Velocity business redemption Etihad and SingaporeAir

Hi

Travelling to Europe this time next year for approx 6 weeks. Looking to use Velocity points for Business reward seats.

As the seats are released approx 329 days in advance, I'd like to book outbound one way when they're released, and the return 6 weeks later when they're released. Is this possible? Don't want to wait for when the return seats are released incase the outbound dates are then unavailable.

In addition to this, if able to book separately one way, can we go out with Etihad and back with Singapore? We're in QLD and would love to go out on A380 from Sydney on Etihad, and back to Brisbane on Singapore.

Thanks in advance

Yes, it's definitely possible (and advisable) to make two bookings so that you don't miss out on available seats. And yes, because you're making two separate bookings you can of course fly on two separate airlines.

Hi Brodica, when a comment is held for moderation, please be patient and don't post the same thing again. Comments requiring approval are approved at the earliest opportunity.

2 suggestions:

1) Depending on your intended European arrival port, try to prioritise Singapore Airlines over Etihad, as Etihad have some pretty ugly (steep) reward seat surcharges, $205USD per sector per passenger for Business Class.

2) If the VA website isn't showing you many SQ reward seats, run the same search on the SQ website - you will most likely get better results. If you can find what you're looking for, convert Velocity into KrisFlyer (transfer is instantaneous) and then book using your new KrisFlyer points. I just recently did for for a Business Class trip to Thailand via Singapore. Would have cost 80,000 Velocity points per passenger each way via the VA website, but poor seat availability. Much better availability on SQ site, converted to KrisFlyer and it only cost slightly more points, the equiv. of ~88,000 Velocity.

To the topic at hand, do keep in mind that as a Brisbane-based flyer, if you're wanting to depart from another Australian city (such as Sydney), the connecting Brisbane-Sydney flight would cost you extra points, as Virgin Australia is on a different reward table to Etihad/SQ, and so it would price 'Brisbane to Sydney' from the VA table and 'Sydney to Europe' from that other table. If you'll already be in Sydney, of course, it's no issue.

Also just as an FYI: Velocity points can be used to book first class on both SQ and Etihad, but this can only be done over the phone (and of course, neither offers first class to Brisbane, so is most relevant for Sydney). Unfortunately the same thing will happen if you split cabins, such as flying first class between Singapore/Abu Dhabi and Europe, and business class between those transit cities and Australia, as each flight gets calculated separately. Realise you were looking for business class, but just highlighting that first class is possible as the Velocity website doesn't go out of its way to promote it. :)

Hi all

I am not sure of the advice by sim86on posted at 12:33:10pm.

sim86on stated that it would have costed 80,000 Velocity points each way from Australia to Bangkok via Singapore on SQ metal, and advised to change Velocity points to Krisflyer and that '~88,000 Velocity points required for conversion.

On SQ platform, Australia to Bangkok via Singapore costs 62,000 Krisflyer points or 96,100 Velocity points, not 88,000.

I have tried on Velocity platform to see the cost of Velocity to go to Bangkok and can only see availability via Hong Kong on Hong Kong Airlines, costing 85,500 Velocity points plus ~$177, very randomly.

All the way to the future August 28, I cannot see any SQ metal availability from Australia to Bangkok via Singapore, so cannot tell the Velocity points required.

Soon

Hi Soon,

To clarify my post, it was to CBR-SIN-HKT (not BKK).

Double checking my KrisFlyer statement, each business class seat (each way) cost 58,000 KrisFlyer points, equivalent to 89,900 Velocity points.

Be careful with Velocity. They display phantom SQ seats that aren't bookable . I have learned the hard way recently . Even if they show seats available you won't get it confirmed - your advised to check availability on KtisFlyer before booking.

If you see reward seats on say KrisFlyer but not on velocity I would call and get the team to check still - I did this recently for a booking I made with velocity points on South African. It took 3 seperate calls to speak to 3 different team members and persistence to say that there were reward seats available on the SAA flights I wanted to and from Perth. Third time lucky I had the velocity agent do some sort of manual confirmation with the partner airline (took a few mins on hold) and they confirmed the seats were available and had my flights booked. I suspect this could be issue with booking for any partner airline. I never rely on velocity website it needs a lot of work to show accurate availability of partner airlines. Interested to know anyone else's experience?

Hi Chris - yes sounds about right - I remember took all details and advise that even that it's showing availability upfront it's still not guaranteed they need to confirm and that's when they do the check with the airline.