wco81

I had an award for next February using DL SkyMiles.

The long-haul was LAX-BNE, on VA8.

Just learned my award has been changed, to LAX-SYD-BNE-WLG, putting me in WLG 9 hours after the original award.

When I search for LAX-BNE flights for February, I no longer see VA8 at all.

I realize February is peak period so a sellout is certainly likely. Or is there some possibility that they canceled this flight and hence, the reason I had my award changed on me?

Or did DL or VA just decided they'd rather sell my award seat?

serfty

Is VA8 actually operating on the day you were booked.

From February to early April, VA are taking three 77W out of service one at a time to install new hard product. It may very well be that your particular VA8 flight has been canceled.


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/25262641-post50.html


I would be on the 'phone to DL / VA to try to arrange a direct SYD-WLG flight. Both SYD: T1-T2 and BNE: Dom-Int can be painful and time consuming transfers where an INT-INT transfer at SYD takes about 5 minutes.

wco81

DL is telling me there is no direct SYD-WLG flight.

And they're telling me the only BNE-WLG flight departs at 17:45 PM, meaning long layover between LAX-SYD and SYD-BNE-WLG.

I asked about other New Zealand destinations such as CHC or ZQN and they didn't really want to flip things around. Instead they said they could get me on SYD-AKL direct flight.

I didn't really want to start my trip in AKL, because I would be returning from AKL and really planned to spend more time on the South Island but I would prefer to minimize the duration of the outbound so if it meant skipping BNE layover, I was willing to do that.

Now, DL wants to run the changes by their Singapore office first ...



I appreciate the plane upgrades but why do it in early February, their peak season? Wouldn't it have made more sense during less busy times?

Miles Down Under

They are taking a break over their absolutely peak season which is December / January. Early February is more high season.

serfty

I would go so far as to state that Feb/March is really Low season from an Oz point of view.

xSTRIKEx6864

What is your specific date of travel? If VA 8 was cancelled for that date, then this sort of makes sense. However, no SYD - WLG flight makes no sense as there are several a day.

wco81

Departing LAX on Feb 1.

So the SYD-WLG would be on Feb 3.

But they're saying they don't have any award availability other than SYD-BNE-WLG, with the BNE-WLG segment departing at 5:45 PM.

serfty

VA8 does indeed appear to be cancelled that day.

Since it was VA who cancelled, I was thinking that surely DL can get them to open up award space on VA.

It may be difficult though, as VA don't fly their own metal between SYD and WLG - only codesharing VA*NZ.

Nugget_Oz

Just to be clear VA flies between BNE and WLG but the two flights are at 8.45 and 17.45. They aren't going to be able to open up NZ flights to Skymiles award inventory. What they don't do is fly between SYD and WLG or MEL and WLG. So it seems the solution is the best available to the OP unless he is willing to push the whole trip back a day.

wco81

The agent asked if I would depart on 1/31. She did not ask about changing to other dates.

By now, I don't even know if there would be award inventory left.

Their ultimate remedy is probably to say you can have your miles back.

serfty

Given it was VA who cancelled the flight, it is for VA to provide remedy - I would suspect VA would open seats to accommodate a day earlier/later.

IME with such situations, there does not need to be award inventory, just a seat in the originally booked cabin.

If the day before is an option, I suggest you contact DL again and empower them to liaise with VA for this.

wco81

Well I talk with them today. This agent explained that they can find an award on their own planes but not on VA.

I think they'd sooner just have me take my miles back than go to the wall and press VA on this.

So I agreed just to go to AKL, arriving at 15:35. Then I can take a late afternoon flight to WLG on my own dime.

There is a VA flight, SYD-ZQN, which could be another option, just have my itinerary go in reverse -- have not booked or planned anything on the ground yet. But no award space on that morning flight either. It would cost about $420 AUD to pay for it on my own.

As it stands now, I could arrive in WLG around 7 PM, versus originally arriving there around 3 PM.

Or I could arrive in ZQN around 3:30 PM, though the SYD-ZQN flight is about 6-7 times more than the AKL-WLG flight would be.

serfty

Sounds like an agent who being lazy. I do know VA have assisted in such situations before - can't see why they would not in this case if asked.

I was going to suggest the AKL idea. I would discount ZQN as AKL/WLG is far better served; hourly on AirNZ with Jetstar as another option.

Currently, you can get between AKL and WLG at 5pm or later on that day from NZ$72 on Jetstar / NZ$113 on NZ (pay more for luggage on both).

AKL transfer a lot easier then SYD or BNE.

wco81

I actually posted another thread about layover time to go between the SYD-AKL and AKL-WLG flights. The earliest flights are 70 and 85 minutes after the SYD-AKL flight is scheduled to land.

Safer to take a flight which is about 2 hours later, so departs at 17:35 and arrives at 18:40.

I was looking at the Jetstar and NZ flights on Matrix with those prices. No luggage allowed?

No checked luggage?

serfty

Sorry, those prices are what ITA returns.

Look here: www.airnz.co.nz

You can get a bag (23Kg) fare for NZ$83 (including the NZ$4 CC payment fee).

Or here: www.jetstar.co.nz

Bag fare (20Kg) for NZ$45 (Including "Booking and Service" [cc]fee).

It's all very LCC - pay extra for seat selection etc.