Forums › Frequent flyer programs › Virgin Flying Club › KLM/Air France availability – gone again
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It’s very disappointing after a previous long wait to finally get SkyTeam partners KL and AF availability through the Virgin site last month, only for it to disappear again in the last week or so. Does anyone know why this seems to be an ongoing issue or when it might be resolved? I specifically bought extra points in the last Virgin offer recently, with a view to making a KL or AF booking. Issue doesn’t seem to be getting much of a mention, anywhere.
Even if availability was showing online, was it possible to complete the purchase or not as usual?
I can’t even get anything to price on the best of days.
“Sorry, not available” – without telling me when flights are actually available.
Then if I search using the reward flight finder tool, the Virgin website gives me a limited range of airlines, with a choice of three airports and two destinations to choose from, and then with that limited range, it gives me dates and says ‘OK, off you go” without any connected way of booking the flights I have just found.
I find booking award flights via Virgin very cumbersome.
Even if availability was showing online, was it possible to complete the purchase or not as usual?
I can’t say for sure, BWS, as I’d been checking availability for a few weeks without any problem, before I was in a position to go ahead and book – so I hadn’t progressed beyond that point. It was when I was ready to book that I discovered availability was no longer showing.
Now even the call centre can’t see any availability (trying to book EDI-GDN and told there isn’t any availability in any month next year – even though there was plenty of availability when the online system was temporarily working a month ago).
I’m wondering if the lack of availability is down to the bigger shakeup. There were some real partner sweet spots. I was previously seeing economy availability in February for o/w DUB to ZNZ (Zanzibar) via AMS on KL for 12,000 points plus about €120. The same itinerary on Flying Blue is 25,000 and weirdly 40,000 if you fly direct AMS-ZNZ. Availability is showing on Kenya via AMS and NBO but for 31,000 + over €200. Hardly worth it when I can get a return cash fare for the same routing for under £500.
Something is up. It seems there’s no inventory loaded into the system?
I’ve phoned a couple of times and tried various random routes at off peak dates and there is nothing. When I ask why there is no availability, I’m told ‘it must be sold out’ which is clearly nonsense as there was loads of availability when the system was working only a couple of weeks ago. Either the fault that was fixed in mid August has returned or availability has been deliberately withdrawn and the call centre staff haven’t been told.
The way I did it when I booked (about 10 months ago now) was to look at points flights on the AF/KLM website, and find out which days had the lowest points requirements. There is massive variation with the dynamic pricing. I picked the dates with lowest points requirements (low demand) and plugged them into Virgin and it seemed to find availability. Not tried it recently, so not sure if this would be a solution.
The way I did it when I booked (about 10 months ago now) was to look at points flights on the AF/KLM website, and find out which days had the lowest points requirements. There is massive variation with the dynamic pricing. I picked the dates with lowest points requirements (low demand) and plugged them into Virgin and it seemed to find availability. Not tried it recently, so not sure if this would be a solution.
AFKAE – thanks for the suggestion but you can pick any date or route and still nothing is showing. This happened overnight a couple of weeks ago. It had been fine for a few weeks up until that. But of course this is the same situation that before August has lasted for months.
Call me a cynic but it’s very coincidental this stops working again roughly the same time they announce changes to FC. Almost akin to stopping a run on the bank with people trying to burn their miles elsewhere to get some good value. I suspect that the only thing that has been burnt are us members who’ve they’ve decided all virgin points should no longer get good value per point and want to cap it at around 0.5p on most redemptions.
Interestingly I can see a long haul reward seat available, whether it’s bookable is a different question
Interestingly I can see a long haul reward seat available, whether it’s bookable is a different question
On KL or AF? What route?
I’d search on another Sky Team partner (eg Korean Air) and if award availability is showing there, but not on Virgin’s site. If so, it’s strong evidence that there is a problem with Virgin which might warrant a complaint.
Otherwise the availability might be gone due to AF/KLM not actually releasing anything to partners at the moment.
KLM availability is showing on Delta’s website. Clearly, there is an issue with VS.
On KL or AF? What route?
Was AF going east to Asia
It’s now working again!
Thanks for the heads up! Got my flight to Zanzibar booked!
Some good Vietnam Airlines availability too – anyone tried their J product?
It’s now working again!
Thanks for the heads up! Got my flight to Zanzibar booked!
Which airline did you book with for Zanzibar? I have a number of Virgin miles to use up and have been considering there next year, perhaps combined with a safari trip. How many miles was a return flight? Would be interested in a trip report on your return.
Which airline did you book with for Zanzibar? I have a number of Virgin miles to use up and have been considering there next year, perhaps combined with a safari trip. How many miles was a return flight? Would be interested in a trip report on your return.
I just had a look, this is a really good sweet spot imo of virgin points for a 9 hour flight from CDG.
It’s now working again!
Thanks for the heads up! Got my flight to Zanzibar booked!
Which airline did you book with for Zanzibar? I have a number of Virgin miles to use up and have been considering there next year, perhaps combined with a safari trip. How many miles was a return flight? Would be interested in a trip report on your return.
Hi Paul. My search/booking was DUB-ZNZ in Economy. It’s via Amsterdam with a 90 minute layover on 2 February. 12,000 points and €140. I haven’t booked the return yet, as there’s no availability and even on the KLM/Flying Blue site, similar return flights are looking for up to and over 100k points on some dates. There are however cheap one way cash fares from Dar Es Salaam to London for 10/12 days later. Anything from £270 on Kenya or Rwandair, up to £340 on Qatar, and about another 100 quid on Emirates. Latter two have a bit of a layover though, but middle East part to London is on an A380, which I have yet to experience! It costs as little as £30 to fly from ZNZ to DAR, or for extra fun, you can take a ferry 😊
Which airline did you book with for Zanzibar? I have a number of Virgin miles to use up and have been considering there next year, perhaps combined with a safari trip. How many miles was a return flight? Would be interested in a trip report on your return.
I just had a look, this is a really good sweet spot imo of virgin points for a 9 hour flight from CDG.
Definitely a sweet spot, Jess! You’ll understand how upset I was that it disappeared, and how elated I now am to have booked it!! Plus with these awards there should be no extra charge for connecting flights. Not sure what it’s like from UK airports, as I’m departing from Dublin. But seems to me there’s no extra points/charge involved in that. Mine is through AMS but yes, they do I think twice weekly flights from CDG also.
Just watch out, as some flights to ZNZ continue to either DAR or Kilimanjaro I think. So the system can be glitchy with returns for that reason too.
Thanks to all for your contributions 🥰
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