Changes to VS Booking Classes

[Bazz]

From 24th August VS will start making some changes to the cabin booking classes.

Initially "R" class will be renamed to "I" class in UC. It will still come with the complimentary chauffeur driven car.

After this initial change there will be further classes introduced, no further information yet on what these changes may be or which cabins will be affected.

When I get more info I will post or anyone with greater knowledge on this matter is welcome to chip in.

[Neil]

Thanks for the info Barry, just out of interest, where did you get this from?

Not quite sure why the need more fare codes to be introduced, especially when there is very little difference in a lot of the codes currently.

I guess this will only add further confusion to your casual traveller, and mean more work for us trying to keep the fare code section up to date ii)

[Bazz]

@Neil, travel trade was from an email from VAA.

[mitchja]

Just received the same email.

I wonder what's behind all this?

Top tip from me, VS about to enter the Skyteam Alliance.

Can't see who else uses the I booking class in business ... :w

[Neil]

Top tip from me, VS about to enter the Skyteam Alliance.

Can't see who else uses the I booking class in business ... :w

Ah good point y)

At the end of June Swiss did a mass change of booking classes as part of its rationalising buckets and matching them to other *A members.

My 'C' became a 'Z' though the benefits e.g. miles stayed the same as originally it was just that Swiss had C as the lowest Business Bucket.

Guess it was causing confusion...

what are the current classes within UC? All my business bookings are done via Amex using an online system, & i know we have preferential rates with VS. My latest trip to MIA only earned me 5 tier points instead of 6 as it was a 'discounted' business class, whereas my trip to EWR in June earned the usual 6 points. I do get the Tristar chauffeur now but a couple of years ago we were booking at a rate which didn't include this yet i'm still booking in UC?

If VS joins SkyTeam or similar alliance how does it affect airmiles or FC status? Is everything harmonised across all the participating airlines? Can we use all of their lounges, earn the same miles and tier points etc....

Partner airmiles earnt are not very lucrative right now so I'm hoping for an improvement with that.

[honey lamb]

Current UC booking classes are J, D, R and Z.

All except Z offer the CDC

You now get 6 tier points in J and D, 5 in R and Z

[Bazz]

just read your tag line HL are you referring to the A380?

[Neil]

what are the current classes within UC? All my business bookings are done via Amex using an online system, & i know we have preferential rates with VS. My latest trip to MIA only earned me 5 tier points instead of 6 as it was a 'discounted' business class, whereas my trip to EWR in June earned the usual 6 points. I do get the Tristar chauffeur now but a couple of years ago we were booking at a rate which didn't include this yet i'm still booking in UC?

Have a look at the fare codes section on here. It details all the info regarding each fare code (just note that the Z fare code is slightly wrong, you earn 5 TP's on a Z not 4 as it currently states)

[honey lamb]

just read your tag line HL are you referring to the A380?

Yup!

I used to buy an 'I' fare on CX which was business.

I used to buy an 'I' fare on CX which was business.

I may be wrong, but I can see that OneWorld airlines use I, *A airlines don't use I, and Skyteam airlines do use I.

The possibility of joining OneWorld, unless VS has been sold to BA, seems less likely than the other two ...

That would fit in with sky team as I have booked to fly to CDG with AF again next April and am on an R class in the cheap seats at the back.
Don't think an alliance would see the same code on one airlines upper class product being used as another members discounted economy.

what are the current classes within UC? All my business bookings are done via Amex using an online system, & i know we have preferential rates with VS. My latest trip to MIA only earned me 5 tier points instead of 6 as it was a 'discounted' business class, whereas my trip to EWR in June earned the usual 6 points. I do get the Tristar chauffeur now but a couple of years ago we were booking at a rate which didn't include this yet i'm still booking in UC?

Didn't the TPs only go up from 5 to 6 from June 2011 (except for Z where it stayed ay 5) as part of the changes to the number of TPs needed to renew?

Current UC booking classes are J, D, R and Z.

and G for redemptions |:)

Yep, I are the cheap biz seats on OW and ST, while Z is the equivalent on *A. J, C, D and I are, IIRC, the biz buckets for ST (some use S too?) as well as several OW from what I could tell on the AA site. *A uses Z for cheap biz fares. So you'd have to think they wouldn't be going through the trouble of adding I if they were going to do business with *A.

I booked a flight yesterday on CO and it shows as 'I' class

(LHR-EWR in biz)

I booked a flight yesterday on CO and it shows as 'I' class

(LHR-EWR in biz)

IIRC continental are now perating as/with United and are now members of star alliance

[mcmbenjamin]

I booked a flight yesterday on CO and it shows as 'I' class

(LHR-EWR in biz)

Fair point. CO was SkyTeam and changed to Star. Perhaps CO did not want to change as the merger with UA was on the horizon and did not want to add to the confusion pool?

I check ed the price for a flight with TG today and guess what ? that showed up in 'I' class as well.

CO and TG are both *A. Is this telling us something ?

[Darren Wheeler]

Of course we could just be reading too much into this and it's only a realignment of the code.

Has Dan Brown been seen anywhere near VS ?!?