VA2.0 International Partners

[jase05]

Thanks. But I've tried a number of different routes and I can find PE for rewards and then as soon as I change to cash, it disappears.

I didn’t think you could book PE revenue seats via the VA site

 

[paros_fan]

I definitely booked to CPH from SYD prior to COVID, but thats clearly changed

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Ah, something just clicked in my aged pooch mind, maybe it also depends on the routing, ie, if the 380 is flown on the Au - SIN sector that you are looking at, if the sector you are looking at usually has only the 777 or the non premY A350, then its our bad luck.

 

[AIRwin]

Both partners QR and UA are in the top 3 ironically followed by QF:

Top Airline Rankings Worldwide | AirHelp Score 2023 | AirHelp

Everyone knows that not all airlines are created equal, but which ones are the best?

www.airhelp.com

 

[Mr H]

Both partners QR and UA are in the top 3 ironically followed by QF:

Top Airline Rankings Worldwide | AirHelp Score 2023 | AirHelp

Everyone knows that not all airlines are created equal, but which ones are the best?

www.airhelp.com

I wonder how they calculate their rankings. I notice when I click through into best airports for customer experience, Hyderabad is 5th in the world, and five Indian airports are in the top 30. That doesn't quite align with my experience of travel in India.

 

[AIRwin]

I wonder how they calculate their rankings.

These are their metrics:

AirHelp Score 2022: How did we rank the world's best airlines? | AirHelp

www.airhelp.com

 

[Mr H]

These are their metrics:

AirHelp Score 2022: How did we rank the world's best airlines? | AirHelp

www.airhelp.com

Hmmm. So aircraft comfort, as rated by pax, is one fifteenth of the score whereas their attitude in processing refunds and compo accounts for a third? And punctuality, which is often outwith the airline's control, is also a third of the score. I will take this all with a pinch of salt.

 

[SYD]

Both partners QR and UA are in the top 3 ironically followed by QF:

Top Airline Rankings Worldwide | AirHelp Score 2023 | AirHelp

Everyone knows that not all airlines are created equal, but which ones are the best?

www.airhelp.com

and VA2.0 didn’t rate at all.

 

[MooTime]

I'm very happy with UA & QR in some sorta partnership with VA. High Quality airlines.

Great get. Used the UA link already for 2023 flights, rewards Y seats a plenty. eye on J if comes available.

 

[AIRwin]

Fly AC/HA/UA for a chance to win 1 million Velocity points:

https://competitions.virginaustralia.com/competition/Points-jet-setter-0423

 

[Yipchoi]

I agrees with your comment reward seats plenty in Economy. I just booked for a departure in 1 weeks time from BNE to LHR and found lots even at this short notice

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Y on SQ is ok, have used that one before, not as far as LHR, but ADL - SIN, have also done J ADL - SIN.
Also MEL - WLG before SQ stopped the direct flight.
That is the only current partner I have flown with, in the past, have done (Air)NZ.
Can't complain about the SQ service, ...
Just to say, if you had aimed for J and got that on SQ, that would have been much better than Y.

 

[Digicola]

Just flew ICN-HKG on Hong Kong Airlines. Had to negotiate quite a bit to be allowed in the priority check-in queue. Then when I showed my VA card at check-in, she gave me the typical apologetic « no, sorry ». So had to be quite firm, leading her to flip through her booklet and VA was indeed there listed as a partner.

Bit of back and forth between her, the supervisor and myself and was given an ok for the number, had to negotiate priority boarding. Then I put my bag on the belt and drama again. I booked a ticket that didn’t include luggage as I was expecting to get the complimentary allowance. Apparently the system just wouldn’t recognise my VA status. Lots of here and there, calls were made, googling was done and the velocity website was showed. Suggested I take it as hand baggage but I had liquids so that was also a nono.

Eventually they agreed to override the system and check my bag in. Seems Asiana ground staff do the handling in ICN so I don’t blame them for not knowing the partnership, but the system not mapping over properly is a bit of a miss.

My tip, stay firm!

 

[Milefest]

Just flew ICN-HKG on Hong Kong Airlines. Had to negotiate quite a bit to be allowed in the priority check-in queue. Then when I showed my VA card at check-in, she gave me the typical apologetic « no, sorry ». So had to be quite firm, leading her to flip through her booklet and VA was indeed there listed as a partner.

Bit of back and forth between her, the supervisor and myself and was given an ok for the number, had to negotiate priority boarding. Then I put my bag on the belt and drama again. I booked a ticket that didn’t include luggage as I was expecting to get the complimentary allowance. Apparently the system just wouldn’t recognise my VA status. Lots of here and there, calls were made, googling was done and the velocity website was showed. Suggested I take it as hand baggage but I had liquids so that was also a nono.

Eventually they agreed to override the system and check my bag in. Seems Asiana ground staff do the handling in ICN so I don’t blame them for not knowing the partnership, but the system not mapping over properly is a bit of a miss.

My tip, stay firm!

I've shared this in other threads with other VA partner airlines but it's unfortunately the way things are.

Alway come with first-party documentation to prove your eligibility and don't be afraid to ask to speak with a supervisor. Be firm and confident but also friendly.

Glad this worked out for you in the end!

 

[RAM]

I've shared this in other threads with other VA partner airlines but it's unfortunately the way things are.

Alway come with first-party documentation to prove your eligibility and don't be afraid to ask to speak with a supervisor. Be firm and confident but also friendly.

Glad this worked out for you in the end!

...using such phrases as 'It is so hard for you when your systems aren't up to date', 'It's a shame that your senior executives don't get to experience how bad the systems you have to work with are', & 'I know it is not your fault - I appreciate all you;re doing for me'.

AND smile!

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

I'm not surprised to report this given the hiccups that too often arise with VA's international partners combined with how things tend to operate generally in South Africa, but while visiting some family a few months ago, I was unable to input my VA frequent flyer number in my South African Airways reservation. Online check-in randomly didn't work at all. The woman at the airport claimed to have managed it, but it wasn't appearing on the mobile boarding pass (didn't have a paper one) and the lounge in Joburg had no idea whatsoever that VA even existed, and if the partnership is in a handbook somewhere, a copy wasn't to be found (or looked for). I was let into the lounge after some persistence, but points didn't credit.

Three weeks later when flying back to Australia, I discovered during check-in (this time it worked online) that their system has Virgin Atlantic but not Virgin Australia as an option. This is rather odd as Virgin Atlantic is not a partner of SAA... perhaps they were at some point, but otherwise my assumption is whoever set up the system simply didn't know what they were doing and put in Virgin Atlantic as the option. The woman at check-in said there was no way to put in VA, and when I asked for a boarding pass this time on paper, sure enough it shows VS rather than VA as the code with my Velocity number.

I was denied entry into the lounge, this time with the agent making a point of saying that there'd been "confusion and communication amongst staff" leading to a "message from the airline" reiterating that entry for VA is not permitted. (Was I really the prompt for that? ) I have Priority Pass so went elsewhere without a fuss as it was clear the Cape Town crowd weren't interested in having a chat about it.

Points never did credit (obviously, if they went to Virgin Atlantic who of course wouldn't do anything with them) and it's been nearly 6 weeks that my missing points claims remain "pending."

Who needs an alliance when you have patchwork partnerships your partners don't know about, right?

 

[HS-TQE]

It does seem most of the problems are from the '2nd Tier' partners of VA, ie Hainan, South African Airways, Etihad and Hong Kong Airways. Which probably isn't that surprising, but at the same time there are still patchwork problems with the 'top tier' partners such as the ongoing Qatar Airways issues.

 

[N860CR]

Could have a bit to do with the rebirthed SAA having system issues. Prior to covid I used them pretty regularly and never had an issue (I did have to remind them a few times the code was VA when they were inputting it).

I wouldn’t touch SAA with a 10 foot pole now so it’s a bit of a non-issue. Fly Airlink next time

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Airlink is great and I use them exclusively for standalone domestic trips when in RSA, but unfortunately with Comair gone there wasn't another option than SAA if I wanted the trip on one ticket. I actually found the onboard service to be excellent and flights were both on-time, but safe to say the VA partnership isn't operating as it should. Admittedly, it was just a nice added touch as again, the reality was they were the only option for this trip.

 

[Digicola]

Just flew ICN-HKG on Hong Kong Airlines. Had to negotiate quite a bit to be allowed in the priority check-in queue. Then when I showed my VA card at check-in, she gave me the typical apologetic « no, sorry ». So had to be quite firm, leading her to flip through her booklet and VA was indeed there listed as a partner.

Bit of back and forth between her, the supervisor and myself and was given an ok for the number, had to negotiate priority boarding. Then I put my bag on the belt and drama again. I booked a ticket that didn’t include luggage as I was expecting to get the complimentary allowance. Apparently the system just wouldn’t recognise my VA status. Lots of here and there, calls were made, googling was done and the velocity website was showed. Suggested I take it as hand baggage but I had liquids so that was also a nono.

Eventually they agreed to override the system and check my bag in. Seems Asiana ground staff do the handling in ICN so I don’t blame them for not knowing the partnership, but the system not mapping over properly is a bit of a miss.

My tip, stay firm!

Took about a week but miles+SC credited normally so seems like at least that part of the integration is working as intended.