1. Have at least 150k miles available.
2. Call DL.
3. Specifically ask to book on V Australia, flying business class, booking into "Z" class. Give initial set of dates. Don't forget that VA also has LAX-BNE and LAX-MEL flights, in addition to LAX-SYD. Note that LAX-BNE and LAX-MEL don't run every day of the week. (VA is quite generous with their award availability for business class! )
4. Allow the agent to put you on hold as she/he looks up the instructions on how to make VA bookings. (Every single agent I spoke to did this. It looks like they're not well-versed in VA bookings.)
5. After agent comes back, you can ask for availability on others dates, and he/she will answer you very quickly, as they are now familiar with the commands.
6. If the agent quotes you 100k miles, tell them to "price as booked," it's supposed to cost 150k miles. What happens is that the system thinks there's a lower bucket available for the same cabin and will change the booked bucket to that one. But that new bucket is coach.
7. Bring out credit card to pay for taxes and fees, around $280.
8. Price out a similar itinerary on DL.com for coach. Most likely you'll be laughing at the bunch of ignorant frequent fliers paying 140k miles to fly LAX-SYD on DL metal in coach, as hardly any "low" awards are available in either cabin.
9. Smile that you've outsmarted DL.
10. Pay your credit card bill in full
Addenda: If you're looking for feeder flights into LAX, advise the agent that you'll be doing so. If you have a good agent, they'll block the space on the VA flights first before searching for the domestic legs. When I booked my tickets, it took about an hour and a half in total, as the itinerary had to be manually-priced. The pricing desk had to try different things to get the PNR to store the price. The solution was that they found someone familiar on how to do manual pricing. I don't blame the agents, I blame the outdated system and the management idiots in corporate HQ.
Here's my suggestion on what to do before making the final booking if you have feeder flights:
1. Have a few dates in mind for the US-Australia flights.
2. Call DL and make note of which dates have availability for the VA flights. Don't ask about domestic flights yet.
3. Use DL.com and AlaskaAir.com (DCA-LAX is a gem!) to search for feeder flight availability. Good luck with DL feeder flights. (I spent at least 2 hours doing this! Just 10 minutes on the phone asking about the VA availability.)
4. Call back DL to make final booking.
There you go. That's how Wiirachay and his parents just burned 450k miles in one day for 3 business class tickets.
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Last edited by Wiirachay; Aug 13, 10 at 12:04 am..
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Do they have all those classifications on VA that you have on Delta? Where do you find out what they require? If 150,000 each way will get you business class -- I would be very happy to do that next year. DL starts at 150,000 but htere are hardly any seats for that -- that means probably 240,000 each and that is a lot. So if VA will do it for 150,000, I already have that much and am there for next year!
Did you know the VA availability beforehand, or did you just call up with a range of dates in mind?
I just called up with a range of dates in mind - they were Fridays and Saturdays in May for the outbound, Sundays and Mondays on the inbound in June. Looks like VA doesn't have an availability on Fridays. However, they had 2-4 seats on the other times I inquired.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kapmap
Do they have all those classifications on VA that you have on Delta? Where do you find out what they require? If 150,000 each way will get you business class -- I would be very happy to do that next year. DL starts at 150,000 but htere are hardly any seats for that -- that means probably 240,000 each and that is a lot. So if VA will do it for 150,000, I already have that much and am there for next year!
All partner redemption amounts are at the "low" level, as most people should think, "standard level." Rulebuster or anytime redemption are usually not available on partner airlines, no matter what frequent flier program you're on, for any alliance. So, if DL were to have low tiers BE awards available to/from Australia , then it would be 150k.
Go burn your SkyMiles on J seats at low levels to Australia!
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I thought Delta's partnership with Virgin Atlantic ended years ago. When did they resume it? Can we get award tickets to other destinations, such as LHR?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimrpa
I thought Delta's partnership with Virgin Atlantic ended years ago. When did they resume it? Can we get award tickets to other destinations, such as LHR?
You're in the wrong ocean - It's Virgin AUSTRALIA that's the subject.
Now, how to determine availability before calling? AFAIK you can't check on their website unless you're a member of their FF program, which you can't join unless you live in the S. Pacific. EF and KVS do not cover VA awards either.
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This information is classified as Limited Access. Don't ask me why, they just told me so.
Now, how to determine availability before calling? AFAIK you can't check on their website unless you're a member of their FF program, which you can't join unless you live in the S. Pacific. EF and KVS do not cover VA awards either.
Actually, we are pleased to confirm that KVS Tool's award availability coverage now extends to V Australia as well, making it the 71st carrier, for which award/upgrades are known to be supported. The award/upgrade booking classes chart at http://Help.KVSTool.com/#Classes has now been updated accordingly.
BTW, does anyone know what VA's Economy award booking class is?
How to Redeem Your SkyMiles on VA Business Class
)
(I spent at least 2 hours doing this! Just 10 minutes on the phone asking about the VA availability.)
Thanks for posting.
) US Airways - The Official Airline of Ann Coulter 
