Fly ahead - with a fee

[Fruitcake]

was this always on their site or a new thing?

That has been there as long as I can recall. However, like no fly-ahead with checked baggage, it's been consistently disregarded.

 

[drewbles]

Nope it's a devaluation of something that used to be a benefit, regardless of what the T&C's said before.

It was free
Now it's not

By definition, devalue is:

reduce or underestimate the worth or importance of: I resent the way people seem to devalue my achievement.

Seeing as it was *never* meant to be what we have now, it's not a de-value, it's a simple alignment to what it should be.

It still is free, providing the same or lesser fare bucket is available.

 

[drewbles]

was this always on their site or a new thing?
View attachment 22956

It has always been there.

 

[Bofter]

By definition, devalue is:

Seeing as it was *never* meant to be what we have now, it's not a de-value, it's a simple alignment to what it should be.

It still is free, providing the same or lesser fare bucket is available.

I think precedence does and should matter. It is reasonable for people to consider a marked change in behaviour as a change in value of the benefit, regardless of whether the fine print changes.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Not 100% sure about this as saver and saver lite have the restriction of no changes at all​ within 24 hours of travel.

So unless someone at VA has suddenly realised they can make more money by allowing changes within 24 hours as long as upgrading to a flexi or business class ticket, or allowing agents to change these fares for WP and SG I am going to say this is gossip

 

[Fiches Mouser]

I'd really like to see VFF drop in here and give us an official word.

But that said, the T&Cs are the T&Cs.

 

[drewbles]

I think precedence does and should matter. It is reasonable for people to consider a marked change in behaviour as a change in value of the benefit, regardless of whether the fine print changes.

Not really. Being flexible and generous and disregarding terms and conditions is a bonus. They were not changed, they are being enforced (by anecdotal evidence anyway).

Change of behaviour yes, no change in the described value of the benefit, simply the perceived value.

The view you should take is it was great whilst it lasted. If someone offers you something that you're not meant to be entitled to, and then removes it, how is that a devaluation of a described benefit? It's a removal of a bonus.

 

[Bofter]

I am not suggesting that precedence denies VA the opportunity to more strictly enforce terms and conditions.

I am simply of the view that when there has been such a large and consistent interpretation (or non-enforcement) in one way, it is reasonable to expect a negative response from those affected if you change that interpretation or start to strictly enforce. It's a change in a benefit regardless of whether it is a listed benefit, because it has been so consistently provided.

Personally I am not that affected. Frequencies on the MEL-PER route I mostly fly have improved but not to the point where fly-ahead makes sense. I have never been prepared to risk booking onto the red-eye to try and catch the earlier flight, because that would mean less confidence in seating and the impact of it not working is huge.

For the times that I travel MEL-SYD or MEL-BNE it has been great to know that I can book a late flight assuming that my arrangements will run late and get on an earlier flight without hassle if they don't. If overuse by some people is the problem, then an approach which codified the previous behaviour but limited its frequency of use would be actually by an improvement for me (rather than the feared enhancement).

 

[JohnK]

If fly ahead comes with a fee then I am quite happy to fly on the flight I booked.

The airlines are getting more than enough money out of me.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

We have to stop publicly saying what we most like about a programme. Fly ahead has been probably the most popular benefit with VA as indicated by thread posts of AFF. Watch out Family Pooling......next we'll hear that will now be a chargeable benefit only. Oh, and how long before Fly Ahead with luggage will be permissible with a fee ?

 

[notzac]

I guess this is one of those "too good to last" things .. I didn't use it much, but it was an absolute god send when I needed / wanted to use it. I agree with JohnK, this being strictly enforced turns it in to a non-benefit for me.

VFF (I assume you're reading), if the T&C's are going to be more strictly enforced soon, this could be a really nice point of differentiation between Gold and Platinum: Gold needs to have same or lower fare bucket available, Platinum needs a seat in the same cabin.

 

[Gredgy69]

Big deval for me, though i don't use it much.
I am doing a huge mileage run at present to keep my plat. wont be doing that next year if this does come into play.
there isn't really anything I use now I come to think about it. I get virgin club for free as amex plat and i don't use the family holiday thingy as it doesn't include business class which is stupid.
hell . why AM I DOING this mileage run?

tinkybelle, how is this a big deval for you even though you don't use it much? Seems contradictory.

This is no biggie for me. Have only had it suggested to me at check- in a few times, but not for a long while. If I asked and got rejected, then I would just shrug and make up for it in the lounge.

 

[Gredgy69]

Not really. Being flexible and generous and disregarding terms and conditions is a bonus. They were not changed, they are being enforced (by anecdotal evidence anyway).

Change of behaviour yes, no change in the described value of the benefit, simply the perceived value.

The view you should take is it was great whilst it lasted. If someone offers you something that you're not meant to be entitled to, and then removes it, how is that a devaluation of a described benefit? It's a removal of a bonus.

Got to agree with you wholeheartedly there drewbles.

Is it a bummer if they start to charge for it? Yeah sure, but if we weren't supposed to be getting it (in some instances) and now they are just enforcing the T & C then just build a bridge and get over it. As drewbles said, it was great whilst it lasted.

 

[anat0l]

Hi all,

A bit of a heads up.

I was just informed by a Sydney lounge staff member that VA will be charging the fare difference if you are booked in Saver Lite or Saver fares and want to fly ahead. She told me that VA is planning on introducing this in the next couple of months.

This was one of the "real" benefits of VFF's platinum and gold memberships.

As far as I was concerned, Fly Ahead was something you could do on both airlines. It's just that Virgin decided to put it into writing, so there's a bit more solid basis.

I would be surprised if Platinums could not continue to do this without charge, if there is even going to be such a change at all.

Should be noted too that even if you could find a fare in the same fare bucket, since fare buckets may change in value, technically you could still be up for a fare difference if it were strictly enforced.

What will be interesting is to see how and when these "changes" are communicated. Though as drewbles pointed out, this is not necessarily a change according to the rules, ergo there is no "material devaluation" as it were that meant you would need to give 3 or 6 months notice. Who knows - they may decide not to go through with this change at all.

Wonder if (when) QF will follow... I have had zero issues flying ahead on QF at no cost on every flight that I have wanted to...

QF have been offering fly ahead at no charge as long as I can remember so it must work for the Airlines as they clear the customers on cheaper flights and free up peek hour flights for higher paying customers who book last minute.

QF never had such a "benefit". It was never written into the rules as such. You can ask nicely and a QF staff member will see what they can do. It works better during peak travel and flow forwarding (as serfty describes it, in these times the airline sees just a huge allotment of seats rather than a bunch of flights with a discrete number of seats each). One nice thing is that if you ask at a Service Desk, island or use a kiosk, you can shift to an earlier flight even if you are checking a bag. (I'm sure VA would have a similar thing with discretion).

Certainly at times I haven't been able to get an earlier flight when I'd like to; conversely, there are times when I've been proactively offered an earlier flight (or even a direct one), and in some cases unfortunately had to / wanted to refuse! (Got lucky one time in that I was both shifted to an earlier flight and operationally upgraded at the same time )

 

[JohnK]

As far as I was concerned, Fly Ahead was something you could do on both airlines. It's just that Virgin decided to put it into writing, so there's a bit more solid basis.

I know Virgin had it as a published benefit (and I am not certain this is changing) but it would be nice if it was left to the disgression of the check-in agent or lounge staff on both airlines to status passengers.

I am in BNE QF lounge right now waiting for flight but I got here ~30 minutes ago and I was offered a seat on the flight that is just departing. I chose to keep my original flight which is supposedly departing in ~30 minutes.

 

[Jousams]

I could winge that this is bad etc. but it's not like I'm going to go running to the other mob.

 

[lovestotravel]

I've been denied an earlier flight on QF many times as a Plat and Plat1 over the years. I think it's if the staff like you or not and not so much about status.

I agree keeping it free for Plats is a worthwhile benefit to wanting to keep that higher status. I hope Velocity keep it for Plats!

Strange as QF have even rang me at times asking if I want to move on a earlier flight, not for any real reason but they noticed that I tend to fly ahead quite a bit...

I usually stay on the later flight which hasn't been cancelled nor fully booked, nor empty.

Weird

 

[bullerdude]

If there are seats available then what difference does it really make.... Realistically this is a fantastic benefit that on the most part wouldn't cost VA much to provide.

 

[aupirate]

Disappointed too, but not surprised if people have been abusing the system.

 

[anat0l]

Disappointed too, but not surprised if people have been abusing the system.

Not entirely sure how you can abuse this system?

OK I can think of one possible way - I wouldn't really pitch it as "abuse" as such, unless you're an obtuse bean counter...