Booking VA flights from UK
Oct 28, 2012, 7:50 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 342
Booking VA flights from UK
I realise that VA is going through a transitional period and upgrading to Sabre, but I find it bizarre that it has a dedicated UK site, and a UK phone number, but the front page http://http://www.virginaustralia.com/uk/en/ proclaims that 'Fares from the UK to Australia coming soon'. Not very good marketing, especially when I do go to the booking engine (Which for some reason doesn't list MEL as a destination option', I can indeed book a simple return from the UK to Australia in GBP. Any reason for the contradiction, other than oversight? Unresolved issues with Virgin Atlantic in regards to marketing to the UK market. It makes VA a weak competitor when QF plays upon Australian-ness in the British market so well.
Oct 29, 2012, 3:19 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: PER
Programs: BA Gold, QF Gold, VA Gold, IC Diamond Amb., HH Diamond
Posts: 777
How odd...I wonder how the fares look when you try and book with Etihad? The majority of the flights between Abu Dhabi and Australia are a codeshare flight, I'm not 100% sure of the number of flights operated on VA metal.
It's an interesting question though, I wonder if SQ and/or VS flights are meant to come up as well eventually when looking for flights from the UK to Australia.
It's an interesting question though, I wonder if SQ and/or VS flights are meant to come up as well eventually when looking for flights from the UK to Australia.
Oct 29, 2012, 2:37 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 342
Yes, I have seen VA coded flights available on expedia and on ITA. My main point is given they most people do at least some research online, even if going to a TA, it seems bad business to say fares from the UK to Australia are simply unavailable when this is not the case.
Nov 2, 2012, 8:26 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Quite close to NQY
Programs: BAEC Silver,clubcard,clubcard plus, BA Amex................ And Mucci x3 ;)
Posts: 9,488
Yes, I have seen VA coded flights available on expedia and on ITA. My main point is given they most people do at least some research online, even if going to a TA, it seems bad business to say fares from the UK to Australia are simply unavailable when this is not the case.
I'm currently in HTI having flown SYD-HTI-on onward tomorrow to BNE
We had to book via a TA in the uk as couldn't do it ourselves.
Isn't it also odd that the virgin Australia flights into the UK seem to be on Etihad rather than virgin Atlantic ?
cs
Nov 2, 2012, 9:03 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: MEL
Programs: QF Platinum, VA Gold
Posts: 417
Not at all - Etihad is VAs primary European partner, so it makes sense that they put the VA code on EY flights. Also, I seem to remember reading that the only VS flight that VA puts their code on is SYD-HKG.
Nov 3, 2012, 9:09 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 342
You could even have tried to see if VA is still offered an airpass for international visitors, making for cheap flexible flights. They used to offer it in the Virgin Blue days but have not heard anything about recently.
Nov 4, 2012, 6:11 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Quite close to NQY
Programs: BAEC Silver,clubcard,clubcard plus, BA Amex................ And Mucci x3 ;)
Posts: 9,488
You could even have tried to see if VA is still offered an airpass for international visitors, making for cheap flexible flights. They used to offer it in the Virgin Blue days but have not heard anything about recently.
Well going back a few months it kept crashing us and dumping us out, was simpler in the end to jus do it via a TA with hotels and transfers etc.
cs
Nov 4, 2012, 6:30 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 342
This is a real weak point for VA compared to QF with has a number of smoothly operating websites for each of its major markets. This should be especially important for VA to enable it to distinguish itself from VS, which has some poor reviews for those not lucky enough to have status or upper class tickets.