Mar 8, 2015, 2:10 pm
Last edit by: geclub1
Flying Club Contact Info
USA +1 800 365 9500
SOUTH AFRICA +27 11 340 3535
HONG KONG +852 2532 6060 9 AM to 6 PM M-F 9 AM to 2 PM Sat
CHINA +86 21 5353 4600
INDIA +1-800-102-3000 ( Toll Free )
+91-124-4693030
CARIBBEAN +1 800 744 7477
Tips to Book Partner Awards:
Delta:
Check af.com for availability.
Virgin Australia:
One-way awards possible
USA +1 800 365 9500
SOUTH AFRICA +27 11 340 3535
HONG KONG +852 2532 6060 9 AM to 6 PM M-F 9 AM to 2 PM Sat
CHINA +86 21 5353 4600
INDIA +1-800-102-3000 ( Toll Free )
+91-124-4693030
CARIBBEAN +1 800 744 7477
Tips to Book Partner Awards:
Delta:
Check af.com for availability.
Virgin Australia:
One-way awards possible
(Master Thread) except ANA (NH) using VS points.
May 7, 2019, 4:10 pm
#496
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: SFO
Programs: DL Gold, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 46
I'm hoping to find availability on DL metal from SFO to MAD. VS won't even let me search for MAD in their search engine. Any idea how to look for availability? Also, that will be a connection as DL only flies to MAD from ATL & JFK I believe. Any idea if I can add that leg on? Thanks!
May 7, 2019, 4:23 pm
#497
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 315
Virgin's website is maddening. Sometimes just clicking around and going back and forth between cities works. Sometimes you can select by region then country and get it to come in. Sometimes you can do a search for paid flights then click miles instead.
May 8, 2019, 1:26 am
#498
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,040
I'm hoping to find availability on DL metal from SFO to MAD. VS won't even let me search for MAD in their search engine. Any idea how to look for availability? Also, that will be a connection as DL only flies to MAD from ATL & JFK I believe. Any idea if I can add that leg on? Thanks!
I've had a bit more luck with some ex-LAX direct flights to Continental Europe, and I more regularly see options via DTW or MSP.
May 31, 2019, 7:10 am
#499
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 102
I talked to a couple of Flying Club agents today. Trying to book LAX-SYD on DL 41 in Business class. Both agents said there was availability
on Aug 12 and it priced to 75000 miles + appx $27 in taxes. However after putting the itinerary on hold and looking at the reservation on
the Delta website, it shows Premium Economy not business class. Repeated the exercise for another date and the same result: Virgin
insists its booking "Business Class" but its actually Delta Premium Economy.
Any thoughts or advice?
on Aug 12 and it priced to 75000 miles + appx $27 in taxes. However after putting the itinerary on hold and looking at the reservation on
the Delta website, it shows Premium Economy not business class. Repeated the exercise for another date and the same result: Virgin
insists its booking "Business Class" but its actually Delta Premium Economy.
Any thoughts or advice?
May 31, 2019, 1:06 pm
#500
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 102
I think you'd have to get your Skymiles number added to the reservation instead of your Flying Club number, which I don't know if they'll do.
My own recent experience, found VA J seats from LAX to a few different Australian cities that would work for a trip, but the VS agents can't book them, they said it keeps coming back unconfirmed. However, I was able to get them to book 2 DL J seats LAX-SYD for 75K miles per person and about $56. I'm still looking, though, because these flights are about two days earlier than I want to depart. Also, I was hoping to avoid DL because we'll be flying with an infant and they are about the only airline with no bassinets in business class (and they are really a pain to get in Y as well). On the positive side, the planes are all getting upgraded to the new DL suites starting next March or May so it should be a nice J product over all.
My own recent experience, found VA J seats from LAX to a few different Australian cities that would work for a trip, but the VS agents can't book them, they said it keeps coming back unconfirmed. However, I was able to get them to book 2 DL J seats LAX-SYD for 75K miles per person and about $56. I'm still looking, though, because these flights are about two days earlier than I want to depart. Also, I was hoping to avoid DL because we'll be flying with an infant and they are about the only airline with no bassinets in business class (and they are really a pain to get in Y as well). On the positive side, the planes are all getting upgraded to the new DL suites starting next March or May so it should be a nice J product over all.
J_DUB - see my post. Were you able to verify that those seats were actually business class on Delta? My experience booking LAX-SYD was that the 75000 mile awards turned out to be
premium economy.
Jun 1, 2019, 6:20 am
#501
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Birmingham, AL (weekdays) and Atlanta, GA (weekends)
Programs: DL Platinum Medallion
Posts: 590
I briefly used ExpertFlyer a few years ago before Delta cut off so much info to them. Does it let you search a range of dates on VS for award seats, or do you have to do it flight by flight?
Jun 1, 2019, 7:42 am
#502
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Glob/UA Gold
Posts: 612
ExpertFlyer Pro lets you search for a 7 day range at a time, on both the outbound and return, or on one-way flights. It's worth the $10/mo in my opinion, especially if you are points & miles obsessed.
Jun 1, 2019, 11:59 am
#503
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Birmingham, AL (weekdays) and Atlanta, GA (weekends)
Programs: DL Platinum Medallion
Posts: 590
I just re-joined, but from the sound of it, it doesn't let you search Virgin Atlantic award seats on DL metal. I would love to be wrong.
Jun 1, 2019, 12:31 pm
#504
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Glob/UA Gold
Posts: 612
EF lets you search for Saver awards, and in general, these are the only awards that partners have access to. So you'd search for DL awards on EF and then call up VS to book a partner award. NB- I've never done this pairing, just AirFrance partner awards on DL metal.
Jun 2, 2019, 6:54 pm
#505
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 102
Air New Zealand
Does saver award availability on the United website for LAX-AKL on Air New Zealand correlate to similar availability using Flying Club points?
Jun 9, 2019, 2:39 pm
#506
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 22
Booked VFA - JNB one way in business class on South African's long haul A333 (SA41) for 15,000 miles and 130 GBP. Checked availability via ExpertFlyer before ringing VS and it did match what the agent saw in the system.
Jun 12, 2019, 4:18 am
#507
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 102
Lucked out with Air New Zealand availability in August. Booked LAX-AKL on NZ 5 (leased aircraft from Eva Air with herringbone layout) in Business Class for 62.5k points. With the 30% bonus on transfer from Citi it worked out to 48k citi points. Insane deal.
Jun 13, 2019, 12:44 pm
#508
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 148
yeah, bummer they don’t include them, you will have to call to book. But you can use a tool like Expert Flyer to look for the award space. There seemed to be good availability when i looked for the delta routes into and out of Seattle. Not sure if you are trying to get to west coast or east though...
Jun 14, 2019, 4:34 am
#509
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 102
To answer my own question, over the last week I've looked at the United website and talked to Virgin Atlantic agents and there seems to be pretty good correlation between the two as far as Air New Zealand availability.
Jun 23, 2019, 3:00 pm
#510
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 102
Air New Zealand Business Class Availability
I've been tracking NZ business class availability. They currently fly non-stop from AKL to LAX, SFO, IAH and ORD.
FC agents have to actually request award availability for each flight/date and wait for a response. Availability
on United for the 90k mile award seems to track FC availability accurately, so no need to waste time on the phone
with FC agents. I've noticed an interesting pattern:
NZ is releasing seats in J beginning 60 days prior to departure. Typically 2 seats at a time. Only to selected destinations
but they have been doing consistently over the last 10 days for Aug departures. Seats seem to appear early morning
New Zealand time. Enjoy.
Also AKL-ORD for some reason is not seen as a "valid route" by FC agents.
FC agents have to actually request award availability for each flight/date and wait for a response. Availability
on United for the 90k mile award seems to track FC availability accurately, so no need to waste time on the phone
with FC agents. I've noticed an interesting pattern:
NZ is releasing seats in J beginning 60 days prior to departure. Typically 2 seats at a time. Only to selected destinations
but they have been doing consistently over the last 10 days for Aug departures. Seats seem to appear early morning
New Zealand time. Enjoy.
Also AKL-ORD for some reason is not seen as a "valid route" by FC agents.
Last edited by ravi100; Jun 23, 2019 at 3:12 pm