VA Benefits when flying Etihad

[eckorock]

Does VA Gold get equivalent benefits when flying with Etihad?

specifically I'm interested in two things
- Priority Check-in
- Equivalent Baggage allowance


Without priority check-in that would really suck.

cheers.

 

[markis10]

Its pretty clear on the Velocity website what your supposed to get:

Etihad Airways

• An additional 15kg baggage allowance
• Priority Check-in through the Business Class counter
• Priority Boarding
• Priority Baggage
• Lounge Access

Gold Membership | Velocity Frequent Flyer

 

[eckorock]

Its pretty clear on the Velocity website what your supposed to get:

Etihad Airways

• An additional 15kg baggage allowance
• Priority Check-in through the Business Class counter
• Priority Boarding
• Priority Baggage
• Lounge Access

Gold Membership | Velocity Frequent Flyer

sweet, got it.

I must have been looking on the wrong page (the compare-status-levels-page)

 

[Milboo]

Heads up that they are not good at recognising the priority boarding aspect. I was turned away despite being Gold.

Absolutely no issues with using the business check in and accessing the nice new lounge at Charles de Galle.

Bags were tagged priority but never came out like that.

 

[carpenteria]

While on the topic, is there any significant hurdles when booking a VA ticket on EY metal? Anything that doesn't work or any traps?

I ask as I am thinking of doing the flexi-then-point upgrade for the first leg from SYD-AUH but not sure what kind of treatment you would get onwards to europe. I'm guessing seat selection would be out of the question, that rarely seems to work for VA's partners from what I have heard.

 

[notzac]

My experience with seat selection on EY (when they were using Amadeus for their res system) wasn't great - codeshare or otherwise. I was able to call EY to get a seat selected, but their call centre is in the UAE (I think?) and there were occasional language barriers. Absolutely zero access to bulkhead rows or exit rows; all completely blocked until check in (where they all mysteriously vanished).

Things may have changed - either for the better or for the worse - since their move to Sabre. Does anyone have more recent experience?

 

[serfty]

... Does anyone have more recent experience?

Called to get their booking ref for a VA codeshare next year - they allocated a seat for me, but no access to front row even thogh they are available.

Evin with their PNR reference can't allocate a seat online.

 

[Milboo]

My seating experience was I had to ring them and get my PNR first as VA PNR is not any use.

Despite being Gold, there was no preferential seating. On SYD- AUH, best seats I could get was row 44. I watched Expert Flyer and rang as soon as I saw forward seats come up I rang and got up to row 26. However I was able to select bulkhead for AUH-LHR on the phone as it was open.

On inbound I was only able to get row 26 and row 29 however on check in at CDG I was allocated exit row.

I had tried to get exit row when checking in at Sydney but despite being there early (10 mins after opened) no availability.