Way to monitor Virgin flight price?

[davidhes]

Hi all,

Was about to book a return DWN-BNE flight on Virgin last night at 11pm AEDT for $330 return and then got distracted. Flights are for 17-20 June. Log in this morning and the DWN-BNE leg has gone up to $379! The flight wasn't part of happy hour or anything. Insane price rise over night and it isn't a special weekend, school holidays or anything. No idea why it went up so much. I can literally buy the same flight for this afternoon for only $209.

Anyway I've booked the return leg at the cheap price but want to set up some sort of notification for the departure leg if the price drops. What app/site would people recommend for this? At this point I figure it can't go up too much anytime soon as the Flexi price is only $50 more. I am only doing this trip for the 2 eligible sectors to get to gold, already have enough status. So as cheap a ticket as possible is the plan. Do people often see the prices drop again on saver tickets after they've gone up?

Cheers,

David

 

[scubabe]

If you're only doing it for the sectors, then why don't you just do a Gladstone or Newcastle return? They're like $75 each way or something?
As for the specials, I believe there's a Virgin Flight Specials app (at least I have something like that on my phone) that monitors a route you set and a price you set and if it's ever below that mark then it's supposed to message you. Don't know how well the app works though I've never tried it.

 

[davidhes]

If you're only doing it for the sectors, then why don't you just do a Gladstone or Newcastle return? They're like $75 each way or something?
As for the specials, I believe there's a Virgin Flight Specials app (at least I have something like that on my phone) that monitors a route you set and a price you set and if it's ever below that mark then it's supposed to message you. Don't know how well the app works though I've never tried it.

Unfortunately I live in Darwin. So just about the cheapest place to fly from here on Virgin is usually Brisbane. And with my relatives all being down there makes it the logical option for a weekend. I wish I was as lucky as east coast members who can do short hops like that for sectors and status haha.

 

[alieninperth]

Clear your cookies on your computer and try again. You might see the price drop again.

 

[davidhes]

Clear your cookies on your computer and try again. You might see the price drop again.

Tried that and hasn't helped. The price has actually already gone down to $339. Here's hoping it goes down to somewhere near $200 at least. So annoyed I didn't book them last night. Just didn't expect that sort of jump. $200 increase overnight, grr.

 

[scubabe]

Unfortunately I live in Darwin. So just about the cheapest place to fly from here on Virgin is usually Brisbane.

Ohhhh stoopid me! I'm sorry I didn't even think of that! Oops

 

[kevrosmith]

It probably just means that the individual fare bucket within the Saver group of fares you were looking at disappeared (aka. other people booked those fares). Looking at the availability of flights DRW-BNE on 17-Jun, Saver fares are already down to just E and N fare buckets being available. Each fare bucket has it's own price point. YBHK and L are all Flexi fare buckets, and JCDI are Business class. The number indicates the minimum number of fares available in that bucket.

The price is only going to up on that flight, not down.

I can see DRW-ASP (Alice Springs on Jun 16 returning June 20) for $249 each way. That far in advance, you should use a promo code and get a discount on those prices too).

 

[davidhes]

It probably just means that the individual fare bucket within the Saver group of fares you were looking at disappeared (aka. other people booked those fares). Looking at the availability of flights DRW-BNE on 17-Jun, Saver fares are already down to just E and N fare buckets being available. Each fare bucket has it's own price point. YBHK and L are all Flexi fare buckets, and JCDI are Business class. The number indicates the minimum number of fares available in that bucket.

The price is only going to up on that flight, not down.

I can see DRW-ASP (Alice Springs on Jun 16 returning June 20) for $249 each way. That far in advance, you should use a promo code and get a discount on those prices too).

View attachment 66651

Thanks for the info mate. That's disappointing to hear. Perhaps I should just book at the current price of $308.20 with DPV29 coupon code.. and as much as I might be able to get $450 return to Alice springs.. I'd rather pay $500 return and go to Brisbane haha. There is not a lot you want to see or do in AS, unless you want to go to Uluru, which I've done.

 

[kevrosmith]

Thanks for the info mate. That's disappointing to hear. Perhaps I should just book at the current price of $308.20 with DPV29 coupon code.. and as much as I might be able to get $450 return to Alice springs.. I'd rather pay $500 return and go to Brisbane haha. There is not a lot you want to see or do in AS, unless you want to go to Uluru, which I've done.

I did see you can do a same-day turnaround in ASP.

 

[davidhes]

I did see you can do a same-day turnaround in ASP.

Cheers. Will keep it in mind if I need any future sector/status runs. Now that Ive moved to Darwin I will likely get the status fairly easily each year as we normally do 2 large international trips each year and out of Darwin it makes sense to fly Singapore airlines. Getting 400 credits for my wife and I just by going to Tokyo in April. Easier than going to the east coast and a stopover in Singapore is never a bad thing. Getting the 4 sectors is the harder part. Think I will just have to book this at $308 if you are pretty sure it won't go down again..

 

[JohnK]

Tried that and hasn't helped. The price has actually already gone down to $339. Here's hoping it goes down to somewhere near $200 at least. So annoyed I didn't book them last night. Just didn't expect that sort of jump. $200 increase overnight, grr.

Sorry can't help but this happens to me a lot. Look at flights for weeks and then when just about ready to book the price goes up. For domestic I try to book as soon as specials are out.

 

[davidhes]

I just had a massive win! I happened to be browsing virgin's site contemplating just paying the $308 (with coupon) for the airfare when I noticed their price promise. I.e. match a 3rd party airline site and give you 500 points if the airfare is advertised for cheaper. Figured hey why don't I at least see what expedia has it for, thinking maybe it's $1 less and I can at least get 500 points out of this ordeal. Well woh and behold expedia has 2 tickets remaining at $179!! Get on the phone ASAP to Virgin as I trust them booking the flight more than expedia. Went through the price guarantee process with a lovely overseas lady, took around 20min for them to verify it with their higher team as she couldn't believe the price in comparison to their price. Anyway it came back all good and she was laughing saying this is the first price promise she has actually seen go through, as normally they are invalid for various reasons. TLDR; got my flights for the price they were yesterday (minus the DVP29 code) but with 500 free points thrown in! Just received the itinerary in my email!! Sometimes things do work out! Was a long shift controlling planes today, nice finish.

 

[Mattg]

I just had a massive win! I happened to be browsing virgin's site contemplating just paying the $308 (with coupon) for the airfare when I noticed their price promise. I.e. match a 3rd party airline site and give you 500 points if the airfare is advertised for cheaper. Figured hey why don't I at least see what expedia has it for, thinking maybe it's $1 less and I can at least get 500 points out of this ordeal. Well woh and behold expedia has 2 tickets remaining at $179!! Get on the phone ASAP to Virgin as I trust them booking the flight more than expedia. Went through the price guarantee process with a lovely overseas lady, took around 20min for them to verify it with their higher team as she couldn't believe the price in comparison to their price. Anyway it came back all good and she was laughing saying this is the first price promise she has actually seen go through, as normally they are invalid for various reasons. TLDR; got my flights for the price they were yesterday (minus the DVP29 code) but with 500 free points thrown in! Just received the itinerary in my email!! Sometimes things do work out! Was a long shift controlling planes today, nice finish.

Nice outcome. This is also the first case of a successful Virgin price promise claim I have heard about.

 

[Oxy]

Nice work! You got in quick, it's back over $300 now.

 

[TomVexille]

Good result

 

[davidhes]

Cheers all! definitely happy with the result! Bring on my first SG! Just have to wait until June...