Virgin Australia - Codeshare/interline to/from Oslo

[strait_hopper]

Hi all,

Hoping your collective wisdom help me solve a booking/planning conundrum I'm having.

Here's my situation: looking to book an open jaw trip to Europe this Dec-Jan, into London Heathrow and out of Oslo. I'm keen to book with Virgin Aus, so that I can fly on VA metal AUH-SYD on my way home and use points to upgrade to Business. Combinations I'm looking at are:

Way there:
MEL-AUH-LHR (Etihad)

Way back:
OSL-AMS-AUH-SYD-MEL
OR
OSL-LHR-AUH-SYD-MEL
OR
OSL-BRU-AUH-SYD-MEL

Unfortunately the return leg is causing me trouble. I'm keen to keep the OSL-MEL leg on a single ticket, so that my bags check all the way through to Aust. While I can do this on Etihad (codeshare with KLM, SAS or Brussels Airlines), I need to book directly with Virgin (with VA flight numbers) in order to be able to upgrade to Business with points on the AUH-SYD sector. Virgin do not have any codeshare or interline flights to Oslo, so it doesn't look like I can keep the first sector on the same ticket.

Does anyone know of any way to arrange an Oslo-Melbourne itinerary with VA that would keep all my flights on the same ticket?

 

[madrooster]

VA don't seem to publish routings for OSL so you would probably need to buy a separate ticket to get you to one of the ports that EY flies to.

 

[strait_hopper]

VA don't seem to publish routings for OSL so you would probably need to buy a separate ticket to get you to one of the ports that EY flies to.

Thanks Mad Rooster, this is what I feared!

EY fly from AMS, BRU and LHR, which is why I'm looking to get from OSL to those ports. As EY codeshare with KLM, SAS and Brussels Airlines, I was hoping that booking with one of these, even if on a seperate ticket, might allow me to check my luggage at OSL all the way through to MEL...?

Essentially, what I'm hoping to avoid is having to pick up and re-check my luggage at the European hub (LHR, AMS, or BRU), but I don't know if this is possible with two tickets (even if it is booked via EY with an EY flight number).

Has anyone else had any luck/experience with getting luggage checked through to Aus from a non-VA listed origin?

 

[williamsf1]

It seems a lot of effort and a lot of risk (ie actually getting a upgrade) just to be on a VA flight - I also assume that you are Gold or Platinum status on VA

This kind of booking would be best handled by a travel agent if you wanted to proceed if at all possible

 

[williamsf1]

And to answer the question re interline - appears only Air Serbia is the only Europe based airline ontop of the loyalty partners offering interline to VA

https://www.virginaustralia.com/eu/en/experience/airline-partners/other-partners/

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Have you tried cheapoair online?
They can be useful for booking flights on mixed carriers on the same PNR.