Ansett767 From Australia, joined May 1999, 982 posts, RR: 2 Posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 2378 times:
I noticed premium economy fares ex SYD have gone up hugely over the last year....
SYD to LHR on VS, BA and NZ are all about 5200-5500 for March next year, so it got me thinking:
SYD to LHR on VS was A$5493
SO I checked each leg separately
SYD to HK A$1902
HK to LHR HK$15,000 or about A$2220 (about 200 less if you take the VS flight to HK and not the VS 200 that continues on to Sydney)
Total separate A$4122 (about $1400 less; and an upgrade one way to SYD is $1700 more hehe)
So, If I was to buy two separate tickets, would I be able to have them linked in some way - both would be bought from the VS website.
Does anyone work for VS - that could confirm if this is do-able, and thus have boarding passes for both issued in SYD, with luggage checked all the way through?
VgnAtl747 From United States, joined Apr 2001, 1306 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2064 times:
If you book them as separate segments, book them on the VS website using the multi-segment/multi-city option. That way they'll be 2 segments on the same eticket and part of the same PNR.
Caaardiff From United Kingdom (Wales), joined Jul 2006, 115 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 1895 times:
How would this work in terms of transitting?
Would you need to clear immigration, collect your luggage then re-check-in in HKG?
Or could you transit in HKG and ensure the luggage is onward tagged from the first departure point?
VgnAtl747 From United States, joined Apr 2001, 1306 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 1845 times:
If you're flights are in a single PNR with VS then the second segment would be considered online travel with VS... just a second segment as part of your trip. I've never connected at HKG, but I'd imagine it might be like connecting on arrival in the US. This would be no different than me choosing to fly JFK-LHR-HKG with VS..
You'd be checked in for your second segment when you checkin for the first. When you land in HKG you'd most likely have to clear immigration then proceed to your connecting gate. You should already have your boarding pass so no additional checkin necessary.
When arriving in the United States you have to claim your bag so it goes through customs with you, then you drop it off again if you have a connection (this doesn't require you going all the way to the airline checkin counter... there is a generic connecting bag drop off point just after customs. Not sure what the procedure would be at HKG though with respect to luggage.
Cloudyapple From Hong Kong SAR, PRC, joined Jul 2005, 1570 posts, RR: 3 Reply 4, posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 1752 times:
Quoting VgnAtl747 (Reply 3): You'd be checked in for your second segment when you checkin for the first.
Assuming you and your bags are checked in at Sydney all the way to Heathrow, even if they are separate segments with separate boarding passes, can't you just stay on the plane while on the ground in Hong Kong?
Quoting VgnAtl747 (Reply 3): When you land in HKG you'd most likely have to clear immigration then proceed to your connecting gate.
Transit passengers with boarding passes only go through security not immigration. Then proceed up the escalator and you're back on the departure level ready to (shop and) go.
If you have not been issued your second boarding pass, the airline counters just before security will issue it for you.
If I were you, I'd call up Virgin to check if they will check you through to Heathrow at Sydney. You won't have enough time if you have to go back into landside to recheck-in. Remember check-ins close 1 hour before departure.
VgnAtl747 From United States, joined Apr 2001, 1306 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 1608 times:
Quoting Cloudyapple (Reply 4): You won't have enough time if you have to go back into landside to recheck-in. Remember check-ins close 1 hour before departure.
Assuming all of your travel is in the same PNR, they should... that said it could be influenced by the flight times... if checkin for segment 1 happens before they can physically process the request for segment 2...
Quoting Cloudyapple (Reply 4): Assuming you and your bags are checked in at Sydney all the way to Heathrow, even if they are separate segments with separate boarding passes, can't you just stay on the plane while on the ground in Hong Kong?
What the OP is trying to do is book 2 separate segments, not the through flight. I've never traveled on this type of routing with VS... but in my experience the entire aircraft is usually deplaned upon arrival. Not sure how VS does it though...
Cloudyapple From Hong Kong SAR, PRC, joined Jul 2005, 1570 posts, RR: 3 Reply 6, posted (2 months 4 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 1536 times:
Quoting VgnAtl747 (Reply 5): What the OP is trying to do is book 2 separate segments, not the through flight. I've never traveled on this type of routing with VS... but in my experience the entire aircraft is usually deplaned upon arrival. Not sure how VS does it though...
When I travelled on Lauda transiting Bangkok on the way to Hong Kong a few years back, I was allowed to stay on board. But sure, each airline does it differently.
Ansett767 From Australia, joined May 1999, 982 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (2 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1424 times:
Quoting VgnAtl747 (Reply 1): If you book them as separate segments, book them on the VS website using the multi-segment/multi-city option. That way they'll be 2 segments on the same eticket and part of the same PNR.
The multi segment only lets me put in 2 segments so its the same as a return flight.
VS239 From Hong Kong SAR, PRC, joined Jul 2006, 47 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (2 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 1378 times:
You will definitely get deplaned when arriving at HKG from SYD, it doesn't matter if you are ticketed/processed all the way through or not. I came in from SYD on VS201 recently and everyone had to get off. Passengers continuing onto LHR were directed with placards etc by the ground staff through transit & security as mentioned above.
Usually gate 36 is used for the VS flights at HKG but as always things can change.
ANstar From Australia, joined exactly 5 years ago today! , 2546 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (2 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 1371 times:
Quoting Ansett767 (Thread starter): So, If I was to buy two separate tickets, would I be able to have them linked in some way - both would be bought from the VS website.
I did this last year.... $1500 inc tax to HKG and then used BA from HKG-LHR for $1600 inc tax all in premium Y so it was abotu $3100 all up.
I o/n in HKG both legs as I dont like doing that route in 1 go.
Lufthansa From Christmas Island, joined May 1999, 1856 posts, RR: 6 Reply 10, posted (2 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 1360 times:
Will,
A bit off the topic but do you specifically need to go Via Hong Kong for some reason?
The reason I ask is because for about $5300 you can purchase a thai airways business class ticket that will see you all the way through.
It is the same seat that both JAL and MAS use, and its a far better product then any premium economy, plus you've got pretty good connections too. Failing that, for very similar price Lufthansa also offers a business class ticket in conjunction with thai airways and united airlines... once again coming in J class for the entire trip.
Failing that, for about $4000 AA offers business class tickets from HNL to LAX - LHR, which you could connect up with a Qantas flight, for about $1000 athought it isn't business all the way. That drops to about $3600 if you're prepared to just do business from LAX-LHR. (need to stay a week and advance purchase)
Point being these premium economy tickets are actually quite expensive when you look at some of the other alternatives. If you're booking ex- Australia, the best place i find to get cheap business class airfares is the bucket travel agency called 'bestflights.com.au". However DO NOT use their online booking service.. the better deals won't show up. You need to have them manually booked via the call centre in PER.
Thai airways also has a standby upgrade at the airport for any economy class ticket to business class. I can't tell you what the charge is for BKK-LHR, but for Australia - thailand last time was about 690 oneway extra. On a return trip in business class it put the total ticket price BNE-BKK at around $2300... very reasonable and inline with your premium economy prices. Which is why I mention it because it may very well be worth you investigating. Anyway good luck!
Ansett767 From Australia, joined May 1999, 982 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (2 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 1278 times:
Quoting Lufthansa (Reply 10): A bit off the topic but do you specifically need to go Via Hong Kong for some reason?
The reason I ask is because for about $5300 you can purchase a thai airways business class ticket that will see you all the way through.
It is the same seat that both JAL and MAS use, and its a far better product then any premium economy, plus you've got pretty good connections too. Failing that, for very similar price Lufthansa also offers a business class ticket in conjunction with thai airways and united airlines... once again coming in J class for the entire trip.
Wow where do I find this? It seems Thai is around $8000 for March next year.
I used the LH fare RTW 2 years ago at $5400 incl tax. However this year its looking closer to $6300 (with all the fuel surhcharges) which is still a good deal.
As for Premium Y being now over $5000 (this is a joke!) and being able to do it for just over $4000 on 2 tix makes it worth it!
Quoting Lufthansa (Reply 10): However DO NOT use their online booking service.. the better deals won't show up. You need to have them manually booked via the call centre in PER.
I use their site a lot to lookup fares - didn't realise if you called you get different options! Thanks for the tip.
So around 4000-5500/6000 what would you do to get to Europe? Seeing as direct Y+ are all over 5000!
Lufthansa From Christmas Island, joined May 1999, 1856 posts, RR: 6 Reply 12, posted (2 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 1249 times:
Quoting Ansett767 (Reply 11): Wow where do I find this? It seems Thai is around $8000 for March next year
You can go First Class in thai for that!
Quoting Ansett767 (Reply 11):
So around 4000-5500/6000 what would you do to get to Europe? Seeing as direct Y+ are all over 5000!
most for the fares they publish in their 'list' of fares you can access in the left hand side of the screen's menu bar. Most of these fares are complex and need to be manually booked, and some are only released via special agencies and hence won't show up using the regular booking system or are too complex for the computer to easily identify.
Another option you may wish to consider is a mixed fare. Say go economy for the daylight leg ex Australia and then business say SIN - Europe. I believe AF have a good deal here (and so does KL but the AF product is better for similar $)...and that comes in around the 4K mark plus tax.
If you're gonna go mixed and you've got lots of baggage, I prefer the US option of just buying a regular economy ticket to LAX and then getting a cheapy business class ticket on AA to LHR, purchased as seperate tickets.
As for the thai fares. the MUST BE BOOKED via a bucket travel agency. Thai does not release them to the general public, you won't get them via the thai call centre nor via the online booking agencies. This is why you MUST call the best flights call centre.
If you going to europe and staying a while, I'd probably try travel on a quieter week day like a tuesday, and get the standbye upgrade. That way you don't have to pay for it all up once. You can just pay the upgrades on one half of the journey...and in a few months time save up some more and do it again. Of course if you're going for a short trip this is no help.
Seriously though call thai reservations and ask about the standby upgrade fee. The good thing about this too is you don't have to upgrade the entire journey. You can just do sectors. So you could just do you're overnight sectors. For example.
SYD-BKK economy
BKK-LHR business
LHR - BKK economy
BKK - SYD Business
That way you sleep on your overnight flights and can start the next day bright and refreshed without having to pay the full business class sector. It also means you can make full use of the lounge in BKK during your layover. This would probably come in cheaper then premium economy.
Austrian should come in at about 5K...
AF in a mixed econ/business class around that too.
Korean air is always a good one price wise but i'm not a big fan of them, though I haven't really heard anything bad about them.
Another thing you might wanna consider doing is singing up for the AA Challenge.
If you booked a code share QF flight in economy using the AA number, and then flew business class LAX-LHR and back the same way, and signed up for the AA Platinum challenge, you'd be an AA advantage Platinum member after the trip. (equiv to Qantas Gold FF)... that would mean access to Qantas clubs when traveling in Australia and double mileage. Its about $3600 or slightly over for a discount business class AA ticket so if you can get a good transpacific fare this option may be competitive. Especially if you're gonna pay hundreds of dollars in excess luggage charges.
oh and don't forget SAS. The food isn't up to scratch (nor is KLM for that matter) but its a flatbed seat and better then premium economy and should come in at about the $6000 for business class all the way.
Airbear From Australia, joined May 2001, 501 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (2 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 1241 times:
Hi. Having looked at more or less the same thing myself on the VS site, I doubt you'd be able to do what you want to do, because... a) the savings only materialise whan you make 2 separate bookings: SYD/KHG/SYD and HKG/LHR/HKG, which would bve billed in A$ and then HK$. This happy outcome is spoiled though, by... b) when I tried the same thing, I came up against the web site rule that says that you must use a credit card issued in EITHER the UK/USA OR the country of departure.
If you happen to have a card issued in UK/USA/HK, then it's "happy days" as Jamie Oliver would say. Otherwise, not.
What I wound up doing, was buying a RTW ticket (LH/NZ biz class) from an agent in AKL via phone, email and finally electronic transfer of funds. The trans-tasman sectors to/from AKL ... one-way paid, the other using NZ airpoints. Very significant savings, what with the current A$/NZ$ differentials, and way more than enough to justrify the extra flying (not to mention experiencing approx. 5.5 hrs of extra NZ service .
Ansett767 From Australia, joined May 1999, 982 posts, RR: 2 Reply 14, posted (2 months 4 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 678 times:
Quoting Lufthansa (Reply 10):
Failing that, for about $4000 AA offers business class tickets from HNL to LAX - LHR, which you could connect up with a Qantas flight, for about $1000 athought it isn't business all the way. That drops to about $3600 if you're prepared to just do business from LAX-LHR. (need to stay a week and advance purchase)
Thats a wicked deal but it apeears 6000+ for March
Quoting Airbear (Reply 13):
If you happen to have a card issued in UK/USA/HK, then it's "happy days" as Jamie Oliver would say. Otherwise, not.
I do, which is great
Just hope I can get someone to confirm that I can checkin for both in SYD and check bags thru or I wont make it. Or ring VS and get them to match the fare was was suggested too.....
Lufthansa From Christmas Island, joined May 1999, 1856 posts, RR: 6 Reply 15, posted (2 months 4 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 671 times:
Quoting Ansett767 (Reply 14): Thats a wicked deal but it apeears 6000+ for March
to early to book for march!
I just tried it departing LAX on nov 4 and returning on nov 11, and all up, INC tax (it's so much nicer when you actually get the real price!) it is going for $3686.
So you just need to get a good transpacific deal. AA's business class..while not the best in the world, is certainly miles and streets ahead of any premium economy. The seat is similar to Lufthansas, the food is gonna be a lot better then BA's premium economy and you get AVOD and all that... doesn't sound like a bad deal to me.
Just had a thought. Have you got enough frequent flyer points to upgrade? If you purchased a Qantas economy ticket to HNL and upgraded it.. then just rought it in enconomy on AA between HNL and LAX, for a bit over 4600 you could probably go in business class just about all the way.?
Ditto for the direct flight to LAX though i believe u'd need to add a few hundred extra bucks on and upgrading is gonna be harder on those flights.
Ansett767 From Australia, joined May 1999, 982 posts, RR: 2 Reply 16, posted (2 months 4 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 666 times:
Quoting Lufthansa (Reply 15): Just had a thought. Have you got enough frequent flyer points to upgrade? If you purchased a Qantas economy ticket to HNL and upgraded it.. then just rought it in enconomy on AA between HNL and LAX, for a bit over 4600 you could probably go in business class just about all the way.?
Nice idea. Had thought about doing a similar thing on the AF deal you suggested which I found last week.. about $5400 all up incl Y to SIN and J onwards. Ill do an upgrade request on QF then. Problem is there is so little availability on this, for march even I think like 3 of the 7 days of the week were 2500 each way, with some days starting at 7000!!!!
Thanks for your help!
I am also still thinking about doing VS on 2 sep tix and breaking the journet on the way back. It's just the way there using 2 sep tix that Im worried about getting to
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