VA Partner Award Changes

[Cadboy]

I am looking to use velocity points to book from SYD or MEL - AUH - JFK in Etihad Apartments in Late June. I can see availiblity for the AUH - JFK segment but nothing for SYD/MEL - AUH. I called Velocity and they told me that if I was to book the AUH-JFK leg on its own I couldnt add the other segment if it was to become availible unless there was another seat open in addition to the one I had already booked on the AUH-JFK leg. THe agent told me they cant just keep my confirmed seat and add another segment instead the whole thing would have to be cancelled and rebooked thereby risking the seats not returning to inventory.

So I am a little confused as to what to do. I want to lock in the AUH-JFK segment now while it is availible.

If I was to book SYD-AUH in Economy and then AUH-JFK in First on one reservation could the initial segment be upgraded (pending availiblity) without affecting the latter.

What would you recommend?

Thanks.

 

[Jobeki111]

Hi cadboy
no it can't be upgraded... I would recommend making 2 seperate bookings and cancelling the economy one when hopefully first (or business) comes up! Cost is 7500 pts per person or $60 per person. I don't know but would imagine you should still be able to get them to ticket you all the way through despite 2 seperate bookings... I'm sure some of the other guys have personal experience doing this

an alternative that is often more readily available is first on the 787 from Brisbane. I flew it yesterday and you still get a great experience without the space of the apartment... Certainly far better than economy... Still book it as 2 redemptions in the hope an apartment comes up .

You *should* get to experience the etihad first lounge in AUH as well!!! I was hoping it would be done before my trip but alas it wasn't to be

 

[Cadboy]

I don't know but would imagine you should still be able to get them to ticket you all the way through despite 2 seperate bookings... I'm sure some of the other guys have personal experience doing this

According to the agent this is not possible. They told me that they could not combine 2 seprate reservations and the award would be priced seperately. Very unfortunate.

 

[Jobeki111]

Sorry, I didn't mean from a points cost perspective I meant from an actually traveling point of view (i.e.not Needing to collect baggage at AUH). My understanding was velocity won't allow cross class bookings (i.e.economy and first) on the one award redemption anyway so hence my recommendation to make 2 redemptions as you would need to do this anyway if you were proceeding with your plan of booking economy on one leg and first on the other. Happy to be corrected .

 

[Cadboy]

The agent told me that I would have to collect bags and check in again at AUH if it was two seperate bookings.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

The agent told me that I would have to collect bags and check in again at AUH if it was two seperate bookings.

The agent is talking rubbish.
EY will happily check you and your bags through on two different PNRs.

 

[bullerdude]

The agent told me that I would have to collect bags and check in again at AUH if it was two seperate bookings.

Utter rubbish indeed... this is exactly what interlining agreements are for! The only catch is that you will need person at checkin who knows what they are doing.

Recently had bags checked through with seperate VA Domestic and SG International tickets - just took the right checkin person, usually at the premium desk.

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Utter rubbish indeed... this is exactly what interlining agreements are for! The only catch is that you will need person at checkin who knows what they are doing.

Recently had bags checked through with seperate VA Domestic and SG International tickets - just took the right checkin person, usually at the premium desk.

Yeah, +3 to that. The agent is lying/misinformed.

 

[anat0l]

Utter rubbish indeed... this is exactly what interlining agreements are for! The only catch is that you will need person at checkin who knows what they are doing.

Recently had bags checked through with seperate VA Domestic and SG International tickets - just took the right checkin person, usually at the premium desk.

Yeah, +3 to that. The agent is lying/misinformed.

There have been stories before where people on non-connected itineraries cannot check through their bags (or even check-in for onward flights) even when VA and a Velocity partner airline are involved.

What if you don't get the right kind of agent? What if there are no such agents that can help you at the check-in desk (or if they refuse to summon another agent who might be able to help)? Are you implying that anyone who does not have any rights to the premium check-in services with the scenario described is procedurally screwed?

I guess the moral of the story would still be the same in all cases - for non-connected itineraries, ensure you have more than ample connection time. But that said, I would be surprised if most airlines can't do check through on two separate bookings which are both on their own airline (with obvious exceptions, e.g. Jetstar).

In this case with the agent, they are probably "lying" to avoid being wrong. After all, they are not dealing with any VA flights at all, just two EY flights booked on EY flight numbers. It probably goes without saying that two EY itineraries (even on VA stock and separate) should be easily interlined, avoiding the need to re-check at AUH, but the agent may not have the "authority" to report on that as they are usually procedurally trained only to deal with interlines with the VA group.

 

[bullerdude]

Which airlines the tickets originate from isn't an issue as all the information is in Sabre.

The main issues is that they need to link the itineraries prior to being able to completed the interlined baggage; and the checkin agents all have different experience levels at completing these tasks.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Which airlines the tickets originate from isn't an issue as all the information is in Sabre.

The main issues is that they need to link the itineraries prior to being able to completed the interlined baggage; and the checkin agents all have different experience levels at completing these tasks.

Which is why they have supervisors which they can ask for assistance.

 

[basso]

Utter rubbish indeed... this is exactly what interlining agreements are for! The only catch is that you will need person at checkin who knows what they are doing.

What tosh. Interline agreements exist to enable multiple carrier ticketing. They may enable through check of baggage on separate tickets, but thay is not why they exist.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

What tosh. Interline agreements exist to enable multiple carrier ticketing. They may enable through check of baggage on separate tickets, but thay is not why they exist.

Interline agreements are irrelevant. The two bookings would both be on EY.

 

[basso]

Interline agreements are irrelevant. The two bookings would both be on EY.

Fine. bullerdues comments were not relevant to the OP's query.

 

[bullerdude]

What tosh. Interline agreements exist to enable multiple carrier ticketing. They may enable through check of baggage on separate tickets, but thay is not why they exist.

Which is a prerequisite for interlining baggage.

 

[bullerdude]

Fine. bullerdues comments were not relevant to the OP's query.

Whoops, missed that both tickets were EY.

 

[mark4217]

I fly 3 times a year SYD-MXP.
To AUH in 1st (1 ticket) then J to MXP (2nd ticket) and they always book me through. I get both tickets at SYD. It's the only way to do it if you want 1st. I come back via BNE and they book me through from Italy..with separate tickets.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I fly 3 times a year SYD-MXP.
To AUH in 1st (1 ticket) then J to MXP (2nd ticket) and they always book me through. I get both tickets at SYD. It's the only way to do it if you want 1st. I come back via BNE and they book me through from Italy..with separate tickets.

If you search for first all the way from SYD-MXP does it not give you a mixed-class option?
If I search say PER-CDG in first it will give me a fare but put me in J for the PER<->AUH sectors.
And let's just say there is an incentive to book it that way.

Oh wait - are you booking all that as awards?

 

[mark4217]

No option on line with VA, if you want 1st. And yes, all points. You can do AUH-MXP on line with VA, then ring for the 1st. That's how I end up with 2 tickets. When I get to the airport I show them both tickets and they book me all the way through. Once upon a time I used book J and Y on separate tickets which worked the same way. Then I discovered 1st thanks to AFF!!

 

[mark4217]

The only thing I could think of that would mess separate bookings would be if you flew VA29 or whatever it is. Both flights have to be EY metal. And there is no 1st from AUH to MXP, just J.