No more additional checked baggage for G and P on NZ numbered flights?

[johnnyfive]

A post on FT just brought to my attention the wording on additional baggage for Domestic and TT flights has been changed to include: ^ When travelling on a VA flight number.

https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/content/Status/GoldStatus/

Not sure if it's brand new or from the Nov 1st changes but the same exclusion goes for NZ Elites travelling on VA numbered flights.

Virgin Australia - Co-operation partners - The Airpoints™ programme - Airpoints™ | Air New Zealand

Either way it's not being enforced too carefully as I flew on a purely domestic NZ ticket and received a free additional bag just last week.

Anyone else have experiences with this new alliance tweak?

 

[grubbidok]

No experience, but I hope VA and NZ can put the past behind them and work out some kind of way to work together. Loss of the NZ partnership was already a massive devaluation of VFF for many, and this makes it worse. NZ elites with links in Australia probably aren't happy either.

This is rapidly becoming an interline agreement, not an alliance partner in any sense, and I can't imagine the current animosity is helping either NZ or VA as much as working together would.

Eager to hear more.

 

[Must...Fly!]

No experience, but I hope VA and NZ can put the past behind them and work out some kind of way to work together. Loss of the NZ partnership was already a massive devaluation of VFF for many, and this makes it worse. NZ elites with links in Australia probably aren't happy either.

This is rapidly becoming an interline agreement, not an alliance partner in any sense, and I can't imagine the current animosity is helping either NZ or VA as much as working together would.

Eager to hear more.

Agreed, deep down they know they actually need each other though. For different reasons. VA need the TT capacity/frequency help, and NZ need the domestic links within Australia. Otherwise they'll quickly be on the back foot as QF brings capacity (and therefore more autonomy in how they do things) on line to replace EKs A380s.

The reduction in the partnership has indeed put a dent in the program value. They should've kept it for flights in the Pacific and South America. I can understand Asia and the North Americas being excluded.

 

[serfty]

They should've kept it for flights in the Pacific

Pacific flights were never part of the deal. In fact they were specifically excluded in tbe original submissions.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Pacific flights were never part of the deal. In fact they were specifically excluded in tbe original submissions.

You know, when I wrote that post that thought entered my mind, but I thought I was getting confused with something else!

 

[serfty]

You know, when I wrote that post that thought entered my mind, but I thought I was getting confused with something else!

There's been so many changes with this partnership it has been rather difficult to keep up.

As per a post above, without the VA Oz domestic footprint I'm sure AirNZ would have fully withdrawn from the partnership.