Just a little rant about the uselessness of VA points for redeeming on international partners. For months VA reps have been telling me that reward seat availability for VA is at least the same as alliance members, and we're not disadvantaged. Some reps even told me that I should check airline reward availability before calling VA, as I could book those seats.
This of course, is all a load of cough, and it turns out (with DL at least) you can't book anything. My wife needs to go to Italy from BOS at the end of the year for a wedding, so we looked at options. As DL uses ST partners for many of the European flights, we were already disadvantaged (FCO out, AMS, CDG limited), but we could route through JFK. Couldn't get anything to FLR or PSA as although these have DL number, they are operated by AZ. We looked at connecting flights, Good options from AMS, CDG and LHR which fly direct via BOS, or the same ports plus FCO if we go through JFK. Bucketloads of availability on most, but the one with most, was BOS-CDG. Found some flights, worked out Plans A-Z and then rang VA.
Noting available on any of the 20+ possible flights from 7 possible routes to the 4 cities on our chosen dates. No probs, we're flexible. But then *nothing* available on those routes for 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after either. Of course, they offered to 'sell' me a flight through points conversion - 211k points minimum, but no rewards flights available (48k points), despite buckets for everyone else DL partners with and previous assurances that the availability found would roughly match up with what VA has. What a joke! I've never seen lower availability on partner rewards ever. There is always a bit of negotiation and moving around, but to have nothing when there is so much available elsewhere. It is especially frustrating when based on VA advice, I wasted 6hrs looking for flight plans with the best availability.
VA seems about as useful as cough on a bull when it comes to redeeming flights people in real alliances can get. I wish VA would stop spruiking the special relationships it has. It's misleading and they should just admit to what they have. A second rate alliance that can't be used or offers sweet FA benefits anywhere outside of Australia.
Seriously considering the whole point of retaining status, or not switching to OW entirely. Especially as my job looks to be having me split between US/Aus 6mo each year.
This of course, is all a load of cough, and it turns out (with DL at least) you can't book anything. My wife needs to go to Italy from BOS at the end of the year for a wedding, so we looked at options. As DL uses ST partners for many of the European flights, we were already disadvantaged (FCO out, AMS, CDG limited), but we could route through JFK. Couldn't get anything to FLR or PSA as although these have DL number, they are operated by AZ. We looked at connecting flights, Good options from AMS, CDG and LHR which fly direct via BOS, or the same ports plus FCO if we go through JFK. Bucketloads of availability on most, but the one with most, was BOS-CDG. Found some flights, worked out Plans A-Z and then rang VA.
Noting available on any of the 20+ possible flights from 7 possible routes to the 4 cities on our chosen dates. No probs, we're flexible. But then *nothing* available on those routes for 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after either. Of course, they offered to 'sell' me a flight through points conversion - 211k points minimum, but no rewards flights available (48k points), despite buckets for everyone else DL partners with and previous assurances that the availability found would roughly match up with what VA has. What a joke! I've never seen lower availability on partner rewards ever. There is always a bit of negotiation and moving around, but to have nothing when there is so much available elsewhere. It is especially frustrating when based on VA advice, I wasted 6hrs looking for flight plans with the best availability.
VA seems about as useful as cough on a bull when it comes to redeeming flights people in real alliances can get. I wish VA would stop spruiking the special relationships it has. It's misleading and they should just admit to what they have. A second rate alliance that can't be used or offers sweet FA benefits anywhere outside of Australia.
Seriously considering the whole point of retaining status, or not switching to OW entirely. Especially as my job looks to be having me split between US/Aus 6mo each year.