AMEX Complimentary Flight Booking

[bcworld]

Allegedly since April 10th this can be booked online at compflight.virginaustralia.com.

Has anyone else tried this?

I have tried 3 browsers and after logging in I always end up in the mobile view of the VA booking engine. After selecting flights and entering passenger details it tells me this booking can't be made in mobile view and use the full site! There is no option to change to the full site however.

Seems like classic VA IT!

 

[clipped_wings]

I did a dummy booking using Chrome but couldn't proceed further as I had reached the confirmation page. Is this where you hit trouble, or was it after you tried to confirm?

 

[bcworld]

I did a dummy booking using Chrome but couldn't proceed further as I had reached the confirmation page. Is this where you hit trouble, or was it after you tried to confirm?

I selected flights and the next screen is a passenger details screen, which it pre populates with all my details but then complains they are invalid (due to country code in phone number). So I fix that and when trying to move to the next step it tells me I can't use the mobile site. It sounds like you probably got further.

 

[clipped_wings]

Yes, I got through to the summary page where I would probably click to submit the booking request.

I'm sure the wrinkles will be ironed out as the website develops. I'm pretty happy for this process to be self serve now as you know at a glance what flight options are available to you.

 

[bcworld]

I'm pretty happy for this process to be self serve now

I was happy too until I discovered it doesn't work...for me!

Does it appear to prevent you with the mobile interface?

I am using a Surface pro 4, maybe they are serving up the wrong rendition for that device? I probably should've tried another computer.

Regardless it was booked over the phone with the $40 fee waived but took ages due to inexperienced agent.

 

[clipped_wings]

Ouch. I only tried the dummy booking, so there's every chance it could have crashed on me too. I won't know until I decide how we are going to utilize our free flights (husband and I both have the cards)

I am thinking of gifting them to our two eldest daughters and their boyfriends, as a surprise trip to Melbourne later this year. We will have travelled extensively this year and don't require the flights, but there's no way I'm relinquishing them. I'm hoping it's an opportunity for 4 young people to appreciate their family and each other in a fabulous city that is far and away from everyone else they know.

Could be the World's Biggest Backfire as well..............stay tuned.

 

[Ausbt]

Browser crashing or not, these redemptions seems to be getting awfully rare. Really struggled to find my preferred route 8 months out recently, coming after a couple of previous failed attempts where I just stumped up the cash.

 

[bcworld]

Browser crashing or not, these redemptions seems to be getting awfully rare. Really struggled to find my preferred route 8 months out recently, coming after a couple of previous failed attempts where I just stumped up the cash.

The booking I just made was 4 weeks out and I think I had the choice of every flight on those days. Travelling Fri evening / Sun evening so not low demand days / times.

 

[HeavyElectricity]

So far (using the annoying mobile interface on my desktop browser - especially the date selection) I haven't found any PER-SYD availability, even though there are Q fares available (found using ITA Matrix), so that's a little worrying.

 

[TomVexille]

So far (using the annoying mobile interface on my desktop browser - especially the date selection) I haven't found any PER-SYD availability, even though there are Q fares available (found using ITA Matrix), so that's a little worrying.

The amex website says to call for PER-SYD

 

[HeavyElectricity]

The amex website says to call for PER-SYD

Ah great, thank you for that info! I got worried that it may no longer be an option (as previously it was an option only sometimes mentioned in the various versions of the terms/maps).

 

[TomVexille]

Ah great, thank you for that info! I got worried that it may no longer be an option (as previously it was an option only sometimes mentioned in the various versions of the terms/maps).

No worries, happened to notice it here when trying to work out if the website wiould actually let me book something. Which was a no

 

[HeavyElectricity]

No worries, happened to notice it here when trying to work out if the website wiould actually let me book something. Which was a no

Interestingly (if I'm reading it correctly), it seems to indicate that PER-MEL is also an option - which I didn't think was possible previously!

 

[TomVexille]

Interestingly (if I'm reading it correctly), it seems to indicate that PER-MEL is also an option - which I didn't think was possible previously!

It certainly wasn't on the map last time I looked. If only MEL-PER was available...

 

[Jack_OC]

I just booked using the online system. It worked fine for me.

 

[Happy Dude]

Is this flight still booking into a non-earning bucket with the new procedure?

 

[Rubix]

Is this flight still booking into a non-earning bucket with the new procedure?

I assume so. But you can gift it as an option.

 

[bcworld]

Is this flight still booking into a non-earning bucket with the new procedure?

Yup. I flew mine last weekend and it posted as non earning. My partner actually also traveled last weekend on a Qantas AMEX freebie and that did earn.

 

[HeavyElectricity]

I noticed today that the destination map (requires flash) has been updated (it displays "Correct as of 10 April 2018"). It shows the Sydney and Melbourne options from Perth (Melbourne wasn't listed before), and appears we have lost the Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome, and Newman options (boo! I was planning on escaping somewhere warm!). Other new destinations from Perth are Geraldton and Kalgoorlie.

Old Perth map:



New Perth map:

 

[grubbidok]

I booked it, and it worked fine. Funnily enough it lets you choose any combination of flights, but only allows certain combinations to go through to the next stage. I fully own up to trying it on to see if I could use it for an itinerary that isn't permitted by the AMEX T&Cs (due to SYD-MKY no longer being a direct flight). But it won't work.

My only issue is it can't do an open jaw (e.g. SYD-TSV; CNS-SYD), which would have been my preference rather than the flights I used it on, but I can hardly blame VA for that!