Virgin flying club - Q re SQ business awards using FC points

The Australian web site has had a notice for some months that business and first awards in SQ are "temporarily on hold" - while I know that there simply are no premium class awards on SQ's 380 and 77W's there are still awards on 772 and 773's. Does anyone have any idea if Virgin will allow such award booking and if not, why not??

Thanks.

Best thing is to call them up - this issue has been clouded in some doubt recently. As you say, SQ removed the award availability on their 380s and 77Ws but it was understood that awards on other plane types were available ... be good to hear an update if you get any success?

BTW, it's the same in the UK too!

thanks for that input. I plan to call on Monday and will post back. I would like to have this clarified before I transfer a huge swag of AmEx points to FC under a current offer of 25% bonus until some time in November.

I would be most interested to see the outcome of this.

I would like to have this clarified before I transfer a huge swag of AmEx points to FC under a current offer of 25% bonus until some time in November.

The deadline is “before November 18”. I’m working on the assumption that the points have to be credited to your FC account on or before that date, i.e. you have to allow an extra 3 or 4 days for AMEX to process the transaction.

The bonus is actually 20%. Hope this is only a typo and you are not relying on the extra points for your travel plans.

Sorry – never tried booking SQ awards on FC points.

Thanks BB - yes it was a typo. I am not interested in using these ("about to be newly transferred") points for an award booking at present - I already have a large balance with FC - I just wanted to take advantage of the bonus. However since these transfers are one-way (ie you can't get them back and transfer them elsewhere) I'd like to know what the medium term prognosis is for getting SQ premium class awards.

There are other options when transferring Australian AmEx points (e.g TG or SQ or NZ) but none of these gives quite as good value - but if VS cutoff SQ indefinitely then the VS option has a significantly reduced value to myself (and other Australian residents).

but if VS cutoff SQ indefinitely then the VS option has a significantly reduced value to myself (and other Australian residents).

The accepted version is that SQ have shafted VS FC members, not the other way around - BUT, there doesn't seem to be any 'proof' of this ...

Well I called Virgin today in Australia and they said that you could book premium class awards on SQ provided the flight was not operated by an A380 or 77W and of course subject to availability.

I did not try to book anything (so have not "tested" this) as I do not have any firm dates / plans as yet.

It would be good if someone could post back their success or otherwise with such a booking.

Interesting. I am also not in the position to book at present.