Virgin Australia and Air NZ to Form New Partnership

[aaa99]

The unilateral partnership might actually help NZ based travellers flying to AU regularly if the pricing is right as it gives them another program option over the terrible Airpoints system.

As a past NZ based traveller for years, I really don't value the Airpoints program.
Going back to pre-2018 days of domestic NZ travel, I regret trying to earn airpoints on those flights over Velocity points! (especially from a redemption and status attainability point of view).

For non Australian airpoints accounts it’s possible to book reward flights on domestic Qantas economy flights. Good luck finding that info on the Air NZ website.

off-topic... wow, i just realised that one can book domestic QF flights using Airpoints!!!

 

[Mattg]

“Get back together” is a bit strong.

It’s more like VA got permission to sleep in NZ’s back shed while it lives with its new partner QF

I agree. That said, this is a bit more exciting than Rex announcing an interline agreement with Etihad as if it was some big thing.

 

[justinbrett]

Will be some benefit to to those who have a feeder VA flight to BNE-SYD-MEL then to NZ. Better to have all on one PNR. Are still many anti QF people.

But importantly (as I understand it) won’t allow feeder flights into NZ. You’re stuck with AKL/CHC/WLG/ZQN.

I guess a TA could book the NZ code on the same PNR but you’d get no status benefits or FF earn.

 

[ben95]

Rex announcing an interline agreement with Etihad as if it was some big thing.

I recall after the signed the interline with Delta they were even making cabin announcements welcoming delta connecting passengers onboard.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

It’s happening!
As someone who flies ADL-WLG a few time a year I can’t contain my excitement

Go via MEL, its an easier airport to do, if you get the first few flights in the day VA flight from ADL - MEL, you could make the AirNZ 6pm flight to WLG.
Granted you do arr into WLG near midnight.
Or get the first flight from ADL - MEL, then MEL - WLG there is a 9.05am flight some days.
This one will be a rush through from T4/T3 to T2 tho.
MEL airport is easier to walk from T4/T3 to T2 than say SYD/BNE.
===
Or (wonder if), but havent checked, does this include the ADL - AKL flight.
This would avoid having to do transits on the east coast of Aus, and only have to do incoming NZ immigration and Quarantine at AKL.
Would meaning not earning VFF points and VFF SC on the AKL - WLG AirNZ domestic flight.

 

[ETW]

Go via MEL, its an easier airport to do, if you get the first few flights in the day VA flight from ADL - MEL, you could make the AirNZ 6pm flight to WLG.
Granted you do arr into WLG near midnight.
Or get the first flight from ADL - MEL, then MEL - WLG there is a 9.05am flight some days.
This one will be a rush through from T4/T3 to T2 tho.
MEL airport is easier to walk from T4/T3 to T2 than say SYD/BNE.
===
Or (wonder if), but havent checked, does this include the ADL - AKL flight.
This would avoid having to do transits on the east coast of Aus, and only have to do incoming NZ immigration and Quarantine at AKL.
Would meaning not earning VFF points and VFF SC on the AKL - WLG AirNZ domestic flight.

I’d rather fly through MEL than AKL, but I am also interested to see if the ADL-AKL (and I guess also Perth) gets a codeshare.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Like you, I live in ADL.
Few years ago, AirNZ used to fly the 777/787 into ADL, did it on the AKL - ADL on the 777 once, great experience.
But now, 2 downsides, 1.no more wide body, and 2.no more worksdeluxe.
But if you have to go to WLG very often, and dont mind the squeeze on the narrow body MEL - WLG, then doing incoming immigration at a smaller airport like WLG might be a plus, doing NZ immigration in AKL is not that bad, considering you bypass have to do the transitting on the east coast of Aus ADL - AKL flight.
Because I like the wide body planes, I would still do the premY via MEL, tho.
Main point, in your case, if you want to max VFF points and VFF SC earn, ADL - MEL (VA) and MEL - WLG (AirNZ), earning VFF points and VFF SC would be ther reason to go via MEL
I am eyeing for ADL - MEL - AKL in Dec, ... probably will put in my AirNZ airpoints # this time, have some points to use up.
As of now, still no NZ arrival cities allowed on the VA website, apart from ZQN.
Probably they will exclude ADL and PER, like the excluded pairings, eg AKL - NRT, or AKL - US.
But who knows, have to wait and see.

 

[cowtown]

i have virgin gold.. already booked an Air NZ in October.... through AKL to SFO

does that mean i can use Air NZ lounges in AKL and SFO?

 

[henrus]

does that mean i can use Air NZ lounges in AKL and SFO?

Nope. This will only cover flights between Australia and New Zealand that are booked via the Virgin website on a Virgin flight number.

 

[cowtown]

Nope. This will only cover flights between Australia and New Zealand that are booked via the Virgin website on a Virgin flight number.

this seems terribly unfair

 

[HS-TQE]

this seems terribly unfair

It's unfair, but VA did only apply to buy seats (and lounge access for eligible passengers) on NZ services on limited routes from Australia to AKL/CHC/WLG (with no interest from NZ to do reciprocal services/offerings the other way - thus the one way/unliateral deal)

 

[cowtown]

"get back together" - bah... !!!!

 

[HS-TQE]

"get back together" - bah... !!!!

As stated by another poster up thread, more like NZ letting VA sleep in the back shed whilst they continue their full-fledged partnerships with other carriers

 

[ben95]

this seems terribly unfair

Why would that be unfair? Regrettable is probably a better word for it. We'd all like VA to have standarised and far reaching and recriprocal alliance type arrangements with more airlines instead of the current patch work of partners but that is a business decision VFF has made and have been pretty tranparent about.

Even under alliance reciprocal arrangements airlines incur a charge to the host airline everytime a benefit is provided. If you are a big, international airline like QF then chances are your income vs expense largely balances or isn't so bad that you bleed money. An airline like VA where NZ is not interested in leveraging the reciprocal benefit offered by VA then it make sense for VA to limit the benefit only to when they get a cut of the pie.

 

[Warks]

No start date mentioned that I can see. I have to fly to AKL in November so was going to book on QF but will wait and see for a bit.

 

[bcworld]

Why would that be unfair? Regrettable is probably a better word for it. We'd all like VA to have standarised and far reaching and recriprocal alliance type arrangements with more airlines

Agreed, it's certainly not unfair. Part of being a member of VFF, particularly a gold or platinum one, is understanding that every partner is different.

e.g. if you fly economy on ANA there is no provision for lounge access, or if you depart from Frankfurt, you'll get lounge access if you fly Qatar or Etihad but not Singapore Airlines...or that some partners give extra baggage, others don't.

You just have to navigate all this.

 

[justinbrett]

this seems terribly unfair

The alternative was to get ACCC and the NZ and US equivalents to allow VA into the NZ/UA JV and merge it with the existing VA/UA one.

Which would have had bucket’s chance of being approved and is probably why they didn’t bother asking.

 

[Mattg]

Theoretically, if VA operated a trans-Tasman route that NZ didn't (e.g. if they brought back BNE-DUD), NZ could codeshare on that service under the existing agreement. But VA doesn't, so they can't.

 

[justinbrett]

Theoretically, if VA operated a trans-Tasman route that NZ didn't (e.g. if they brought back BNE-DUD), NZ could codeshare on that service under the existing agreement. But VA doesn't, so they can't.

No they couldn’t. It’s specifically approved as a unilateral codeshare (VA*NZ) and only valid on ex AU bookings (either AU-NZ one way or AU-NZ-AU).

There is nothing in the approval that would allow NZ*VA, nor ex NZ bookings.

In any case ZQN-BNE is such a route under your criteria.

 

[HS-TQE]

The alternative was to get ACCC and the NZ and US equivalents to allow VA into the NZ/UA JV and merge it with the existing VA/UA one.

Which would have had bucket’s chance of being approved and is probably why they didn’t bother asking.

VA/UA isn't a JV either. Only a Codeshare and FF reciprocal partnership.

Bain isn't likely willing to spend the $$ for VA to enter JVs, even if they don't operate any long haul services of their own (similar to the QF/EK JV).