Virgin Blue - connecting/linked flight question

[louie]

I'll start by saying I don't know much about Virgin Blue, being based in the UK and a very infrequent visitor to your beautiful shores. However.... I have a load of Emirates Skywards points and am trying to use them to fly one-way from Hobart to Adelaide next March. So far I've been told by the less-than-user-friendly Emirates system that there are no reward flights available, but it seems possible (the jury is out at the moment) that I can get a reward flight from Hobart to Melbourne and then a separate one from Melbourne to Adelaide, achieving exactly what I want only using more points, which I can live with.

The problem is that the Virgin Blue website shows the most convenient Hobart to Adelaide flight to be DJ1321/DJ223, which has a transfer time of only 35 minutes in Melbourne. As they are sold as connecting flights, presumably that is OK if you're booked through all the way, but if I am only able to book the two flights separately can Virgin Blue ticket me and my luggage all the way, linking the flights (presumably they would need to be on one PNR)?

This might be obvious to you (either in the negative or the affirmative!) but I am not sure how close Virgin Blue is to the Ryanair way of doing things or if they are rather more helpful!

All help or ideas much appreciated!

Louie

 

[koonyaflyer]

Hi Louie

As a Hobart resident with Adelaide origins this is a route that I regularly travel (and still miss the direct flights we had until 2 years ago!)

A couple of pieces for you - firstly unless you booked the flight as a pair in one transaction (the same PNR is not the key - it is the paired flight which is key), Virgin will not book your luggage through.

This means that in Melbourne you will need to disembark, collect your bags, recheck your bags and then board. To do this you need at least 1 hr, and I recall seeing that they recommend 90 minutes.

Whilst the idea of Frequent Flyer redemption is attractive, booking this far out you should be able to get this fare for around $139 per person. To be honest, at that price, I would by the "through fare" to avoid the required longer transit time, and inconvenience by booking to separate sector fares.

Secondly Virign Blue is a big leap ahead of Ryanair, although this example probably doesn't help support that!

Another thought....do you have Etihad Frequent Flyer membership, they have recipocal FF benefits now.

 

[louie]

Thanks for that. Not the answer I was hoping for!

Trouble is my Skywards points expire at the end of March so it's use them or lose them and as I can't see any other way of using them, I might just have to get closely acquainted with Melbourne airport. On which subject, I've just taken out an Amex Platinum so will have Priority Pass lounge access. Is there one at Melbourne?

 

[koonyaflyer]

The Virgin Blue lounge in Melbourne is a Priority Pass lounge, so you will be able to use this to wait.

See ...its not like Ryanair, we have lounges!