V Australia - Premium Economy March SYD/BNE/MEL-LAX from $1991

[Mal]

Flight Dates: 28 Feb 09 - 31 Mar 09

SYD-LAX $1991
MEL-LAX $2010
BNE-LAX $2025


Looks to be a 4 day minimum turnaround, and fares appear to be on sale until Midnight 2nd March

Fare Name: Premium Deal
Cabin Class: Premium Economy
Flexibility: (see ''General information'' below for more details)
Name Changes: Not allowed
Date changes: Permitted both before and after departure.
* Fee of AUD$100 per person per change.
* Fare differences may be payable.
Routing changes:
Permitted both before and after departure.
* Fee of AUD$100 per person per change
* Fare differences may be payable and other restrictions apply
Cancellations and no-shows
- see ''General information'' below:
Before day of departure: Permitted. Fee of AUD$550 per person applies. Balance of fare refunded in accordance with Refund Rules in Conditions of Carriage.
On or after day of departure: Not permitted. Fare forfeited.
Payment: Immediate payment required
Velocity Points: Eligible for earning Velocity Points see www.velocityrewards.com.au for further details.
Minimum stay: 4 days
Maximum stay: 12 months
Stopovers: One free stopover, and one additional stopover (at a cost of AUD$125 each) permitted for the entire journey
Children and infants: Infants (under 2 yrs ) 10% of fare excluding taxes, fees & surcharges, but only if they do not occupy a separate seat. Children (2-11 yrs) 75% of fare excluding taxes, fees & surcharges. Children & Infants must be accompanied.
General information:
* Depending upon what fares are available through our Guest Contact Centre the fare for your new booking may be higher than the original
* You must pay any fare difference between the fare for your new booking and the original fare
* Your new booking must be for travel on the V Australia network within 12 months of the date that the original ticket was issued (the ''OTD''). Any refunds must be obtained within 12 months of the OTD.
* Fare downgrading not permitted
* Separate servicing charges may apply

 

[clifford]

Flight Dates: 28 Feb 09 - 31 Mar 09

SYD-LAX $1991
MEL-LAX $2010
BNE-LAX $2025


Looks to be a 4 day minimum turnaround, and fares appear to be on sale until Midnight 2nd March

Sounds quite expensive.

I've just bought a ticket on UA, LHR-SFO-SYD (and return) for about AUD 1800. The LHR-SFO-LHR flights are upgraded to C class.

And I will collect approx 60,000 Mileage Plus miles (because of a special promo in Jul) which will fly me to pretty much anywhere in Asia and back for free (apart from taxes).

So that seems to put it into perspective.

 

[JohnK]

I've just bought a ticket on UA, LHR-SFO-SYD (and return) for about AUD 1800. The LHR-SFO-LHR flights are upgraded to C class.

So is this airfare with upgrade available to all and sundry or because of your UA status? If due to your UA status then irrelevant or useless to the majority of travellers on AFF.

ISo that seems to put it into perspective.

Maybe in your own parallel universe....

 

[Travel Guru]

Sounds quite expensive.

Quite expensive, compared to what?? Qantas Y+ or NZ Y+ at $4k

Seems quite cheap if you ask me....how cheap does it need to be before you think its a good deal???

TG

 

[stuartfaz]

Sounds quite expensive.

For a return premium economy flight? No it doesn't.

I've just bought a ticket on UA, LHR-SFO-SYD (and return) for about AUD 1800. The LHR-SFO-LHR flights are upgraded to C class.

So you bought an economy flight for $200 less than a Y+ flight on VA. Doesn't help prove your above point. Actually, it proves the opposite.

And I will collect approx 60,000 Mileage Plus miles (because of a special promo in Jul) which will fly me to pretty much anywhere in Asia and back for free (apart from taxes).

So that seems to put it into perspective.

Meanwhile, if I were to take this offer, It'd give me roughly 20,000 Velocity points and status credits (not just in July, but any time of the year) which will immediately get me to Silver status.

Anyway, for those without UA status or upgrades, special points deals, and a clear and present resentment of DJ and everything they do, this is a very good deal.

 

[Mal]

Sounds quite expensive.

I've just bought a ticket on UA, LHR-SFO-SYD (and return) for about AUD 1800. The LHR-SFO-LHR flights are upgraded to C class.

Congrats. Now for the rest of us who are still in awe at the great price you found, could you point out how this is relevant or comparable to an ex-SYD fare (SYD-LAX) in Premium Economy? (especially considering the United flights are in W class, and are base economy for mere mortals)

United currently have SYD-LAX in deep discount economy for ~$1300. I'd rather pay the additional $700 to be in PE over the trashy seating, IFE, service, dirty planes and OTP that United provides. (Oh, and yeah I realise you'd be using your SWU's or elite status to ensure you weren't in Y on United, but that's not something everyone has)

V Australia SYD-LAX in economy is cheaper than United at the moment (for sample departures I tried in March at least)

 

[odysseus]

V Australia have extended this for a 2nd/3rd? time - now on until 26th March.

 

[mushypeas]

I want them to extend it again and include travel in the month of October

 

[taswegian77]

i think $2K for a return PE offering on V is awesome, even in these days of discounted travel. Considering the cheapest QF Y+ offering is around 4.7K I am in awe of V's prices. Whether they can continue to offer such great deals will be seen in time. I also see their J prices of 6K very nice indeed. I hope that when i look at purchasing my US trips later this year that they still offer 6K for J class as I will be snapping it up as I have re-qualified WP already and the SC are not a major until later in the year when my new year begins.

 

[docjames]

I also see their J prices of 6K very nice indeed. I hope that when i look at purchasing my US trips later this year that they still offer 6K for J class as I will be snapping it up as I have re-qualified WP already and the SC are not a major until later in the year when my new year begins.

This will be VA's problem - the major business travellers have so many "perks" wrapped up in their QFF status, they'll fly VA for the 10-20% of they year when status has been made, but revert to QF otherwise - allowing QF to continue with a price premium, and VA to continually have to discount to fill the seats. This will be a problem that'll take a very long time to crack (if Virgin has enough $$$ to withstand it ). Similar with Y+.

In Y it's perhaps not such a problem as the majority of the market will go on price.

And dont forget Delta will now pull a fair chunk of the ex-US travellers who prefer to be on US carriers generally (whether better or worse).

 

[taswegian77]

very true, never thought of it that way. I am one of those travelers who once i re-qualify for WP I will check the prices out with other J offerings. It depends on whether I can get to partner gold or not based on forward planned travel.
I am sure I will try out V's J offering later in the year just to compare to J offering on QF. It appears from the hype and what I have seen and read to look OK.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

I tried the BA World Traveller+ a few years back for SYD-SIN return. It was twice the Economy fare and I didn't feel it was that good value.

I'm not sure why all the airlines make PE so expensive. You only get a little bit of extra space - i see maybe 25% space for 100%+ extra fare.

2K for PE to LAX to me seems about the right level. Maybe $2300 max is all I'd be willing to pay, and I think a lot of the market is of the same opinion as myself.

You only have to look at the relative ease for ODU for Jetstar SC to see that the pricing turns most people off.

Thumbs up for VAust though. Fingers crossed they can make money at this level and survive the GFC.

 

[JohnK]

I tried the BA World Traveller+ a few years back for SYD-SIN return. It was twice the Economy fare and I didn't feel it was that good value.

I'm not sure why all the airlines make PE so expensive. You only get a little bit of extra space - i see maybe 25% space for 100%+ extra fare.

I totally agree with you. I would jump at the chance to travel BA WT+ at the prices before QF introduced their premium economy prooduct. I would say that premium economy is worth about 25% more than WHY and I would even pay up to 50% more than WHY.

Unfortunately the airlines price premium economy for what they think people will pay rather than what it is actually worth!

 

[Mwenenzi]

This will be VA's problem - the major business travellers....
<snip>
And dont forget Delta will now pull a fair chunk of the ex-US travellers who prefer to be on US carriers generally (whether better or worse).

The other major issue is LAX is not the final destination for many people. Transfer onto AA & UA is simple for most - its all on one ticket. That USA transfer is one of the reasons Delta will do much better than V Aust. Delta has a large network.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

The other major issue is LAX is not the final destination for many people. Transfer onto AA & UA is simple for most - its all on one ticket. That USA transfer is one of the reasons Delta will do much better than V Aust. Delta has a large network.

Totally agree. I have no idea why VAust and V America have not teamed up to provide more routes within the US.

Shame you cant earn Velocity Rewards on Virgin America