VA reward seats no longer available to book

[HeavyElectricity]

I just noticed my recently rescheduled flights PER-SYD-HBA return (was for April, rescheduled for July) have been cancelled (don't show anywhere in my account), even though the flights are currently still for sale. I'd used my platinum upgrade vouchers on the PER-MEL legs.

In any case, whilst searching to check that the flights are still scheduled/for sale, I noticed that all reward availability on any combination of flights was "sold out".

I then checked SYD-MEL and no reward availability is showing for any flights in any month I checked, even for Feb next year.

So it looks like Virgin have now cut off all reward seat availability, and even possibly cancelled my flights where platinum upgrade vouchers were used.

This is of cause all irrelvant if they don't pull through the current situation, but I moved my flights with the hope domestic travel might resume in a few months (and because it was booked during the double status credit promo, so didn't want to cancel).

 

[TheInsider]

Yep, nothing for even available for MEL-SYD on some random Wednesday in November. Seems a bit odd to have no reward bookings available at all...

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

**Maybe** they are forseeing that they won't be flying then, for what ever reason.
Will be sad to see if VA does go down the loo.

 

[hydrabyss]

ANY SEAT is available still.

I read something a week ago regarding airlines in general. When flights return tickets are expected to be cheap but once things get going to expect prices to increase and they would be avoiding reward seats as they need cash.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Some airlines have pulled their revenue management tools because of the sheer unpredictability of COVID.

Also, it would be likely at least part of revenue management would be part of the stand down group at VA.

As we saw recently with the slow but sure winding down of domestic services, some members were calling (well, more demanding) on Virgin offer half price business class flights, deep discount reward seats, etc.

Imagine the disaster that would have occurred if Virgin did that!

 

[Rembrandt]

It's unpreditcable times at the moment. I wouldn't take it as a 100% sign they're about to shutdown VA. And if they were why would they pull reward seats from being on offer, but still allow consumers to pay with money? If anything they want consumers to pay with money right now.

 

[Nathant123]

I’ve found plenty of reward availability through the Velocity site but for other airlines, namely Singapore airlines. Nothing on VA but no surprises really. Hard to tell if we'd even be able to leave the country even if tickets were booked as far out as the website allows.

 

[hossein_au]

Haven't VA halted ALL of their services, except for a sole SYD-MEL flight 6 times a week?

 

[HeavyElectricity]

Haven't VA halted ALL of their services, except for a sole SYD-MEL flight 6 times a week?

Until the end of June for now, yes. That's why I changed my booking to July. The flights are still on sale for cash (or any seat), just no reward seat availability for any of them.

 

[Spongbob]

Perhaps the ACCC regime might be a reason?

 

[The Flying Brick]

VA Reward seats are now bookable again - as of around 2100 this evening 16/04

 

[AIRwin]

For easy reference, here is the domestic network with days of operation:

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) information hub

travel.virginaustralia.com