The Virgin Australia Newbie Questions Thread

[Indiana01]

Question in relation to the Platinum Complimentary Upgrade: Currently VA is running a promotion whereby Choice fares can be upgraded to Business Class seats. Does anyone know or point me to some doco that states how long the promotion runs for & when you need to travel by?

 

[AIRwin]

Question in relation to the Platinum Complimentary Upgrade: Currently VA is running a promotion whereby Choice fares can be upgraded to Business Class seats. Does anyone know or point me to some doco that states how long the promotion runs for & when you need to travel by?

Platinum Membership

Enjoy gold membership benefits as soon as your status credit reaches to 1000. benefits includes priority phone service, upgrademe points, advance seat selection, priority wait list and also enjoy priority check-in, virgin Australia lounge, complementary baggage allowance and rewards benefits...

www.velocityfrequentflyer.com

 

[Indiana01]

Platinum Membership

Enjoy gold membership benefits as soon as your status credit reaches to 1000. benefits includes priority phone service, upgrademe points, advance seat selection, priority wait list and also enjoy priority check-in, virgin Australia lounge, complementary baggage allowance and rewards benefits...

www.velocityfrequentflyer.com

View attachment 373416

Awesome - Thank you so much. Do you read the above as you MUST fly before 31st March or book before 31st March?

 

[AIRwin]

Awesome - Thank you so much. Do you read the above as you MUST fly before 31st March or book before 31st March?

Travel until 31 March according to the fine print:

*Offer available from 12:01 AEST 27 September 2023 until 11:59pm AEST 31 March 2024 (‘Promotional Period’). Platinum Velocity members who have purchased a full fare economy Choice fare for travel until and including 31 March 2024 on Virgin Australia marketed and operated Domestic (excluding Christmas Island and Cocos Island), Trans-Tasman and International Short Haul flights are entitled to use their available complimentary UpgradeMe Platinum credits to upgrade to Business Class. Only valid UpgradeMe credits can be used for this offer, check your My Velocity account online to confirm the validity. Offer applies to existing bookings made before the start of the ‘Promotional Period’ and to new bookings for travel within the ‘Promotional Period’. Upgrading from a Choice fare to Business class will require 2 UpgradeMe Platinum credits for flights 1-1,000 miles long, and 4 UpgradeMe Platinum credits for flights 1,001 miles or longer. To check how many upgrade credits you have available, login to My Velocity online and select “My Benefits”. All Upgrades are subject to availability, which is controlled by Virgin Australia. Some flights may have no Upgrades available. All flight upgrades using complimentary UpgradeMe Platinum fare upgrades are subject to the Velocity membership terms and conditions.

 

[Indiana01]

Another Newbie Question: Am I able to book reward seats for the Mrs & my son even if I don't fly with them?

 

[AIRwin]

Another Newbie Question: Am I able to book reward seats for the Mrs & my son even if I don't fly with them?

Yes, the Reward seats passengers don't even need to be related to you

 

[BCons]

Some advice: once you get some status, the rules may change..

Long story short - I booked a Hba/Mel return in J on points, then get a notification of flight change. Return flt changes from 6 to 10pm - and you are required to accept (or decline & call us). I am VA Plat.

So I call (the same 131875 number), thread thru the phone menu, and connect to an operator in the Philippines. No probs, she can see my profile she says. But I dont think this is the top-top Plat phone desk (does it exist any more ?)

OK. down to business - I ask her to pls maintain the outward points leg, cancel the return, because its much later than alternatives, and pls reimburse the points. (I can see a QF flt for the return). No, she says, you need to cancel the whole thing and and you must re-book the outward leg Yourself!

Now I cant remember this exact circumstance in many years of Velocity, but its unfriendly/unreasonable and a bit in ya face that VA shud cancel a flt a week out, and then leave the punter to sort themselves out, and I said No : its your sched change, not mine and I am not happy, and can you escalate my concerns. On hold for a few mins and problem solved.. Op rebooks me on same outward flt & refunds points. Simples.. like it shud hv been to begin with..

So there are several morals to this story - dont rely on Velocity to know who you are (until you tell them and they check), dont accept the first answer you're told (see 1) and stick to yr guns, but always with friendly calm, and logic.

What I'd like to know from this event is whether there is still a Velocity plat phone desk?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well… that’s some improvement. Last year I got 100% exact same response from a supervisor as I did the original agent The agent would say ‘my supervisor will tell you the same thing’, and of course they did!

I don’t believe there is a top platinum line or team anymore. Hasn’t been for at least 12 months when I started flying. Probably one for Beyond members, but not accessible by plats

 

[MooTime]

Some advice: once you get some status, the rules may change..

Long story short - I booked a Hba/Mel return in J on points, then get a notification of flight change. Return flt changes from 6 to 10pm - and you are required to accept (or decline & call us). I am VA Plat.

So I call (the same 131875 number), thread thru the phone menu, and connect to an operator in the Philippines. No probs, she can see my profile she says. But I dont think this is the top-top Plat phone desk (does it exist any more ?)

OK. down to business - I ask her to pls maintain the outward points leg, cancel the return, because its much later than alternatives, and pls reimburse the points. (I can see a QF flt for the return). No, she says, you need to cancel the whole thing and and you must re-book the outward leg Yourself!

Now I cant remember this exact circumstance in many years of Velocity, but its unfriendly/unreasonable and a bit in ya face that VA shud cancel a flt a week out, and then leave the punter to sort themselves out, and I said No : its your sched change, not mine and I am not happy, and can you escalate my concerns. On hold for a few mins and problem solved.. Op rebooks me on same outward flt & refunds points. Simples.. like it shud hv been to begin with..

So there are several morals to this story - dont rely on Velocity to know who you are (until you tell them and they check), dont accept the first answer you're told (see 1) and stick to yr guns, but always with friendly calm, and logic.

What I'd like to know from this event is whether there is still a Velocity plat phone desk?

Yes, always question and push your case, I would've did same as you.

Yes there is WP team, but hard to get, if my issue is in any way complex in that I don't believe the Philo team can resolve I just request the WP team from the getgo, just have to say right things to get transferred. They do exist, but probably a skeleton staff situation full time. Airlines just don't believe in having competent CC staff. Not a priority.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

Does anyone recall the trick to manually change VA's url to have an easier time searching for J flights and have it show up with the lowest business price on the date bar rather than lowest economy prices?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Does anyone recall the trick to manually change VA's url to have an easier time searching for J flights and have it show up with the lowest business price on the date bar rather than lowest economy prices?

Change "class=First" to "class=Business" in the URL

 

[Auski]

Some advice: once you get some status, the rules may change..

Long story short - I booked a Hba/Mel return in J on points, then get a notification of flight change. Return flt changes from 6 to 10pm - and you are required to accept (or decline & call us). I am VA Plat.

So I call (the same 131875 number), thread thru the phone menu, and connect to an operator in the Philippines. No probs, she can see my profile she says. But I dont think this is the top-top Plat phone desk (does it exist any more ?)

OK. down to business - I ask her to pls maintain the outward points leg, cancel the return, because its much later than alternatives, and pls reimburse the points. (I can see a QF flt for the return). No, she says, you need to cancel the whole thing and and you must re-book the outward leg Yourself!

Now I cant remember this exact circumstance in many years of Velocity, but its unfriendly/unreasonable and a bit in ya face that VA shud cancel a flt a week out, and then leave the punter to sort themselves out, and I said No : its your sched change, not mine and I am not happy, and can you escalate my concerns. On hold for a few mins and problem solved.. Op rebooks me on same outward flt & refunds points. Simples.. like it shud hv been to begin with..

So there are several morals to this story - dont rely on Velocity to know who you are (until you tell them and they check), dont accept the first answer you're told (see 1) and stick to yr guns, but always with friendly calm, and logic.

What I'd like to know from this event is whether there is still a Velocity plat phone desk?

Domestically I always book separate flights for this exact reason. Unlike international flights where a return is usually less than 2 x one ways why would you book a return for domestic flights?

 

[BCons]

Domestically I always book separate flights for this exact reason. Unlike international flights where a return is usually less than 2 x one ways why would you book a return for domestic flights?

Same day return - who's got time to make sep bookings in those circs?

Post automatically merged: Mar 14, 2024

Domestically I always book separate flights for this exact reason. Unlike international flights where a return is usually less than 2 x one ways why would you book a return for domestic flights?

Same day return - who's got time to make sep bookings in those circs?

 

[marcojim]

Hi all,

I suspect the answer to this is no but I thought I’d ask anyway.

I booked a return VA domestic flight a while back.

I’ve just been notified that one of the flights has had a schedule change. I’m aware that I can now change that flight for no fee, however can I also change the unimpacted flight for no fee?

Thanks

 

[MelbFlyer]

I booked a return VA domestic flight a while back.

I’ve just been notified that one of the flights has had a schedule change. I’m aware that I can now change that flight for no fee, however can I also change the unimpacted flight for no fee?

For the flight that has been affected - yes, but probably not for the flight that's had no change.

I guess there's no harm in asking if both can be changed without fees considering the change of one leg.

 

[MooTime]

Hi all,

I suspect the answer to this is no but I thought I’d ask anyway.

I booked a return VA domestic flight a while back.

I’ve just been notified that one of the flights has had a schedule change. I’m aware that I can now change that flight for no fee, however can I also change the unimpacted flight for no fee?

Thanks

Interesting scenario.

It could be the case that by the movement of the affected flight, it would make the return unaffected flight not convenient or feasible.

I've never had this scenario, so interested to hear the outcome, keep us posted @marcojim

 

[n7of9]

Any intel on when the Sydney Premium Entry will be fully operational?

 

[MooTime]

Any intel on when the Sydney Premium Entry will be fully operational?

I'm tipping probably never.
Just no absolute need outside of morning & arvo peak times.

It's a cost that just doesn't need to be spent in management's view imo.

 

[marcojim]

Interesting scenario.

It could be the case that by the movement of the affected flight, it would make the return unaffected flight not convenient or feasible.

I've never had this scenario, so interested to hear the outcome, keep us posted @marcojim

So I just got off the phone with Virgin Australia and they were happy for me to accept the change to the altered flight and also make a change to the unaffected flight for no charge. Not sure if this is standard practice or if I was lucky. Anyway pretty happy with the outcome.

 

[AIRwin]

So I just got off the phone with Virgin Australia and they were happy for me to accept the change to the altered flight and also make a change to the unaffected flight for no charge. Not sure if this is standard practice or if I was lucky. Anyway pretty happy with the outcome.

Two for the price of none!