Virgin Australia announces flights from Melbourne to Hong Kong
Mar 20, 2017, 8:12 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: VA Silver, NZ Gold
Posts: 327
Virgin Australia announces flights from Melbourne to Hong Kong
"From 5 July 2017, Virgin Australia will operate five return services per week between the two cities, using dual aisle Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Virgin Australia’s proposed alliance with HNA Aviation and Hong Kong Airlines will enable customers to connect through Hong Kong to 13 destinations in mainland China. "
http://newsroom.virginaustralia.com/...urne-hong-kong
http://newsroom.virginaustralia.com/...urne-hong-kong
Jul 6, 2017, 10:03 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: LST
Programs: HH, VA, QF, SQ, Air NZ
Posts: 169
Upgrading with Points
So I am taking my mum on a trip to Hong Kong, China and Singapore next year and I thought - sweet I can buy economy and use stashed points to upgrade.
Checked the fares for eligible classes, OK a lot more expensive than the el cheapo tickets (that I cannot upgrade on) but about 1/2 price of the Business tickets.
Right, time to wait for T-331 days. Date came and went..no award space available online. But I remember an article from Ausbt that said we had to call to enquire. Right then. Every few days I have been calling to see if anything has been released. Nope, nothing. J class still all wide open but no Z class available. Hmmm not looking good for upgrade.
Yesterday I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the tickets and then get myself on the waitlist, so a least I was there. Done deal. Time to call GCC.
Got through to a lovely lady on the platinum desk and went through the issues I have been having. She said OK I'll waitlist you but also let me call the Revenue team and see if there is anything they can do. I explained that nothing had been released from 331 to today (it is not as though it has sold out) it just was not ever released.
Outcome - she called back about 1 hour later and said Rev team approved the upgrade, points taken from account and seats selected.
Lessons leant
1. Even if you are on the waitlist and a Z fare is released you will not automatically get it. If you are on the waitlist these are only looked at 4 days prior to the flight so it is recommended to keep checking before. (This is what the lovely lady told me)
2. I also wanted to use my free upgrades to and from MEL but I only had one left from this year (my renew date is 16/07) and the lovely lady was able to confirm upgrades each way and said she would take the other 3 from my account when they dropped in.
This year's miracle has just happened so I don't expect anymore now until next year
Now if those pesky points from my flight on Monday would post.....
Checked the fares for eligible classes, OK a lot more expensive than the el cheapo tickets (that I cannot upgrade on) but about 1/2 price of the Business tickets.
Right, time to wait for T-331 days. Date came and went..no award space available online. But I remember an article from Ausbt that said we had to call to enquire. Right then. Every few days I have been calling to see if anything has been released. Nope, nothing. J class still all wide open but no Z class available. Hmmm not looking good for upgrade.
Yesterday I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the tickets and then get myself on the waitlist, so a least I was there. Done deal. Time to call GCC.
Got through to a lovely lady on the platinum desk and went through the issues I have been having. She said OK I'll waitlist you but also let me call the Revenue team and see if there is anything they can do. I explained that nothing had been released from 331 to today (it is not as though it has sold out) it just was not ever released.
Outcome - she called back about 1 hour later and said Rev team approved the upgrade, points taken from account and seats selected.
Lessons leant
1. Even if you are on the waitlist and a Z fare is released you will not automatically get it. If you are on the waitlist these are only looked at 4 days prior to the flight so it is recommended to keep checking before. (This is what the lovely lady told me)
2. I also wanted to use my free upgrades to and from MEL but I only had one left from this year (my renew date is 16/07) and the lovely lady was able to confirm upgrades each way and said she would take the other 3 from my account when they dropped in.
This year's miracle has just happened so I don't expect anymore now until next year
Now if those pesky points from my flight on Monday would post.....
Jul 7, 2017, 6:49 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: bne
Programs: Velocity Gold, AIRNZ Elite, Qantas Silver ,Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,320
So I am taking my mum on a trip to Hong Kong, China and Singapore next year and I thought - sweet I can buy economy and use stashed points to upgrade.
Checked the fares for eligible classes, OK a lot more expensive than the el cheapo tickets (that I cannot upgrade on) but about 1/2 price of the Business tickets.
Right, time to wait for T-331 days. Date came and went..no award space available online. But I remember an article from Ausbt that said we had to call to enquire. Right then. Every few days I have been calling to see if anything has been released. Nope, nothing. J class still all wide open but no Z class available. Hmmm not looking good for upgrade.
Yesterday I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the tickets and then get myself on the waitlist, so a least I was there. Done deal. Time to call GCC.
Got through to a lovely lady on the platinum desk and went through the issues I have been having. She said OK I'll waitlist you but also let me call the Revenue team and see if there is anything they can do. I explained that nothing had been released from 331 to today (it is not as though it has sold out) it just was not ever released.
Outcome - she called back about 1 hour later and said Rev team approved the upgrade, points taken from account and seats selected.
Lessons leant
1. Even if you are on the waitlist and a Z fare is released you will not automatically get it. If you are on the waitlist these are only looked at 4 days prior to the flight so it is recommended to keep checking before. (This is what the lovely lady told me)
2. I also wanted to use my free upgrades to and from MEL but I only had one left from this year (my renew date is 16/07) and the lovely lady was able to confirm upgrades each way and said she would take the other 3 from my account when they dropped in.
This year's miracle has just happened so I don't expect anymore now until next year
Now if those pesky points from my flight on Monday would post.....
Checked the fares for eligible classes, OK a lot more expensive than the el cheapo tickets (that I cannot upgrade on) but about 1/2 price of the Business tickets.
Right, time to wait for T-331 days. Date came and went..no award space available online. But I remember an article from Ausbt that said we had to call to enquire. Right then. Every few days I have been calling to see if anything has been released. Nope, nothing. J class still all wide open but no Z class available. Hmmm not looking good for upgrade.
Yesterday I decided to bite the bullet and purchase the tickets and then get myself on the waitlist, so a least I was there. Done deal. Time to call GCC.
Got through to a lovely lady on the platinum desk and went through the issues I have been having. She said OK I'll waitlist you but also let me call the Revenue team and see if there is anything they can do. I explained that nothing had been released from 331 to today (it is not as though it has sold out) it just was not ever released.
Outcome - she called back about 1 hour later and said Rev team approved the upgrade, points taken from account and seats selected.
Lessons leant
1. Even if you are on the waitlist and a Z fare is released you will not automatically get it. If you are on the waitlist these are only looked at 4 days prior to the flight so it is recommended to keep checking before. (This is what the lovely lady told me)
2. I also wanted to use my free upgrades to and from MEL but I only had one left from this year (my renew date is 16/07) and the lovely lady was able to confirm upgrades each way and said she would take the other 3 from my account when they dropped in.
This year's miracle has just happened so I don't expect anymore now until next year
Now if those pesky points from my flight on Monday would post.....
Mine get wasted
Jul 9, 2017, 5:44 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: BNE
Programs: QF Gold, VA Gold, IHG Spire, Accor Plat, Marriot Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,281
Jul 9, 2017, 10:59 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: LST
Programs: HH, VA, QF, SQ, Air NZ
Posts: 169
No - I upgraded using points - 27500 per person each way - and you have tell them that - they kept trying to quote me 45000 (to LAX). But it is written on the Velocity Website under upgrades.
The free ones I used on the BNE-MEL & MEL-BNE flights.
The free ones I used on the BNE-MEL & MEL-BNE flights.
Jul 9, 2017, 11:00 pm
#9
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: LST
Programs: HH, VA, QF, SQ, Air NZ
Posts: 169
Jul 9, 2017, 11:02 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: LST
Programs: HH, VA, QF, SQ, Air NZ
Posts: 169
I am in CBR so on a regular basis I have to book Freedom fares to get out, as that is all that is available with the Pollies around. Lucky work pays for most of them.
Jul 9, 2017, 11:04 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: LST
Programs: HH, VA, QF, SQ, Air NZ
Posts: 169
It was frustrating before I got this lady. They just kept saying nothing is available, check back later. Grrr..
Jul 10, 2017, 3:17 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: BNE
Programs: QF Gold, VA Gold, IHG Spire, Accor Plat, Marriot Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,281
Jul 11, 2017, 10:27 pm
#13
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: LST
Programs: HH, VA, QF, SQ, Air NZ
Posts: 169
"The Business" or not?
Back again, with another question about the flights to Hong Kong.
I remember when they announced the flight back in March that they would be using the refurbed A330 to have "The Business" available. I noticed the inaugural flight was on VH-XFD which has "The Business".
If I go into make a dummy booking for my dates they are selling "The Business" but ExpertFlyer and the lovely lady at Virgin both indicate that it is 2/2 config.
I thought all the A330s were refurbed last year?
My flight dates at MEL-HKG - 30/04 and HKG-MEL - 19/05 if that makes any difference.
Any advice?
Cheers
FF
I remember when they announced the flight back in March that they would be using the refurbed A330 to have "The Business" available. I noticed the inaugural flight was on VH-XFD which has "The Business".
If I go into make a dummy booking for my dates they are selling "The Business" but ExpertFlyer and the lovely lady at Virgin both indicate that it is 2/2 config.
I thought all the A330s were refurbed last year?
My flight dates at MEL-HKG - 30/04 and HKG-MEL - 19/05 if that makes any difference.
Any advice?
Cheers
FF
Jul 12, 2017, 10:04 am
#14
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: BNE
Programs: QF Gold, VA Gold, IHG Spire, Accor Plat, Marriot Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,281
If I go into make a dummy booking for my dates they are selling "The Business" but ExpertFlyer and the lovely lady at Virgin both indicate that it is 2/2 config.
I thought all the A330s were refurbed last year?
My flight dates at MEL-HKG - 30/04 and HKG-MEL - 19/05 if that makes any difference.
Any advice?
Cheers
FF
Jul 12, 2017, 4:05 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Melbourne
Programs: ►QFWP/LTG►VA WP►HyattExpl.►HiltonGold►ALL Silver
Posts: 21,994
VA never had 2x2 on their 332's, only 2x2x2 or 1x2x1.
However, looking at seat maps on expertflyer I see this:
Results from https://www.ExpertFlyer.com
Code:
Seat Map Search:
Departing MEL on 30/04/18 for HKG
Flying VA flight 87 in Business
A D G K
1 + + + +
2 - - + +
3 + + + +
4 + + + +
5 + + + +
A D G K
Last edited by serfty; Jul 12, 2017 at 4:21 pm