ozstamps

Never really focused on it but I can't recall any advertised sales for short time periods etc. Does anyone?

Yes City A to City B will have several prices for Biz on Virgin .. all absurd levels really, and those 2 or 3 prices seem to be fixed all year.

Like SYD-PER will be $1800-$2600 one way, and yes some bizoids will book that (far less this year seeing the mining boom has crashed in WA) and I bet if they loaded in selected fares at a bit above Flexi fare they'd sell pretty well.

The wide-body Biz cabins are often very lightly booked and this just generates extra cash.

Flexi seems not to go below about $630, and as Plats can upgrade those, paying $2500 for Biz is just a non starter for most.

Was just booking a few internal USA flights on Delta and was amazed at how LOW First Class and Business class was on some routes. Often only $100 more than lowest coach.

This a discounted product with restrictions - i.e. not cancellable, but Virgin might well look at such an animal where bookings are light.

Every day there were a MASS of flight prices in First to my city pair, and the lowest ones were attractive, so I booked them. Lesson to Virgin there perhaps.

serfty

There are often at least two pricing levels for business, somtimes three.

These generally book into I, D and J classes (most expensive last).

It's more of a case of looking and seeing.

Note there is a lot less comopetion in Oz when compared with the USA, so discount premium fares are mostly way higher here.

ozstamps

Ross yes I realise there are 2 or 3 tiers each day .. as I noted $1800 to $2600 buckets one way SYD-PER or v.v. most days of the year.

We can fly literally Business Class to Europe for that sum of course.

My question was, are there ever any true sales of Biz class or do these inflexible prices hld all year for Virgin.

Cant recall seeing any genuine sales of that cabin domestically?

serfty

If you come across one, please yell ...

The only thing I suggest to you is AFF: http://www.australianfrequentflyer.c...ml#post1327178


Last flexi fare i booked (to upgrade) was about $350 ... 30 months ago.

ozstamps

Ross yes Flexi do seem to vary but proper biz seats they really might look at.

They have a weekly Happy Hour and can't recall ever seeing BUSINESS seats on quiet routes or time zones bookable.

Do it for 2 hours a week and fill up some capacity - that's how the Americans do it and they are masters of yield management.

HALF the stuff was internal WA flights on Happy Hour today due to the mining crash, and I bet Biz on those flights is also slimmer than 2 years back.

Virgin website near unusable for me this week in Firefox and even now in IE near unusable, not sure what their issue is.

DCF

I believe that AMEX Platinum and Centurion sell domestic Business Class for 10% less than the usual published fare levels.....

serfty

The AFF link can give you a good look at 10% discount on base fare.

Coast to Coast is what it is - and has only QF and VA "competing" at that level, they aint gunna drop it much below what it is. The 10% discount can save $100's on a return with this route - Flexi or Business.

My best advice is to accept it for what it is and not worry about it.

Use Skymiles or AAdvantage for the most cost effective option. (Yes - buy the miles!)

vantage03

VA do have Business Class sales but it's becoming less frequent as the cabins are usually full. I see them more for leisure destinations. Eg. you can get Sydney - Hamilton Island for 50%+ off in Business once or twice a year.

ozstamps

vantage03 - yes 50%+ off is the sort of level they'll maybe fill some seats at on leisure routes.

Where do you see these kind of things advertised is my question?

On Happy Hours, or via an offer email etc?

ollieinmelbourne

Comparing domestic business class on Delta (or first) provided in the US with the business class product offered by VA from SYD to PER for example is not really comparing apples with apples.

ozstamps

Well seeing Virgin's national fleet is nearly entirely NOT airbus wide-bodies, it is certainly a VERY valid comparison. It most certainly is apples with apples. Except for PRICE.

And SYD-PER each day in 737s cost $2000 each way in Biz, so out the window goes that novel idea.

Delta runs wide-bodies too domestically of course. And when they do it is just good luck. Same as widebodies on SYD-PER-SYD. At ANY time the airlines reserves the right to swap equipment, and always has, and no compo for pax.

harryhv

Plenty ofaward availability, if you buy Virgin-America points

CorporateFlyer

All corporates with contracts would be getting a significant discount off the listed J class fares

ozstamps

That is self-evident to all, and is of course true of EVERY airfare for EVERY airline globally, and has nothing whatsoever to do with THIS thread question. @:-)

windchaser777

I'm seeing with this current sale on, that PER-SYD 'the business' is $1299 in January. There's also a pair of flights PER-SYD r/t via ADL for $1243.88 each way.