The Virgin Australia Newbie Questions Thread

[TMP]

For the complimentary Amex Platinum Velocity card domestic return flight do you earn status credits please?

As a rule, no.

 

[MooTime]

For the complimentary Amex Platinum Velocity card domestic return flight do you earn status credits please?

I've booked a trip with this comp offer and in the booking it says 'choice' fare so on that basis it should provide SCs & VFF points, but I have no idea and not relying on it to retain WP.
Report back mid September.

 

[andrew58]

Newbie question about UpgradeMe bidding (with $$). Can anyone explain when 'real time bidding' applies or occurs? I recently put in bids for a return flight, and for the initial flight I was informed when my bid was exceeded by someone else and I had an opportunity to increase my bid (which I did and was successful). For the return flight there does not appear to be 'real time bidding' and I am oblivious to any other bids. Thanks for any clarification

 

[SomeRando]

Newbie question about UpgradeMe bidding (with $$). Can anyone explain when 'real time bidding' applies or occurs? I recently put in bids for a return flight, and for the initial flight I was informed when my bid was exceeded by someone else and I had an opportunity to increase my bid (which I did and was successful). For the return flight there does not appear to be 'real time bidding' and I am oblivious to any other bids. Thanks for any clarification

There's a whole thread about bidding and how it works but one of the points is that even though someone bid higher than you it doesn't necessarily mean you would have missed out. Their emails are worded to make you think you need to bid higher but that isn't always the case. If there's more than one seat it deosn't matter how much the highest bidder is prepared to pay, if you're the only other bidder your original bid will still get you a seat.

UpgradeMe pricing and success

So I booked a flexi BNE-MEL today to spend a weekend away. I was thinking of using points to upgrade but I thought I would plug the figures into UpgradeMe and see the results. So this is the difference between the UpgradeMe minimum cost versus just paying the difference. Minimum of...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[andrew58]

There's a whole thread about bidding and how it works but one of the points is that even though someone bid higher than you it doesn't necessarily mean you would have missed out. Their emails are worded to make you think you need to bid higher but that isn't always the case. If there's more than one seat it deosn't matter how much the highest bidder is prepared to pay, if you're the only other bidder your original bid will still get you a seat.

UpgradeMe pricing and success

So I booked a flexi BNE-MEL today to spend a weekend away. I was thinking of using points to upgrade but I thought I would plug the figures into UpgradeMe and see the results. So this is the difference between the UpgradeMe minimum cost versus just paying the difference. Minimum of...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Thanks for your reply and info re bidding. Are you (or anyone) able to tell me which flights will have the 'real time bidding' (ie they tell you when you're outbidded and you can see if you're the highest bidder) and which flights are just the 'standard' bidding without that additional information

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Complimentary, means you havent paid VA or VFF directly, but you do indirectly, via spending on Amex, but its very unlikely it would flow onto earning VFF points and VFF SC.
QFF does gives its PC (points club) members a small amount of SC on flying with them as a PC member.
When ever I use points on a VFF Y fare, have had a few usage of them, its always no VFF ie zero points earn, and zero VFF SC.
My points come from FB so not Amex.

 

[bernardblack]

A Velocity search won't find mixed-cabin itineraries but can you get the call centre to construct an award with long-haul J connecting to short-haul Y on (say) UA?

 

[Cutty]

Newbie question, both new to this forum and to flying with Virgin. I’m flying Mel to Per on VA679 on a Boeing 737-800. When I select my seat, it says row 15 is an exit row seat? But I’m confused as rows 13 and 14 are the exit row seats on all the seat plans. Does row 15 have extra legroom or not? If not I will likely choose another seat with a free middle seat and cross my fingers it stays that way.

 

[AIRwin]

When I select my seat, it says row 15 is an exit row seat? But I’m confused as rows 13 and 14 are the exit row seats on all the seat plans. Does row 15 have extra legroom or not?

I think there may be a glitch given that the emergency exit rows are 13/14 on some aircraft (with a total of 30 rows) but 14/15 on those with the new seat configuration (total 31 rows). You should select another row in the meantime.

 

[Amanad78]

Newbie question, both new to this forum and to flying with Virgin. I’m flying Mel to Per on VA679 on a Boeing 737-800. When I select my seat, it says row 15 is an exit row seat? But I’m confused as rows 13 and 14 are the exit row seats on all the seat plans. Does row 15 have extra legroom or not? If not I will likely choose another seat with a free middle seat and cross my fingers it stays that way.

I also see the same for my flight BNE-NAN, I don't think row 15 is exit row so have gone for row 7

 

[Gomez76]

Hi all, I'm about to book 3 tickets for flights Sydney to London using reward points for 2 tickets (or points + pay) and paying $ for the third ticket. Looks like these need to be booked separately. It's me and two kids and so I need to have one of the reward point tickets and the kids will be split across the two bookings.
The paid flight is listed as VA6131 and the rewards points flight is listed as QR909. Are these the same flight (see snip below)?
Will I be able to get the three seats together?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

It looks a bit complicated, but ideally if I was only 1 adult travelling, and with 2 kids, I would not do that.
There is a danger of having 3 and what happens if the booking has to be split or if one gets cancelled.
If it were to be 2 adults and 2 kids, then that would be ok to do as you plan to do.
But with only 1 adult, what I would do is to buy 3 seats on the one flight, and not do anything like what you plan to do.
If I had kids, I know what they are like, they can be pains, but still, they are your kids, if I had kids, I would not do split booking.
Just for this trip, do 3 seats as a rev fare, makes it easiest to keep all 3 in the one PNR.
Thats just my waffly, yes, I know, this will rile some colleagues up.

 

[AIRwin]

Are these the same flight (see snip below)?
Will I be able to get the three seats together?

Same flight operated by Qatar Airways with VA codeshare. You may need to call if you're not seated together.

 

[Gomez76]

It looks a bit complicated, but ideally if I was only 1 adult travelling, and with 2 kids, I would not do that.
There is a danger of having 3 and what happens if the booking has to be split or if one gets cancelled.
If it were to be 2 adults and 2 kids, then that would be ok to do as you plan to do.
But with only 1 adult, what I would do is to buy 3 seats on the one flight, and not do anything like what you plan to do.
If I had kids, I know what they are like, they can be pains, but still, they are your kids, if I had kids, I would not do split booking.
Just for this trip, do 3 seats as a rev fare, makes it easiest to keep all 3 in the one PNR.
Thats just my waffly, yes, I know, this will rile some colleagues up.

Thank you! I don't to split us up so appreciate your response.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi all, I'm about to book 3 tickets for flights Sydney to London using reward points for 2 tickets (or points + pay) and paying $ for the third ticket. Looks like these need to be booked separately. It's me and two kids and so I need to have one of the reward point tickets and the kids will be split across the two bookings.
The paid flight is listed as VA6131 and the rewards points flight is listed as QR909. Are these the same flight (see snip below)?
Will I be able to get the three seats together?
View attachment 389600

Award seats are 99.9% never going to show a code share, They will almost always be on the prime flight number of the operating carrier. So yes, same flight, but the paid ticket can be a codeshare.

How old are the children? If they are young, the airline will want to know they are not flying unaccompanied. You’ll need to link the bookings so they can see an adult is flying with the child. You can do this by calling Virgin/Qatar once everything is ticketed.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I also see the same for my flight BNE-NAN, I don't think row 15 is exit row so have gone for row 7

View attachment 389597

Maybe row 15 is not exactly an exit row, but might still have that little bit more space, up front, tho the tray table might be fixed to the seat, reducing space between.
But as for seat in front, there might be a tad more space.

 

[cagiva]

Hi all.
Have a question about status and bonus points when flying.
Mrs Cagiva has just qualified for silver status and had booked a flight before then.
When she flew, she was red on the outbound but silver on the return.

Tried to claim the missing 50% points for the return leg but the answer was
“Upon further investigation, we have determined that your flight from xx_ to xx_ is still associated with your previous Red tier. Therefore, the earnings of your points are correct.”

I have tried to find a "welcome" email but to no avail.
Her VFF dashboard states that the status review date is on 21st May 2025 so logics would say that she was silver on 21st May or 22nd May 2024? The outbound flight was before then, but the return was on 22nd May.

Are we entitled to the bonus as the flight occurred when silver or does the booking date determine the point accrual?

Also, does anyone know how long the card and baggage tags generally take to arrive?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[MooTime]

Hi all.
Have a question about status and bonus points when flying.
Mrs Cagiva has just qualified for silver status and had booked a flight before then.
When she flew, she was red on the outbound but silver on the return.

Tried to claim the missing 50% points for the return leg but the answer was
“Upon further investigation, we have determined that your flight from xx_ to xx_ is still associated with your previous Red tier. Therefore, the earnings of your points are correct.”

I have tried to find a "welcome" email but to no avail.
Her VFF dashboard states that the status review date is on 21st May 2025 so logics would say that she was silver on 21st May or 22nd May 2024? The outbound flight was before then, but the return was on 22nd May.

Are we entitled to the bonus as the flight occurred when silver or does the booking date determine the point accrual?

Also, does anyone know how long the card and baggage tags generally take to arrive?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Gee that's a stiff response. You have to read the T&Cs very carefully.

I've read here numerous time a pax has hit a higher status on the outbound leg and had lounge access on return trip.

3 weeks is my estimate for tags to arrive. If they do it for silver, I assume.they do.