United Airlines new Virgin Australia/Velocity Partner

[HS-TQE]

I wonder if Delta will funnel their interline passengers onto Qantas now?

Would be a direct swap as the US3 changes interline partners.

They'll keep the outgoing partner on interline but with DL preferencing QF over their former partner and UA putting QF below VA.

 

[Nexus9]

Look forward to seeing it all over the internet. Love seeing nobs eat cough after playing up and disobeying flight attendant instructions / federal laws

if it guaranteed me the multi million dollar payout the Doctor is alleged to have received in settlement for the court case - then sign me up!

Really though, the airline should have just kept upping the ante on compensation until they got four people to say yes to giving up their seats, would have been much cheaper in the long run.

I note that situation has subsequently changed for the better after the settlement with both Delta and UA now able to offer up to $10,000.00 US to bump customers when they have over booked the flight.

 

[HS-TQE]

Tell me you want to join *A without telling me you want to join *A.

It's called Star Alliance Connecting Partners

Connecting Partners

With Bain, it's the 'el cheapo' alternative for VA if they're not willing to spend the CapEx on applying and/or sorting out the 'leftovers' from the Luxon/Borghetti ego show and/or if NZ are not willing to 'let go' of the QF codeshare revenue.

It would also be a money saver for VA as well, pick and chose your Star Alliance partners without the expenses of connecting to all 26 of them. Only difference is the 'Connecting Partner' line below the logo on the stickers/banners.

 

[jakeseven7]

It's called Star Alliance Connecting Partners

Connecting Partners

With Bain, it's the 'el cheapo' alternative for VA if they're not willing to spend the CapEx on applying and/or sorting out the 'leftovers' from the Luxon/Borghetti ego show and/or if NZ are not willing to 'let go' of the QF codeshare revenue.

It would also be a money saver for VA as well, pick and chose your Star Alliance partners without the expenses of connecting to all 26 of them. Only difference is the 'Connecting Partner' line below the logo on the stickers/banners.

Cmon you aren’t interested in Egypt Air?
All or nothing

 

[http_x92]

VA is basically a Star Alliance partner by proxy now... access to SQ and UA lounges. Just partnered up with AC. All that's left is for Air NZ to get onboard somehow.

 

[jase05]

Cmon you aren’t interested in Egypt Air?
All or nothing

What’s wrong with EgyptAir
They aren’t the worst which says something

 

[Zanzara]

Anyone championing UA over DL clearly hasn't ever stepped foot in a DL lounge or experienced DL businesses/first. There’s a big difference. At least UA has historically offered more flights to Australia.

 

[kamchatsky]

Here we go .....

*
A

 

[jakeseven7]

What’s wrong with EgyptAir
They aren’t the worst which says something

Aegan?

 

[Mattg]

Velocity is a doozy you can literally buy donuts at 711 and get status credits… surely it’s the easiest of them?

This is true, but I value United status way higher than Velocity status due to the Star Alliance Gold benefits. I also find United's tie-ups with airlines like Eurowings and Azul useful.

United just has way more useful international partners than Velocity.

Velocity does offer a few partners that United doesn't - Virgin Atlantic, Hawaiian and Etihad - but that's it.

 

[jakeseven7]

This is true, but I value United status way higher than Velocity status due to the Star Alliance Gold benefits. I also find United's tie-ups with airlines like Eurowings and Azul useful.

United just has way more useful international partners than Velocity.

Velocity does offer a few partners that United doesn't - Virgin Atlantic, Hawaiian and Etihad - but that's it.

Yes sorry I meant in the future if Velocity became a Star Alliance member which would be easier. I do agree with you.

 

[dajop]

Anyone championing UA over DL clearly hasn't ever stepped foot in a DL lounge or experienced DL businesses/first. There’s a big difference.

Although with DL, domestic lounge access has been reduced, mirroring same rules for Skyteam partners (no access without same day international connection). If UA partnership mirrors what it provides to star alliance partners - domestic lounge access will also be provided on purely domestic itineraries within the US (which it what DL used to offer VA SG/WPs). So swings and roundabouts. Some might see that as an advantage when traveling within the US.

 

[Happy Dude]

Are UA J/F redemptions anything to get excited about? Any great lounge experiences to build into an itinerary?

 

[Mattg]

Are UA J/F redemptions anything to get excited about? Any great lounge experiences to build into an itinerary?

Some of the United Polaris lounges are actually pretty good. But United PE/J availability to Australia is pretty much non-existent at the moment.

UA award availability can be a little better on trans-Atlantic routes and various others.

 

[Mr H]

What’s wrong with EgyptAir
They aren’t the worst which says something

Maybe MS (for Miserable) has improved since I flew overnight BEY-CAI-JNB in Business Class in 2008. I remember the lounge in CAI was just some unpadded sofas behind a metal barrier with free slices of cake in cellophane and tinned soft drinks. The flight had recliner chairs and overhead TVs showing non-stop MS adverts. The food liked like a random selection from a cold buffet with a side of curdled yoghurt. Better than Y, but not by much.

 

[http_x92]

Anyways, this most likely reiterates that there will be no VA widebodies flying long haul in the near future (even if it was the case before).

Let VAs partners do all that in the meantime, then reassess in due course.

Having the option to go to San Francisco and Houston (prob late next year) directly with a VA codeshare is an added advantage .

 

[justinbrett]

It would have made a lot of sense to join *A back when NZ was partners. I would imagine NZ probably has a lot of say on VA joining, if not veto rights, and probably doesn't want VA getting in the way of the UA/NZ deal. If VA became a domestic feeder airline to NZ (like AN in the final years) they might be OK with it.

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me to join a major alliance when you're primarily a domestic airline.

 

[HS-TQE]

It would have made a lot of sense to join *A back when NZ was partners. I would imagine NZ probably has a lot of say on VA joining, if not veto rights, and probably doesn't want VA getting in the way of the UA/NZ deal. If VA became a domestic feeder airline to NZ (like AN in the final years) they might be OK with it.

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me to join a major alliance when you're primarily a domestic airline.

VA being a domestic feeder to NZ was reported to be 'allegedly' demanded in the News Corp rags and multiple forums during the heated meeting between Luxon and Borghetti.

Of course with multiple egos in the room, Luxon, Borghetti, Hogan (EY), Branson (VG) and the SQ rep at the time, the 'dysfunctional' VA 1.0 board were NEVER going to agree with the board backing Borghetti.

 

[HS-TQE]

And in a separate post, I do suspect that BNE is going to the BIG loser out of the UA/VA codeshare deal, regardless IF VA hands back their HND slot or not.

BNE was never been mentioned in discussions with UA in regards to expansion internationally for them in recent years. With the US market predicted to be a 'steady as she grows' approach, I do suspect that UA will send theirs and VA's Queensland originating pax via SYD or MEL for up the next 24 months at the very least.

I can only see UA expanding into BNE in the short to medium term if the Premier and her tourism minister throws taxpayer money at UA to 'subsidise' the start SFO (or LAX) to BNE flights. Which would be pretty embarassing on her behalf, IMO and taxpayers/analysts ripping on her for that decision.

This isn't the first time she's thrown money at foreign carriers to serve BNE, with mixed results. The standout failures would be CA withdrawing from BNE-PEK not long after (terminating the 'contract' early) and Thai Air Asia struggling to get the loads on BNE-DMK (and couldn't wait to withdraw out of BNE once that contract finished)

 

[Mr H]

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me to join a major alliance when you're primarily a domestic airline.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to me for a frequent flyer to give their loyalty to a domestic airline without partnership arrangements with international airlines if there are similarly priced alternatives that do.