Why am I surprised

[Gazza129]

Just spent the afternoon trying to get Business seats to LA and when I finally managed to lock them down the website says "Fares not available" .try another search.
An annoying call to VA and the call center person informed me that the flights are awaiting "government approval" ..............SO WHY ARE THEY ON THE WEBSITE????

 

[Jet L]

Quite a lot of fares get put on sale before approval, I had a MEL flight recently where they offloaded everyone a month before the flight because they didn't have approval to fly it so they split pax into two other flights within 2 hours either way of the original one

 

[serfty]

... the call center person informed me that the flights are awaiting "government approval" ...

The call centre person lied or is uneducated.

I have been able to book a MEL-LAX Business award online within the last month. Yes, subject to approval is true, but I have a PNR & ticket number. They took 95500 Velocity and about $123 in return.

 

[CJEMNMAC]

The call centre person lied or is uneducated.

I have been able to book a MEL-LAX Business award online within the last month. Yes, subject to approval is true, but I have a PNR & ticket number. They took 95500 Velocity and about $123 in return.

Yes serfty, me too

I just booked for May LAX-MEL-SYD... I booked on website and then at payment screen it said " no longer available.

I call up and the operator tried and got same issue.. I had to push hard and then they said yes they will do it manually. 95500 points deducted and taxes paid and ticket issued..

 

[Pleb Status]

All airlines sell new international flights 'subject to government approval'. Nothing new here....

 

[Deleted member 29185]

All airlines sell new international flights 'subject to government approval'. Nothing new here....

I think what the OP was pointing out, is that they are advertising them, but NOT selling them because of the approval condition. A glitch maybe, but different to what others do of advertising AND selling them with those conditions.

 

[serfty]

The issue is expressed here:

...
An annoying call to VA and the call center person informed me that the flights are awaiting "government approval" ...

The implication being that they cannot be purchased online because of ' awaiting "government approval" '.

This from a call centre person who was incorrect. There appears to have been nothing other than incompetence stopping Gazza129 from redeeming the award.

The purchase I referred to was online - the only human interaction was mine.

 

[Gazza129]

Yes serfty, me too

I just booked for May LAX-MEL-SYD... I booked on website and then at payment screen it said " no longer available.

I call up and the operator tried and got same issue.. I had to push hard and then they said yes they will do it manually. 95500 points deducted and taxes paid and ticket issued..

Thanks for your responses......you fill me with trepidation ............errrr............ I mean hope,as I prepare to call the jolly RED giant....

Out of interest now did you get them to take the booking? Was it along the lines of you being prepared for a cancellation if the flight was pulled?

Let you know how it goes. Why do I always take the pessimistic view when dealing with airlines???? I'm normally an optimist. Perhaps I can take the optimistic view that they will always disappoint!!

 

[CJEMNMAC]

Thanks for your responses......you fill me with trepidation ............errrr............ I mean hope,as I prepare to call the jolly RED giant....

Out of interest now did you get them to take the booking? Was it along the lines of you being prepared for a cancellation if the flight was pulled?

Let you know how it goes. Why do I always take the pessimistic view when dealing with airlines???? I'm normally an optimist. Perhaps I can take the optimistic view that they will always disappoint!!

There is no trick to it

They are selling revenue tickets on the flights ex MEL and you can get Y reward seats until your heart is content as well....


I didn't have to get them to take the booking on the phone in the sense of " regulatory approval ".. I had to get them to do the booking because the website is so cough

 

[Bagpuss]

Out of interest now did you get them to take the booking? Was it along the lines of you being prepared for a cancellation if the flight was pulled?

Phone them...

"Hi I would like to make a reward booking to xx_ on these dates"

Them ... "Sure, thats xx points and xx cost and a xx phone booking fee. Also I need to point out the booking is subject to government approval."

"Sure no problem I understand it's subject to government approval. I did try to book this via the website, but got an error. I don't understand why I need to pay a phone booking fee if the website is throwing an error"

Them .. "OK sorry about that, I can waive the phone booking fee"

"Excellent" ... Proceed with booking.

 

[Dannyism]

I have MEL-BNE-LAX//LAX-SYD-MEL x2 J rewards booked for May/June this year. I considered calling up and asking them to move me to the direct MEL-LAX flight but opted out due to the available reward seats saying 'pending regulator approval'.

 

[Gazza129]

Phone them...

"Hi I would like to make a reward booking to xx_ on these dates"

Them ... "Sure, thats xx points and xx cost and a xx phone booking fee. Also I need to point out the booking is subject to government approval."

"Sure no problem I understand it's subject to government approval. I did try to book this via the website, but got an error. I don't understand why I need to pay a phone booking fee if the website is throwing an error"

Them .. "OK sorry about that, I can waive the phone booking fee"

"Excellent" ... Proceed with booking.

LOL............you must have been listening to my call. It went pretty much as you described except the government wasn't mentioned. All booked. Thanks to all for your input. I was about to give up.