VA drip feeding J reward seats?

[kyle]

Someone commented on a thread (that I cannot find now) that only single seats are available.

I think I've just experienced this first hand. I booked a reward flight for MEL-SYD when only one J is showing as available for redemption. At the time of booking, all 8 seats are available.

After booking the reward seat, it's showing as one available again. Now that's annoying if I wanted two in the first place.

 

[TMP]

If that's the case, that's not great at all. Pretty poor.

 

[JK1964]

I've also noticed this on OOL-MEL and BNE-CNS flights. Bit of a nuisance if there are two travelling. Do you upgrade one from economy and just buy a business fare for the other pax? I did this for a OOL-MEL flight to ensure we were both in J. Or do you chance it by buying two economy and hoping there will be two reward seats eventually?

 

[im.daniel]

Yes just had this experience on a revenue ticket.

ADL-DRW - 2 pax - 229 p/person (higher fare bucket)
ADL-DRW - 1 pax 169 p/person (1 seat remaining in lower fare bucket)

I booked the one ticket, low and behold, another ticket at the 169 fare bucket appeared, booked that one. The following day, a 3rd seat at 169 appeared, and I also booked that. So I had to book 3 separate tickets for our party of 3 to go to DRW - but saved 180 along the way.

The only downside is that no Y-X seating (as the other 2 pax aren't Plat) - but well worth the saving.

This was the first time I've ever seen this from VA.

 

[AIRwin]

Yes just had this experience on a revenue ticket.

I've also seen that with JQ

 

[Ade]

The only downside is that no Y-X seating (as the other 2 pax aren't Plat) - but well worth the saving.

If possible call the customer service and ask them to link the bookings and then try Y-X?

 

[Milefest]

Isn't this considered "Bait advertising"?

 

[jonboixxx]

Availability on the routes we regularly fly, between BNE, SYD and CNS have been terrible. There seems to be some dynamic-type points situation on the Fridays that I often fly but somewhat more availability on other days at the Business Reward level.

 

[Mattg]

Isn't this considered "Bait advertising"?

In what way?

 

[RooFlyer]

Isn't this considered "Bait advertising"?

What's being advertised?

 

[oz_mark]

I've also seen that with JQ

I've seen it with VA, JQ, and QF.

 

[Milefest]

In what way?

Promoting a price as if it's available in limited numbers. You can't say to a customer "I can only sell one more of these products at this price before it goes up in price" then say the same thing to the next customer after the sale of that product.

What's being advertised?

The seats.



If what is being described in this thread is true, VA is being deceptive to customers on the quantity of seats available at that price point because you can purchase more at the same marketed price after exhausting the stock count that was shown to the buyer. Obviously there is a limit to this as only a certain amount of seats can be sold at that fare bucket but the limit displayed in the purchase flow isn't a true represntation of the stock remaining at that value.

 

[RooFlyer]

Promoting a price as if it's available in limited numbers. You can't say to a customer "I can only sell one more of these products at this price before it goes up in price" then say the same thing to the next customer after the sale of that product.

I agree, if the price has a note beside it "only 1 left at this price" (as often occurs) and when you select it, another one pops up. That would be deceptive.

I don't think the examples quoted above mentioned that a notation "only 1 left ..." was against the price - but it may have been there. If not, then its just drip feeding the product at a price, per the thread title. Sorta like a merchant displaying one TV at a time at $500. Once its sold, they put another one up on display. I dunno what's in it for Virgin to do something like that, though.

 

[odysseus]

Promoting a price as if it's available in limited numbers. You can't say to a customer "I can only sell one more of these products at this price before it goes up in price" then say the same thing to the next customer after the sale of that product.


The seats.

View attachment 321208

If what is being described in this thread is true, VA is being deceptive to customers on the quantity of seats available at that price point because you can purchase more at the same marketed price after exhausting the stock count that was shown to the buyer. Obviously there is a limit to this as only a certain amount of seats can be sold at that fare bucket but the limit displayed in the purchase flow isn't a true represntation of the stock remaining at that value.

Advertising doesn't just mean offering for sale.

To be true, that would need to be advertised in a promotion/sale i.e. be actual advertising.

 

[mingzie]

This is a huge mind-blowing stealth devaluation :/

While they've done this you can't even get a SINGLE J seat on a lot of international routes.

Looks like they not only are artificially limiting J domestic availability (which is pathetic already), but their change made international partner availability such as SQ all disappear

 

[mingzie]

I can now book redemptions in 2's. Is someone from VA actively reading these threads and modifying?

 

[RooFlyer]

I can now book redemptions in 2's. Is someone from VA actively reading these threads and modifying?

That would be nice! Nicer if other airlines did the same .

 

[im.daniel]

This is a huge mind-blowing stealth devaluation :/

While they've done this you can't even get a SINGLE J seat on a lot of international routes.

Looks like they not only are artificially limiting J domestic availability (which is pathetic already), but their change made international partner availability such as SQ all disappear

Have you correlated SQ availability with what’s available on KrisFlyer.com?

Normally I find the two to match ... most of the time

 

[mingzie]

Have you correlated SQ availability with what’s available on KrisFlyer.com?

Normally I find the two to match ... most of the time

I have. There is full availability and full seat availability on KF, and zero anywhere on Velocity.

Also have been flying SQ J return (through Velocity) about 8 times a year so I'm very familiar with availability and redemption patterns, even post pandemic. And yes, it used to match KF 1:1 99% of the time because I've booked 5 J tickets on same flight before.

I've had to book my most recent upcoming flight on KF. Not able to find anything even 1 year in advance on Velocity.




I only first noticed these changes two weeks ago (but could have been before that). It looks like most routes have been completely gutted and dont match Saver at all whatsoever now; I would expect at least one seat but can't believe they only made Premium Economy available and completely removed J for almost all SQ routes :/

 

[mingzie]

I can now book redemptions in 2's. Is someone from VA actively reading these threads and modifying?

Also as a reminder, Velocity domestic redemptions for J used to be doable in 4s for the past 10 years. So it looks like only a half reversal of the devaluation