Question about Etihad F Redemption

[bwhouse]

Just wondering peoples experience redeeming Etihad first tickets through Velocity. In particular I was wondering if you can tack on a domestic virgin flight as the miles still fall within the 7,001 - 8,500 band as for the dates I want there is only availability on the A380 from AUH-MEL rather than AUH-SYD based on the Etihad site.

Planning on giving virgin a call tomorrow, but was just wondering what to expect.

 

[williamsf1]

Just wondering peoples experience redeeming Etihad first tickets through Velocity. In particular I was wondering if you can tack on a domestic virgin flight as the miles still fall within the 7,001 - 8,500 band as for the dates I want there is only availability on the A380 from AUH-MEL rather than AUH-SYD based on the Etihad site.

Planning on giving virgin a call tomorrow, but was just wondering what to expect.

Unfortunately availability on the EY site is no longer a good indication that VA will see the same ... don't get your hopes up ....

 

[bwhouse]

Unfortunately availability on the EY site is no longer a good indication that VA will see the same ... don't get your hopes up ....

Thanks for the heads up. Will let you know how I go.

 

[anat0l]

Unfortunately availability on the EY site is no longer a good indication that VA will see the same ... don't get your hopes up ....

No - it isn't? Since when? In what way? Is it fairly "set" or does it more depend on playing agent roulette?


I haven't had the experience myself, but I don't see why it shouldn't be a big deal to tack on a domestic connector on VA to your ticket. If AA could tack on a QF connector to an EY ticket when I booked it with them, I don't see why VA can't do the same with their most intimate partner airline.

Of course, this works for now because VA and EY use the same cost table to calculate an award. When EY moves to a separate table compared to VA, I don't know if this would complicate things.

 

[bwhouse]

No - it isn't? Since when? In what way? Is it fairly "set" or does it more depend on playing agent roulette?


I haven't had the experience myself, but I don't see why it shouldn't be a big deal to tack on a domestic connector on VA to your ticket. If AA could tack on a QF connector to an EY ticket when I booked it with them, I don't see why VA can't do the same with their most intimate partner airline.

Of course, this works for now because VA and EY use the same cost table to calculate an award. When EY moves to a separate table compared to VA, I don't know if this would complicate things.

That's kinda what I am hoping. I figure I have another week or so to give it a go before the new table ticks in to place.

 

[CJEMNMAC]

Unfortunately availability on the EY site is no longer a good indication that VA will see the same ... don't get your hopes up ....

Agree

The old EY search and ring VA is failing big time. I have tried heaps in the last few weeks but VA could not see any award seats despite it appearing available when I was checking.

HUACA did not work either.

I am sure it might still be possible but appears it is a very frustrating process now

 

[williamsf1]

No - it isn't? Since when? In what way? Is it fairly "set" or does it more depend on playing agent roulette?

Nothing to do with agent roulette...... I can't do a screen shot .. but go onto EY site and look for a J seat SYD to AUH Jun16.... you will see a heap of availability in "Guest Seat" aka reward class ... then look on the VA site ... you won't find a reward seat

There has been a few other threads re this recently as well

 

[bwhouse]

Nothing to do with agent roulette...... I can't do a screen shot .. but go onto EY site and look for a J seat SYD to AUH Jun16.... you will see a heap of availability in "Guest Seat" aka reward class ... then look on the VA site ... you won't find a reward seat

There has been a few other threads re this recently as well

Interestingly for the period of 4th Jul - 7th Jul I see J reward seats matching (bar the 5th) on both Etihad and Virgin for SYD - AUH and same for the following week, all bar one day match between the two.

 

[williamsf1]

Interestingly for the period of 4th Jul - 7th Jul I see J reward seats matching (bar the 5th) on both Etihad and Virgin for SYD - AUH and same for the following week, all bar one day match between the two.

Are you seeing Reward seats ie 94000 points + tax or anyseat in the 600000 points range ?

 

[bwhouse]

Are you seeing Reward seats ie 94000 points + tax or anyseat in the 600000 points range ?

They are reward seats 94,000 that is searching for 2 PAX as well. Fingers crossed F availability also matches. Just need to wait for the additional 10k points I transferred in to appear before I call them.

 

[anat0l]

Nothing to do with agent roulette...... I can't do a screen shot .. but go onto EY site and look for a J seat SYD to AUH Jun16.... you will see a heap of availability in "Guest Seat" aka reward class ... then look on the VA site ... you won't find a reward seat

There has been a few other threads re this recently as well

That's an interesting observation, but does it also hold for F seats, which cannot be seen on the VA website to "confirm" their availability before calling?

To think about it, EY availability with AA is also curious. Call AA mothership in the USA and they (usually) can't find EY space to save their lives. Call AA Australia and they have no problem.

 

[bwhouse]

As suggested, no joy after contacting the Velocity call center. They can't the the guest seats in first that are showing up on the Etihad site.

Will try again later, but don't like my chances.

 

[jcb12]

Interestingly, I just booked an F reward from MEL to JFK today without any issue. Chose dates that seemed available from the Etihad site for March next year, called up Velocity and booked them straight away. Maybe I just got lucky with the dates I picked. I'm a Velocity platinum, but I'm not sure if that makes any difference.

 

[bwhouse]

Out of curiosity was that on the a380 or 777?

 

[jcb12]

Out of curiosity was that on the a380 or 777?

A380 on MEL-AUH, 777 on AUH-JFK in both directions.

 

[drewbles]

They are reward seats 94,000 that is searching for 2 PAX as well. Fingers crossed F availability also matches. Just need to wait for the additional 10k points I transferred in to appear before I call them.
View attachment 71182

Suggest you rub your eyes and check again, that's 947,800 not 94,780.

You'll need a few more than 10k points to top up

I've had it verbally confirmed by VA that EY website availability has no correspondance as to what is available from VA. I booked a MEL-AUH-LHR in F on the A380 and my requested flights were showing available on the EY website. I called, but one segment was not. A few months later I called again and that is when I was told it was no longer a good way of guesstimating availability, and to call every time.

They also said when they book it, the system makes them actually call to confirm the availability with EY. I was put on hold for 10 minutes whilst they checked and confirmed (that's how they found the initial requested routing was not actually available).

 

[cjd600]

Suggest you rub your eyes and check again, that's 947,800 not 94,780.

You'll need a few more than 10k points to top up

I've had it verbally confirmed by VA that EY website availability has no correspondance as to what is available from VA. I booked a MEL-AUH-LHR in F on the A380 and my requested flights were showing available on the EY website. I called, but one segment was not. A few months later I called again and that is when I was told it was no longer a good way of guesstimating availability, and to call every time.

They also said when they book it, the system makes them actually call to confirm the availability with EY. I was put on hold for 10 minutes whilst they checked and confirmed (that's how they found the initial requested routing was not actually available).

Seems to say 94k + taxes on the EY flight number shown?

 

[bwhouse]

Suggest you rub your eyes and check again, that's 947,800 not 94,780.

You'll need a few more than 10k points to top up

I've had it verbally confirmed by VA that EY website availability has no correspondance as to what is available from VA. I booked a MEL-AUH-LHR in F on the A380 and my requested flights were showing available on the EY website. I called, but one segment was not. A few months later I called again and that is when I was told it was no longer a good way of guesstimating availability, and to call every time.

They also said when they book it, the system makes them actually call to confirm the availability with EY. I was put on hold for 10 minutes whilst they checked and confirmed (that's how they found the initial requested routing was not actually available).

Suggest you look a little closer the EY flight nubmer is 94K + $86 tax or 104K points with no tax. But yes you are correct the same flight with the VA number is 947k.

 

[drewbles]

Suggest you look a little closer the EY flight nubmer is 94K + $86 tax or 104K points with no tax. But yes you are correct the same flight with the VA number is 947k.

Heh touché

I should read, I sit corrected. Clearly my second coffee hadn't kicked in. You're right, of course

 

[hossein_au]

No - it isn't? Since when? In what way? Is it fairly "set" or does it more depend on playing agent roulette?


I haven't had the experience myself, but I don't see why it shouldn't be a big deal to tack on a domestic connector on VA to your ticket. If AA could tack on a QF connector to an EY ticket when I booked it with them, I don't see why VA can't do the same with their most intimate partner airline.

Of course, this works for now because VA and EY use the same cost table to calculate an award. When EY moves to a separate table compared to VA, I don't know if this would complicate things.

Exactly like you I don't have any experience, but I'd imagine experience with AA would not be directly translatable to VA. For one, AA is region-based whilst VA is mile-based. I understand OP talks about staying within the same mileage band, but I guess you never know how each frequent flyer program treats tagging a domestic flight to a long-haul itinerary.

I actually posed this very same question to government-relation-manager of VA in Canberra and she could not answer it. She put me in touch with staff at VA's frequent flyer program, and they were less than helpful by giving me a very canned answer to the tune of 'please contact our call centre with your specific requirements and they will price it for you'.