Originally Posted by
jsloan
How did you end up on a VA ticket then? Is this an award?
Most likely. VA offers UA award seats using VA points provided the awards are 'Saver' (in Y) or 'I' business class fares.
VA's statement that they can't sell a ticket to SJD because it's not in their system makes some limited sense for paid flights, although the truth is that they can still sell it; they may choose not to. But if this is an award flight, I can't think of any conceivable reason that VA couldn't get you to SJD if UA has award space on that flight. I might try calling a couple more times before I gave up and bought separate tickets.
VA does indeed offer SJD as a destination on their award system bookable through partner airlines. However, the tricky thing is that to get awards to show, both legs need to have Saver awards available through UA (or I in business).
One of the primary benefits of getting things on a single ticket is that it would make it a lot easier to switch gears and fly through SFO if there were a problem with the SYD-LAX flight.
How many people are traveling? What is the backup itinerary on UA if you should miss LAX-SJD? Although you don't technically have protection, in practice, UA will likely rebook you at no charge if you miss the flight on two separate UA tickets.
There's a reasonable chance that you'd make this connection easily. There's also a very real chance that you wouldn't make it, one ticket or two. I've missed a connection at LAX -- along with many others -- due to waiting about 45 minutes for the first bag to come off of my inbound flight, which was already delayed by a bit.
Thanks for this. I am in the same boat as flyer8989. Managed to fluke a SYD-SFO award flight on Boxing Day on UA (booked through VA), but needing to fly on to MIA arriving by midday on 27/12. Have booked the direct UA SFO-MIA at 8.33AM on a separate refundable ticket, which is a very tight 93 minute connection. Am hoping to get bags checked through (so as to avoid additional baggage fees and hasten getting to the gate on time), but fortunately there are plenty of other options to get to MIA - I just have to hope there's space available on them!
Originally Posted by
flyer8989
I made the booking through Virgin Australia and they won't update my flight because they don't offer SJD.
Actually, they do (and it costs the same amount of points if you transit through LAX as flying to LAX itself, 44.8K (15K points more transiting through IAH). If there's award availability on the day you want to fly, then VA can rebook you (although you'll pay a change fee).