The Virgin Australia Newbie Questions Thread

[mx838383]

Hi everyone, work has had to cut travel and limiting qantas travel and now virgin is preferred because it’s cheaper. I am normally a qantas flyer, so I am not as familiar with virgin vs qantas. I’ve checked in online and selected seats then noticed that better seats are available a few hours after and wanted to change but it kept on giving me an error. Previous it was easy with qantas to do this irrespective of status, I just change it in the app. With virgin it wouldn’t allow me. Is this normal ? Note flight is tomorrow.

Thanks in advance.

 

[AIRwin]

I’ve checked in online and selected seats then noticed that better seats are available a few hours after and wanted to change but it kept on giving me an error. Previous it was easy with qantas to do this irrespective of status, I just change it in the app. With virgin it wouldn’t allow me. Is this normal ?

Yes that's why I tend to select/change seats but hold off on checking in online until I'm at the airport...

 

[Harrison_133]

Previous it was easy with qantas to do this irrespective of status, I just change it in the app. With virgin it wouldn’t allow me. Is this normal ? Note flight is tomorrow.

Yes, this is normal. Once you’ve checked in, you can’t change seats on the app. You could either ask the ground staff to change it for you, or use one of the self serve check in kiosks at the airport to change it yourself.

 

[Vex_03]

Hey All,

I have 2 newbie questions. I am velocity gold and I booked a flight using a friend's KrisFlyer points as one of their registered guests. It seems that I can't add a velocity number to a rewards flight. So I'm just confirming i will get the lounge access and such from my Velocity gold?

 

[MooTime]

Hey All,

I have 2 newbie questions. I am velocity gold and I booked a flight using a friend's KrisFlyer points as one of their registered guests. It seems that I can't add a velocity number to a rewards flight. So I'm just confirming i will get the lounge access and such from my Velocity gold?

Interesting scenario.
I expect the lounge dragon to wave you thru once you give them your VFF number, they see your name matches the name on boarding pass.

I'd probably call the call centre to add it beforehand, no sweat.

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @Vex_03 .There 'partnership' type relationships are murder to get into, in detail.

 

[jase05]

Hey All,

I have 2 newbie questions. I am velocity gold and I booked a flight using a friend's KrisFlyer points as one of their registered guests. It seems that I can't add a velocity number to a rewards flight. So I'm just confirming i will get the lounge access and such from my Velocity gold?

SQ are pretty good with their benefits and recognition. Just show your card at check in and they will add your number to the booking.

 

[serfty]

Hey All,

I have 2 newbie questions. I am velocity gold and I booked a flight using a friend's KrisFlyer points as one of their registered guests. It seems that I can't add a velocity number to a rewards flight. So I'm just confirming i will get the lounge access and such from my Velocity gold?

SQ do not permit anything other than a KrisFlyer number to be placed into a KrisFlyer award booking online (Web or App). You might have some success by contacting them (phone or web form), but generally you need to wait until check in at the counter or even the SQ lounge where they will happily insert your velocity information. If done correctly your boarding pass will no longer show boarding group 6 or whatever.

 

[Danae Keen]

Hi all!
I have some questions around tactics for maximising benefits from velocity. We are a family of 5 so benefit from family pooling, but also don't have much need to travel in the next year or 2 other than domestic. After that, in 2025/2026, we have a few trips we are wanting to take to Japan, USA, UK. So, I am playing the long game and trying to work out the best plan of action to maximise lounge access and hotel status for our overseas trips (and any other bonuses).
We have just reached silver, have 120 SC to reach gold and 25 SC to maintain silver, with renewal July next year.
- should I try and reach gold, for the purpose only of maintaining that not silver? We have some SC expiring in Dec so would mean booking a holiday just for the purpose of SC before then.
- if we do reach gold, what happens if we don't get enough SC to maintain it for the next year - do we drop to silver or red?
- would it be a better tactic to just maintain silver until we are planning more trips then try to get gold?
Thanks in advance!

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I don't know about the PS/SG part, so will leave it for the others.
Just suffice to say, what ever you do, is to keep the points alive, ie, to spend a bit of money on the Velocity store, or to transfer at least 1000 FB points per 2 year period, or to surveys.
Don't laugh, but people have lost points due to inactivity.

 

[Lynda2475]

Can someone verify that I can use my velocity points to redeem reward seats for a non-family member on UA?

 

[MooTime]

Can someone verify that I can use my velocity points to redeem reward seats for a non-family member on UA?

I've booked UA reward flights for mother inlaw & partner no problems. I don't remember if I had to state they were family or not.

Different surnames obviously, but sorry not 100% verified your question.

 

[bernardblack]

You can use your Platinum benefits until the 10th of August in this case - as you said, there is a 1 month grace period to allow for late landing points, however, to retain Platinum, the status credits activity must have been earnt by the 10th of July (and land on your account by the 10th of August).
In other words, your review date is still the 10th of July, so you need to earn enough points by this date, even if they land up to 1 month later.

This grace period seems to have been dialled back to two weeks. Has anyone else observed this?

My digital card online and in the app, due for review 06/07, went to "in review" status for a couple of weeks from 07/07. When it came back, it was renewed to 06/07/24, but the card expiry is now 20/07/24. (This will make me move my outbound flight a couple of days earlier in order to exercise the Etihad First Lounge access at AUH, if indeed I manage to redeem an EY itinerary for Europe in Jul 2024.)

 

[aussiekid]

G'day. I transferred 100K to my parent and even though the points are showing, they're unable to book when after clicking the BC option it says they're still short points.

Is there a time they have to wait before using or is this just a backend issue?

Edit: in their "my velocity" it's showing the full points amount but on the flight selection it's only showing their original amount. Odd.

 

[Scr77]

G'day. I transferred 100K to my parent and even though the points are showing, they're unable to book when after clicking the BC option it says they're still short points.

Is there a time they have to wait before using or is this just a backend issue?

Edit: in their "my velocity" it's showing the full points amount but on the flight selection it's only showing their original amount. Odd.

Restart computer/tablet. Some funky things happen between the virgin and velocity websites.

 

[PDog]

G'day. I transferred 100K to my parent and even though the points are showing, they're unable to book when after clicking the BC option it says they're still short points.

Is there a time they have to wait before using or is this just a backend issue?

Edit: in their "my velocity" it's showing the full points amount but on the flight selection it's only showing their original amount. Odd.

That happened to me a couple of months ago - the call centre said there’s a system glitch and booked it for me without charge / additional points. I’m not sure if it would have corrected itself ever.

 

[konvul]

Hi all,
I need a flight from EWR-YOW next year and although on some days the 3:29pm & 8:29pm United flight shows up - the day I need it for it’s not there.

It appears on UAs website for award booking - Has anyone had luck booking flights which don’t appear on the VA website?

Thanks

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi all,
I need a flight from EWR-YOW next year and although on some days the 3:29pm & 8:29pm United flight shows up - the day I need it for it’s not there.

It appears on UAs website for award booking - Has anyone had luck booking flights which don’t appear on the VA website?

Thanks

Is it a saver award (lowest possible) on the UA site? Dynamically priced awards are not usually available to partners.

If it is saver, you could try calling VA to see if they can see it.

 

[ADFlyMore]

Had to submit my first missing points claim on a trip last month (domestically - J class). Anyone experienced this delay between VA confirming the points have been added?
- Flight was on 05JUL ADL/SYD/ADL
- Missing points claim submitted on 19JUL
- Velocity responded on 24JUL advising they have posted my points & status to my account

Still nothing is visible on my account. Have followed them up via email twice (on 24th & 27th) but no reply yet.

Am dealing with gold@velocity....

 

[AIRwin]

Still nothing is visible on my account.

Did you scroll to 05JUL?