Booking Reward Seats

[Milboo]

I have settled on redeeming my points for a PE seat to New York from Sydney. Rang Velocity today - on Gold members line but was then transferred to International Rewards Booking.

I was advised that because LAX - JFK is operated by Delta, I would have to book 1 ticket with VA and 1 ticket on Delta - so 2 separate PNRs.

Really does not work for a) international luggage allowances/ paying for baggage on Delta and b) being able to check through and c) knock on effect of delays and being looked after by the airline for subsequent flights.

Anyone else encountered this booking a reward seat? Any way around it - I don't want to split my bookings given the layover in LAX is not generous for the flights I usually take.

TIA

 

[bullerdude]

That sounds odd... LAX to JFK can be purchased as one ticket (i.e the delta flight has a code-share VA flight number), so one would think a reward flight could be too.

Not that I'm surprised to hear this... it could be yet another unfixed Sabre problem.

 

[Milboo]

That was my thought. Why is it 2 separate tickets (and she was very insistent that it was) when if I booked a seat the usual way, it is one ticket with a codeshare component?

 

[bnbmelb]

I also booked a flight using the "International Rewards Team" and had the same issue. I booked Mel to Singapore via Brisbane on VA / EY. I had to book VA MEL - BNE on one PNR and the EY Brisbane to Singapore leg on another. I have to collect bags in Brisbane Domestic, take them across to International and re-checkin, the works.

I then booked a flight online from MEL to MUN on VA / EY via SYD and AUH, and this one is all one PNR. So it must be something to do with the systems that the International team use. It's an absolute pain.

 

[Milboo]

Wonder then if they will book reward to LAX and paid fare to JFK on one PNR

 

[bnbmelb]

I tried that too... I wanted to pay for MEL to BNE and points for BNE to SIN. I had two international staff members tell me this wasn't possible. I then spoke to the domestic call centre in Aus and they said it is possible and transferred me to the international team and told them to do it. I ended up with 5 amounts debited from my CC and no PNR. A week later I finally got them to just do it on two PNR's using points. It seems Virgin / Velocity still have a while to go to get the stuff sorted out. Sabre's been around for 6 months now and they still don't know what they are doing.

 

[Clivem]

I'm flying LAX to JFK on Virgin America ...... unsure why they would say Delta is your only option ? Virgin Select works for me as a none 'business' option ..........

 

[williamsf1]

have you tried looking at VA codeshare operated by VX ? you can book this online .

 

[Milboo]

Crud!

Might be time to pull out some contact details I have for someone up the food chain.

 

[Milboo]

I'm flying LAX to JFK on Virgin America ...... unsure why they would say Delta is your only option ? Virgin Select works for me as a none 'business' option ..........

SYD to JFK only gives Delta options. Same as last year - only had Delta options but year before I had VX options.

 

[williamsf1]

Wonder then if they will book reward to LAX and paid fare to JFK on one PNR

NO

Reward seats and paid commercial fares in separate PNR ( same as a anyseat fare)

 

[bnbmelb]

Not really an option but ... Boston - Sydney is available to book online and it will be all one PNR. If you're up for a bit of train trip to Boston.

It looks like only some Virgin America flights are available to book online.