who the majority of travel is international through partners VA just doesn't seem to work well IMO. Ex-Perth we don't have any choice!

Agreed - the VA/SQ partnership isnt as seamless as it could potentially be..

 

[Denali]

Thanks for that Denali, its comforting to know that an AFFer has gone through this before so that I dont have to deal with VA/SQ to get my sectors credited to VA. I'm going to download the app and see how I go

I learnt about using the app from another AFF myself

Another VA/SQ failure I really hate is if you are flying Y (on a VA booking), you cant purchase the preferred/exit row seats, even though you are happy to pay for them.

 

[Jurahn]

Another VA/SQ failure I really hate is if you are flying Y (on a VA booking), you cant purchase the preferred/exit row seats, even though you are happy to pay for them.

That's another reason why we booked direct with SQ for our upcoming trip to Sweden. Our last few international trips (to the US with VA) have been in either Y+ or J - finances don't allow for either of those this time, so because we have to travel in Y, we wanted to be sure we could purchase preferred/exit row seats for at least the long sectors SIN-FRA-SIN. Thanks to the goldmine of information here at AFF , I knew we'd need to book with SQ in order to do this, as it wouldn't be an option if we'd booked through VA.