erkpod
Established Member
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- Jun 8, 2013
- Posts
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Has anyone had any experience either booking or travelling with VA/SQ RTW or Circle Pacific fares?
Airline Special Offers | Velocity Frequent Flyer
In case you haven't, here's how I went in getting the ticket.
Recently, I was looking for airfares to fly VA to/from LAX. Because I wanted to travel when I did, the best Y fare I could get was about $2.9k. I didn't want to wait for special fares - I thought the chance of them would be zero.
So I went on the website & was looking around & found the specials page complete with RTW & Circle Pacific fares (link above). For just after the prices I was quoted SYD - LAX - SYD, I could get a Circle Pacific fare. With the way I wanted to travel, I decided that I wanted to go SYD - LAX - NRT - SIN - SYD.
You can't book the tickets online, the page suggests going to a travel agent.
For the first time in years, I walked into a travel agent.
Agent 1 had no idea what I was on about, even though I had the relevant pages on my phone. Reluctantly, the agent called VA who couldn't find the fare either.
I went across to agent 2. Not much idea either. They said they needed time to check the T & C & that could take them an hour. If it takes a TA an hour to read T & C, routings etc, what hope does an Average Joe/Joanne Public have? Agent 2 said that they'd contact me - still waiting 4 weeks later.
Later that week, I decided to call SQ. Told the guy what I wanted & his idea of a Circle Pacific was SYD - SIN - LAX - SIN - SYD, all on SQ. That's not a circle! Eventually he told me to call the ticket office. I said "Aren't you the ticket office?" to which he replied "I'm reservations." He then suggested I call VA.
So I called VA. I got transferred 4 times around the GCC & the VFF desk. One woman said I couldn't go via Japan as it wasn't on the permitted routing. I read her the relevant section of the website. later, I found I could get a seat when I wanted on the flights I wanted except LAX - NRT. Then I was told that I could get a seat on that plane if I paid with points but not with cash (WTF!!). After an hour, I thought I'd be transferred to Sir Richard Branson himself but no. So I gave up.
I then found a site called Best Flights. I used them in 2011 when I went to Europe. I could find a range of RTW/Circle Pacific fares but not the VA/SQ one I found above. Calling the RTW phone number (on a Sunday!), they had a ballpark figure in 5 minutes & called me with a confirmed price (the same price) the next day - under the price of the SYD - LAX return that I was originally looking at. I booked the ticket & can't want to go.
Round World Flights - Cheap Flights - Phone Flights Results
I'll be going on VA 1 SYD - LAX & then back via NRT & SIN. Bonus is that I'll get to go on the SQ A380 for the rest of the trip.
My advice - go direct to Best Flights!
Airline Special Offers | Velocity Frequent Flyer
In case you haven't, here's how I went in getting the ticket.
Recently, I was looking for airfares to fly VA to/from LAX. Because I wanted to travel when I did, the best Y fare I could get was about $2.9k. I didn't want to wait for special fares - I thought the chance of them would be zero.
So I went on the website & was looking around & found the specials page complete with RTW & Circle Pacific fares (link above). For just after the prices I was quoted SYD - LAX - SYD, I could get a Circle Pacific fare. With the way I wanted to travel, I decided that I wanted to go SYD - LAX - NRT - SIN - SYD.
You can't book the tickets online, the page suggests going to a travel agent.
For the first time in years, I walked into a travel agent.
Agent 1 had no idea what I was on about, even though I had the relevant pages on my phone. Reluctantly, the agent called VA who couldn't find the fare either.
I went across to agent 2. Not much idea either. They said they needed time to check the T & C & that could take them an hour. If it takes a TA an hour to read T & C, routings etc, what hope does an Average Joe/Joanne Public have? Agent 2 said that they'd contact me - still waiting 4 weeks later.
Later that week, I decided to call SQ. Told the guy what I wanted & his idea of a Circle Pacific was SYD - SIN - LAX - SIN - SYD, all on SQ. That's not a circle! Eventually he told me to call the ticket office. I said "Aren't you the ticket office?" to which he replied "I'm reservations." He then suggested I call VA.
So I called VA. I got transferred 4 times around the GCC & the VFF desk. One woman said I couldn't go via Japan as it wasn't on the permitted routing. I read her the relevant section of the website. later, I found I could get a seat when I wanted on the flights I wanted except LAX - NRT. Then I was told that I could get a seat on that plane if I paid with points but not with cash (WTF!!). After an hour, I thought I'd be transferred to Sir Richard Branson himself but no. So I gave up.
I then found a site called Best Flights. I used them in 2011 when I went to Europe. I could find a range of RTW/Circle Pacific fares but not the VA/SQ one I found above. Calling the RTW phone number (on a Sunday!), they had a ballpark figure in 5 minutes & called me with a confirmed price (the same price) the next day - under the price of the SYD - LAX return that I was originally looking at. I booked the ticket & can't want to go.
Round World Flights - Cheap Flights - Phone Flights Results
I'll be going on VA 1 SYD - LAX & then back via NRT & SIN. Bonus is that I'll get to go on the SQ A380 for the rest of the trip.
My advice - go direct to Best Flights!
