VA to HKG from Jul 5 2017, ex MEL

[yohy?!]

Google flights is your friend (check date calendar for the 530 dates) - not great layover times admittedly

 

[Cryptarcadian]

Business is blocked on the following flights due to being reserved for Virgin executives/travel industry and media personnel.

MEL-HKG 5th July
HKG-MEL 8th July

Reckon that means there won't be any fanfare for the inaugural VA 86 HKG-MEL departure (still on 05 Jul)?

Considering flying both inaugurals (in Y if J is blocked out) just for the hell of it...

 

[andyhui01]

Isn't Google flights in USD?

 

[ozstamps]

Does anyone know if the Virgin Platinum Upgrades work for this route?

I recall they worked for Fiji where I think the A330 also flies.

And if so, one needs to book "FREEDOM" fare correct?

Thanks!

 

[serfty]

Does anyone know if the Virgin Platinum Upgrades work for this route?

I recall they worked for Fiji where I think the A330 also flies.

And if so, one needs to book "FREEDOM" fare correct?

Thanks!

I doubt it ... the flight needs to be domestic or "international short haul".

https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/content/Redeem/FlightUpgrades/upgrademe-platinum-member-offer/

I can't see a nine hour HKG flight segment being described as "short haul".

 

[Saab34]

Reckon that means there won't be any fanfare for the inaugural VA 86 HKG-MEL departure (still on 05 Jul)?

Considering flying both inaugurals (in Y if J is blocked out) just for the hell of it...

I've always wondered if Immigration would get suss about the short stay, more so being an Asian country and all.

 

[hummel]

I've always wondered if Immigration would get suss about the short stay, more so being an Asian country and all.

I wouldn't have thought so. People goto HKG for 1-day meetings and often go into the city during transit. Nothing out of the ordinary I would have thought.

 

[ozstamps]

I doubt it ... the flight needs to be domestic or "international short haul".

https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/content/Redeem/FlightUpgrades/upgrademe-platinum-member-offer/

I can't see a nine hour HKG flight segment being described as "short haul".

I was also surprised to see Fiji being OK.

Well it is short haul compared to LAX.

Who does one ask to see if it is allowed? Stranger things have occurred with airlines.

 

[gwilli1]

VA has classed HKG as International Long haul , which was expected.

I was also surprised to see Fiji being OK.

Well it is short haul compared to LAX.

Who does one ask to see if it is allowed? Stranger things have occurred with airlines.

 

[yohy?!]

I've always wondered if Immigration would get suss about the short stay, more so being an Asian country and all.

what does "Asian Country" mean? I've told immigration that I've been doing status runs with 3 countries in 1 day and they don't bat an eyelid - working the system is a sport there too with fanatics who would make AFF look tame!

 

[Awesom Andy]

what does "Asian Country" mean? I've told immigration that I've been doing status runs with 3 countries in 1 day and they don't bat an eyelid - working the system is a sport there too with fanatics who would make AFF look tame!

I've had my 3 meals in 1 day in 3 different countries. Nobody seems to care.

 

[Pleb Status]

I've always wondered if Immigration would get suss about the short stay, more so being an Asian country and all.

Before Smartgate was rolled out, I found the hardest country to get into as an Australian passport holder after a very short trip was Australia. I now find the UK the hardest to get into for any length of trip. Canada is next in my list, even when flying up from the US.

I think SIN and HKG are used to a lot of transit pax heading into the city for the day to kill time between flights. I had to enter SIN recently for about 8 minutes to collect my onward 3K boarding pass!

 

[oh_lol]

UpgradeMe points ( Plat & Golds) is only 27500 points from a Freedom Fare .!!!

So for $1300 return (Freedom Fare) & 55000 pts (rtn) you can upgrade to J (subject to availability...that could be the problem)

Would you say that's a better deal, than to redeem reward J using points only?

 

[sausagefingers]

Isn't Google flights in USD?

You can change to AUD

 

[CJEMNMAC]

Would you say that's a better deal, than to redeem reward J using points only?

MEL-HKG (4614 miles )

is 59500 points each way in J

Comes down to how much you value $1300.00 compared to the additional points..

 

[Melburnian1]

Before Smartgate was rolled out, I found the hardest country to get into as an Australian passport holder after a very short trip was Australia...

I think SIN and HKG are used to a lot of transit pax heading into the city for the day to kill time between flights. I had to enter SIN recently for about 8 minutes to collect my onward 3K boarding pass!

Very, very true Pleb. SIN encourages short stayers with its free city bus tour, and so the extension of that - a DIY day tour on the train or public buses, and then the next step up, a single night in Singapore is not something at which they';d bat an eyelid.

i've never had to queue wither in or out for more than three or four minutes in SIN, but then in locations like ICN and MNL I've also had great, fast experiences in getting through immigration. In MNL, T2 now has a separate end entrance for non-Filipinos.

Australian immigration can question us if we frequently visit one country. A tiny minority might do that for illicit purposes - drug running is one extreme example - but most of us have a good reason. Immigration or customs - now all Border Force) sometimes wastes its time in interviewing travellers but doubtless it would say that they both 'profile' us, and have a degree of random selection at the other end to keep travellers mindful that any of us can be picked out for 'attention.'

 

[Cryptarcadian]

Anyone else going to be on the inaugurals?

Never been on one before, so I've booked the trip in both directions with a straight turnaround in HKG. Y outbound (whole J cabin is blocked out), successfully upgraded to J inbound. Am excited to see what it's like – here's hoping VA puts on some fanfare!

(And if VA's plan is for nothing special, hopefully somebody can share the tip at least 24h beforehand, so I can still bail... )

 

[Saab34]

Anyone else going to be on the inaugurals?

Never been on one before, so I've booked the trip in both directions with a straight turnaround in HKG. Y outbound (whole J cabin is blocked out), successfully upgraded to J inbound. Am excited to see what it's like – here's hoping VA puts on some fanfare!

(And if VA's plan is for nothing special, hopefully somebody can share the tip at least 24h beforehand, so I can still bail... )

I'll be stuck down the back for the first leg. Back on the sat night.

Certainly is a big day for Virgin, possibly start of a new era of long haul flights/Chinese investors so I'd expect alot of fanfare. They haven't really done anything network wide of significance since Los Angeles was launched.

No doubt Richard Branson will be about.

 

[lucky777]

I m just wondering if anyone had any like finding reward seat for Mel-HK? Looks like impossible to book business seat by using Velocity points...

 

[nichojo]

I m just wondering if anyone had any like finding reward seat for Mel-HK? Looks like impossible to book business seat by using Velocity points...

Yeah it all dried up in the last month or so.