Any chance of VA tie up with TG now that they are returning to PER?

[PERLHR]

Good news for those of us who like to to use BKK as our gateway to Europe in biz class with various carriers at reasonable cost unlike the shocking fares usually seen ex PER. Not always easy to position to BKK from PER so the re instatement of the Thai flight in March is welcomed. Would be nice if through their various partnerships and bed swapping, VA has some arrangement with Thai. Don't suppose it will happen or indeed has it happened before?

 

[HS-TQE]

I'd think the current TG/VA arrangements will unlikely progress past the current interline arrangements when VA has SQ as their primary partner in the ASEAN region as well as the connecting traffic to Europe.

As stated, interline is just "baggage transfer" arrangements without the need to collect baggage at (most) transfer points provided the booking is on the one ticket (generally booked via Third Party agents with some airlines selling interline connections).

As far as I last checked neither VA or TG sell interline connections on each other websites even though they do have an interline agreement, thus best chance is to book via a third party booking engine.

 

[twinaisle]

The SQ friendship won't allow TG or any other Asian airline to be close to VA.

That's the same as the QR friendship that won't allow TK!

 

[bcworld]

That's the same as the QR friendship that won't allow TK!

Well VA has both QR and EY...they seem like even closer competitors.

 

[HS-TQE]

Well VA has both QR and EY...they seem like even closer competitors.

EY has been demoted to a minor/secondary partner as a result of the QR partnership though.

They're at the same 'status' as the fellow secondary partners that are the HNA Chinese Carriers, SA and VS. The secondaries are 'still' only in VFF primarily as redemption options.

You can redeem on EY, however if you do a standard booking ex-Australia (via points or cash) the booking engine mostly prioritises the QR codeshares as VA's primary partner.

 

[oz_mark]

I'd think the current TG/VA arrangements will unlikely progress past the current interline arrangements when VA has SQ as their primary partner in the ASEAN region as well as the connecting traffic to Europe.

As stated, interline is just "baggage transfer" arrangements without the need to collect baggage at (most) transfer points provided the booking is on the one ticket (generally booked via Third Party agents with some airlines selling interline connections).

The "interline" agreement between VA and TG allows them to sell tickets on each others flights. It doesn't extend to baggage through-check.

 

[AIRwin]

The "interline" agreement between VA and TG allows them to sell tickets on each others flights. It doesn't extend to baggage through-check.

As @Mattg had encountered:

Thai Airways unable to interline to Virgin Australia

I recently flew on a United award ticket BKK-MEL-CBR, with the first leg on Thai Airways and the second leg on Virgin Australia. All on one ticket with a same-day transit in MEL. According to the Thai Airways website (and ExpertFlyer), TG and VA are interline partners. When I checked in at BKK...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[PERLHR]

The "interline" agreement between VA and TG allows them to sell tickets on each others flights. It doesn't extend to baggage through-check.

I can live with that...being used to BA poor interlining. I would just be booking to BKK then picking up one world from there but if I could use VA status and get points for PER-BKK-PER that would be added bonus!