VS to SQ?

I have some friends who are booked in PE LHR - SYD via HKG with a 2 day layover in HKG.

They'd like to stay in the UK for a couple more days and have phoned VS to try and move their outbound LHR-HKG but there are no seats available.

They want to try to transfer to the SQ codeshares (VS7319 and VS7321) and downgrade to Economy.

The CSA's are saying it can't be done. Can it?

PS booking class is K

[Neil]

I think what they are saying seems pretty standard. You are booked on a VS flight, in a fare code that is very restricted in terms of changes/cancellations and you are asking to effectively cancel the flight and rebook a whole new ticket. I know SQ are a partner airline but that is all, it is still a whole new booking with them.

Well I am a firm believer that anything is possible, and this can be done but not without massive costs.

As Neil says, the ticket is heavily restricted in terms of changes and unfortunately VS would view this as a cancellation and rebooking.

Is it worth it for the extra couple of days in the UK? I'd say have the two days in Hong Kong... so much to see and do, and if they have done it all before, hop on the ferry over to Macau, def easy to kill a few days there 8D

I don't understand why but PE to HKG is sold out for weeks ahead. I have also been struggling to get seats.
The fact that your friends are holding the cheapest of the PE tickets means that only if that fare class is available will they be able to have a seat so there may be other PE seats available but they will not be allowed to book them.
Even the full fare W seats are sold out for the next few weeks.

Options are : use the K ticket later (within 12 months) and buy a new ticket on SQ. If you buy a one way that will probably be a full fare ticket. However, you could buy a roundtrip on SQ which would work out cheaper than a one way, then use the VS K ticket to go with the other half of the SQ ticket.
But I can't see that staying in the cold and wet has such an attraction ?

Thanks all for your comments - very helpful as always

I don't understand why but PE to HKG is sold out for weeks ahead. I have also been struggling to get seats.
The fact that your friends are holding the cheapest of the PE tickets means that only if that fare class is available will they be able to have a seat so there may be other PE seats available but they will not be allowed to book them.
Even the full fare W seats are sold out for the next few weeks.

I have a feeling that PE is sold out because of the fast approaching Summer Holiday season for schools.

Options are : use the K ticket later (within 12 months) and buy a new ticket on SQ. If you buy a one way that will probably be a full fare ticket. However, you could buy a roundtrip on SQ which would work out cheaper than a one way, then use the VS K ticket to go with the other half of the SQ ticket.

Just to weigh in on this option, date changes are usually acceptable with K class fares, but you will need to select the date at the time you call VS and you will also be liable for any change in fare costs.... they could get quite pricy if there is low availability and you would not wish to do this more than once.

There is also the admin fee per ticket to consider and as this is the first leg of the trip, it would be affecting the entire booking - all 4 segments from LHR - SYD and back again ii)

It sounds like you are suggesting nesting fares across airlines..... a tricky thing to balance out and definitely not the cheapest option to pull out of the hat for only 2 days. Plus when you miss the outbound VS flight from LHR - HKG, that entire booking is cancelled. Would lose all the VS flights then

Def better (and a lot less hassle) to head on over to HKG for those two days 8D

There is also the admin fee per ticket to consider and as this is the first leg of the trip, it would be affecting the entire booking - all 4 segments from LHR - SYD and back again ii)

It sounds like you are suggesting nesting fares across airlines..... a tricky thing to balance out and definitely not the cheapest option to pull out of the hat for only 2 days. Plus when you miss the outbound VS flight from LHR - HKG, that entire booking is cancelled. Would lose all the VS flights then

I think the OP is talking about a return leg(s), because the OP says 'stay' in the UK for a couple more days. To me, that language suggests they are visitors here. (I know the OP later says 'outbound', but I think that may just be a slip.)

In which case, with a K ticket, you are going to be in difficulty trying to change, as this will reprice to a W (I think), and if there are no Ws available on the flight through to HKG that connects with the original booking to SYD, then I don't think it will be possible, without incurring even higher costs of switching both legs to days when availability is there.

I think the OP is talking about a return leg(s), because the OP says 'stay' in the UK for a couple more days. To me, that language suggests they are visitors here. (I know the OP later says 'outbound', but I think that may just be a slip.)

Hmm, hadn't noticed that. I took 'outbound' to mean that they were coming back ) My mistake if not.

Doesn't change my recommendation to take the 2 days in HKG, although apologies to JCBR as fare nesting would be possible if they wanted to come back to the UK at some point in the next year.