Book Singapore or Virgin?

[greenfish]

The status bonus is the extra for using the VA code - you would have earned the base VA FF points (and SCs) even on the SQ code. Still the bonus is well worth having. The SQ flexi savers can be a bit of a bargain ex Australia.

 

[clarkkent]

Don't forget about the SGD40 voucher when transiting SIN on SQ: Changi Transit Programme - Singapore Airlines
Ends soon but they've extended it before...

 

[Obzerva]

Don't forget about the SGD40 voucher when transiting SIN on SQ: Changi Transit Programme - Singapore Airlines
Ends soon but they've extended it before...

They've extended this one numerous times before, I think when we've had the SQ rep in at work it seems like it's perpetually extended (I can think of at least 4 extensions)
The only tweak they've given it recently is that instead of being SGD$40 to spend any way you want, it's now SGD$20 on food and SGD$20 on other, at least that's the way it was, unless they've tweaked it again.

 

[NFF]

Do Velocity members get less points as well for booking through SilkAir ?

 

[bullerdude]

Seems to be the same earning rate for SQ and MI bookings according to the velocity site.

 

[Ozmutz]

I have just returned from SIN and can confirm it is a $20 voucher for retail use and another $20 voucher for use in duty free.

 

[a330j]

Booked a Y VA coded with SQ and wish I hadn't for all the reasons above. Didn't really need the points bonus but would have liked the seat selection and vouchers, not to mention the option for a points upgrade. Will do it differently next time.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I have just returned from SIN and can confirm it is a $20 voucher for retail use and another $20 voucher for use in duty free.

Not 100% correct - you will receive 2 x $20 Changi Dollar vouchers - one voucher is only redeemable on Liquor, Cosmetics or Tobacco - the other $20 voucher can be used in almost ALL stores in Changi Airport on almost any product - even in Ambassador Transit Hotel and food outlets.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

We recently flew a VA reward whY on SQ metal and the experience was...........uninspiring. No status recognition at all and was given row 365 (or thereabouts) on a half full plane. It seems the VA/SQ alliance is half hearted at best. Flew Sri Lankan with no status and were treated far better. Etihad seem to play the partnership game fairly well. SQ I wouldn't race back to.......I think Scoot Biz would be a far better proposition than SQ whY with (what they seem to deem) no status.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

I would never consider booking through Virgin. I have just done 8 SQ/MI sectors in the last three weeks booked on the SQ website and 6/8 flights I was able to select front row bulk head seats and even had the front row all to myself on a reasonably full KUL-SIN flight. The ability to select seats and deal direct with SQ make booking with SQ worthwhile. Additionally, all flights have credited to my Velocity account within about 72 hours.

We recently flew a VA reward whY on SQ metal and the experience was...........uninspiring. No status recognition at all and was given row 365 (or thereabouts) on a half full plane. It seems the VA/SQ alliance is half hearted at best.

I believe the VA/SQ alliance is very strong and has excellent benefits as both parties seem to understand the respective entitlements. For example, *G members cannot access SQ lounges on Silk Air flights but Velocity members can in SIN.
I agree that status recognition is poor but that has always been the case with SQ unless you are a PPS member. However, I believe the excellent and consistent service makes up for this.
Perhaps it could have been worth transferring a few points across to KF and booked an economy reward direct with SQ if the numbers made sense.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Perhaps it could have been worth transferring a few points across to KF and booked an economy reward direct with SQ if the numbers made sense.

That option was not available when I booked, but really, how can the alliance be very strong when at the same time status recognition is poor? I do not for one minute accept the line "that's just SQ". That doesn't change the fact status recognition is not just poor, it's basically non-existent. I flew CMB-SIN with them, so the lounge bit didn't help me either. SQ has a lounge deal in CMB, but that has not flowed through to VA and CMB seems to be just one of a number of ports with similar issues.

I take your point about tnf points to SQ and will no doubt look at the viability of doing that into the future, but the SQ hard product (A330) was as uninspiring in whY as their status recognition was and to be honest, on a paid fare I think I'd definitely give Scoot Biz a try (I haven't as yet) to gauge the difference. Price wise, there seems to be no comparison and I've read comment that Scoot Biz is similar to the VA narrow body J product which, if true, would be head and shoulders above SQ whY (IMHO).

 

[rtyuiop]

I fly a lot on SQ (these days almost all my travel actually!), and the status recognition is basic but seems pretty uniform - VA elites can expect priority bags and boarding, and some (but not uniform) lounge access. Don't expect anything more, and you won't be disappointed!

The main reason I like the SQ alliance is mainly that I find the baseline Y of SQ pretty damn good, and for most part very consistent (well, assuming you know what you're getting on an old 777-200!)... You can get pretty good value for points and SCs on SQ Y, and Changi is just a damn nice place to connect...

Cheers,

Danny

 

[JohnK]

Anyone booked flights originating overseas on VA website?

No problem searching for BNE-CNX flights. Unable to search for CNX-BNE flights.

Known glitch?

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

I take your point about tnf points to SQ and will no doubt look at the viability of doing that into the future, but the SQ hard product (A330) was as uninspiring in whY as their status recognition was and to be honest, on a paid fare I think I'd definitely give Scoot Biz a try (I haven't as yet) to gauge the difference. Price wise, there seems to be no comparison and I've read comment that Scoot Biz is similar to the VA narrow body J product which, if true, would be head and shoulders above SQ whY (IMHO).

It's a shame you had such an underwhelming experience on SQ as I honestly believe they are the best airline in the world. I definitely agree on-board status recognition is non-existent and a warm greeting wouldn't go astray. I'd imagine SQ say it is too difficult as they would have to acknowledge PPS Club members, KF Golds, all *Gs and then all Velocity elites in varying degrees.

Scoot Biz may become very attractive by year end when you should be able to earn KF miles and hopefully VA will extend the partnership to include SCs and points for Scoot flights.

 

[burmans]

It's a shame you had such an underwhelming experience on SQ as I honestly believe they are the best airline in the world. I definitely agree on-board status recognition is non-existent and a warm greeting wouldn't go astray. I'd imagine SQ say it is too difficult as they would have to acknowledge PPS Club members, KF Golds, all *Gs and then all Velocity elites in varying degrees.

Scoot Biz may become very attractive by year end when you should be able to earn KF miles and hopefully VA will extend the partnership to include SCs and points for Scoot flights.

Happy for him not to like SQ and prefer Scoot, it takes all people and frankly I have no problem with people going elsewhere, all the more for me.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Happy for him not to like SQ and prefer Scoot, it takes all people and frankly I have no problem with people going elsewhere, all the more for me.

That's an odd reply.

 

[Moopere]

Heh - this is why I hate booking tickets in a big rush

Looks like I probably scored VA FF points (+status bonus) for my 400$ ... hehehe. 22144 VA points (est value to me $664). Because I don't travel a lot on SQ I can't really ever use Kris points, however, now that they can be transferred across to VA it sort of changes the equation.

Sorry to quote myself, and I realise the conversation has moved on ... still seems relevant to the thread though....

Having mulled this over, and given more time to think then I had when I booked the VA/SQ codeshare - I've got another one of these coming up that won't be in such a rush. Am inclined now to book direct with SQ for the money savings and also the seat allocation.

One thing remains thats not clear to me though, it appears that SC's are earned, given some care with fare class, and FF's are too (missing the gold bonus FF is not a big deal and not worth the $$ savings to be made), lounge/priority boarding-bags, seem from my one experience to work, but are flight sectors counted and returned to VA to help maintain gold/platinum?

I have a niggle in the back of my mind that I booked against the VA code for a reason which had to do with need to have a VA ticketed flight number ... I was madly dashing about at the time of booking though so could very easily have made a mistake here ... but the fading memory still lingers and I wonder if the sectors thing was it?

 

[rtyuiop]

Correct - if you book direct with SQ the flights will not count for your eligible sectors (this issue took me down from plat to gold last year ).

 

[notzac]

You only get eligible sectors for revenue flights booked with a VA code.

 

[Moopere]

SQ has a lounge deal in CMB, but that has not flowed through to VA and CMB seems to be just one of a number of ports with similar issues.

I wonder if the 'lounge deal' in CMB is an SQ partner lounge? I suspect so. My understanding of the VA status recognition is that you should expect entry to the appropriate SQ run/owned lounge if there is one but that probably doesn't expend to a partner run lounge.

...but the SQ hard product (A330) was as uninspiring in whY as their status recognition was and to be honest, on a paid fare I think I'd definitely give Scoot Biz a try (I haven't as yet) to gauge the difference. Price wise, there seems to be no comparison and I've read comment that Scoot Biz is similar to the VA narrow body J product which, if true, would be head and shoulders above SQ whY (IMHO).

I've got too look into the scoot J myself - though my first impression when I looked for my last booking was that destinations, at least from PER, are pretty limited.

I found my recent experience in 4 different SQ planes much as you describe, uninspiring - the interiors, at least in Y, have all done plenty of work, really ... plenty Having said that, everything pretty much worked, and the service was as I have come to expect from SQ over the years - pretty OK. Disappointing that your status appears to not have been properly recognised ... I was really on the lookout for this myself and was pleasantly surprised I must say. It was probably overkill and I felt a bit DYKWIA, but still, I handed over my VA Gold card at every opportunity, perhaps this helped? Perhaps not? In any event, for this one data point I was very happy with the status recognition - my experience was better on a VA gold card than VA's own service provision in many cases