V-Flyer

Hello

Does anyone know why you can't book LHR to Durban on Virgin's website? When you go onto Kayak etc you can get Virgin from LHR to JNB then a connecting flight to DUR with a VS flight number.

I've found this with Toronto (YYZ) as well. If you click the 'More Options' button it takes you to the old booking engine which has Durban in the list.

Thanks SlimpyJones!

Found the Durban option but comes back with no flights available :(

Oh dear! Might be worth giving the call centre a try, or give expedia, etc a go?

flashgordon wrote:Hello

Does anyone know why you can't book LHR to Durban on Virgin's website? When you go onto Kayak etc you can get Virgin from LHR to JNB then a connecting flight to DUR with a VS flight number.

VS do a code share with South African Airways. SAA flights aren't bookable on VS website. You probably know that It isn't a direct flight...a connection needs to be made in JNB.
So, whilst you can book a flight LHR-JNB, a separate flight to DUR using either SAA/BA/Comair/Kulua) or Mango needs to be done separately via the relevant web sites.

This is a combo trip that I make 2 or 3 times a year and it works well using VS and SAA .

I use an OLTA for ex EU fares when G rewards aren't available.

Online travel agents have the ability to build your itinerary whereas VS online booking engine takes into account only VS/DL flights.
OLTA's can "build" your itinerary as they have the resources to match flights and allowable connections using flight tools such as ITA matrix.

VS are able to this but only by calling them on the phone....but they will typically quote the highest fare buckets.
You will always find the best pricing for these sort of flights using an OLTA or taking an itinerary produced by ITA Matrix to a travel agent for pricing.

My usual flight itinerary is:

Out
VS 601 LHR-JNB
SA 551 JNB - DUR

Return:

SA 566 DUR-JNB
VS 602 JNB- LHR

(Adding the ex EU flight if required)

Hope that reads correctly and helps explain things.

Paul

Sorry to hijack this thread, but I am doing this exact itinerary in August. We've booked via Expedia and fly LHR-JNB-DBN. The first sector is on VS but the second is on BA (Comair).

I booked via Expedia and have two different PNR's. Does this mean that when I do online check in at T-24 I need to check in on both the VS and BA site, or will I automatically be checked in for the second flight on the VS site?

Many thanks for any help.

Matt

mattyp wrote:Sorry to hijack this thread, but I am doing this exact itinerary in August. We've booked via Expedia and fly LHR-JNB-DBN. The first sector is on VS but the second is on BA (Comair).

I booked via Expedia and have two different PNR's. Does this mean that when I do online check in at T-24 I need to check in on both the VS and BA site, or will I automatically be checked in for the second flight on the VS site?

Many thanks for any help.

Matt

Yes,
As with any different PNR's check in needs to be done for each flight separately.

cooperman wrote:

mattyp wrote:Sorry to hijack this thread, but I am doing this exact itinerary in August. We've booked via Expedia and fly LHR-JNB-DBN. The first sector is on VS but the second is on BA (Comair).

I booked via Expedia and have two different PNR's. Does this mean that when I do online check in at T-24 I need to check in on both the VS and BA site, or will I automatically be checked in for the second flight on the VS site?

Many thanks for any help.

Matt

Yes,
As with any different PNR's check in needs to be done for each flight separately.

I've done this loads of time (as has cooperman) and in JNB it is very easy to transfer. Once you have collected your bags go towards the exit but before you leave the secure area you will see a bank of check-in desks. The first ones are SAA but you will find the Comair ones fighter along. They will take your bags and if you haven't been able to do OLCI, they will also check you in. You will then exit the customs area and follow the signs for the domestic terminal. There will be plenty to point you in the right direction and some will try to escort you. Ignore them and keep going till you reach security at the end of the concourse. After that it's plain sailing - or should I say, plane flying.

BTW the airport code for Durban is DUR -unless they changed it last week!

Many thanks for that HL. I'm guessing that because we're on two different PNR's it's not possible to check our bags through to DUR when we check in at LHR?

mattyp wrote:Many thanks for that HL. I'm guessing that because we're on two different PNR's it's not possible to check our bags through to DUR when we check in at LHR?

No.
You will have to collect your bags anyway to clear customs. This is regardless of whether you are on 1 PNR or 2.

Its easy peasy though.

As HL says, get your bags off the belt and clear customs.
Proceed towards the exit and look left...bag re-check desks are there waiting for you...saves lugigng your bags up the escaltors/lifts to the normal check in desks.

Not sure which cabin you are in but, if you're not in UC or PE..get power walking to immigration..it can be a bit busy if you follow the Lufthansa A380 in from Frankfurt...or maybe you've got a good connection wait time

Paul

Thanks for the tips Paul.

We're flying in Y and have a 2hr 35 layover so bar another A380 turning up at the same time I'm hoping it'll be a fairly leisurely connection. We had a 55 min connection when travelling through DXB with EK last year - If we weren't reasonably fit I don't think we'd have made it!

We're spending a couple of weeks travelling the Garden Route from Durban down to Cape Town. With it being August I'm a little nervous about the weather but hey ho, if it rains we'll just have to find somewhere to drink some wine!

mattyp wrote:Thanks for the tips Paul.

We're flying in Y and have a 2hr 35 layover so bar another A380 turning up at the same time I'm hoping it'll be a fairly leisurely connection. We had a 55 min connection when travelling through DXB with EK last year - If we weren't reasonably fit I don't think we'd have made it!

We're spending a couple of weeks travelling the Garden Route from Durban down to Cape Town. With it being August I'm a little nervous about the weather but hey ho, if it rains we'll just have to find somewhere to drink some wine!

We'll be there in August too, but are heading north from Durban before flying back into Cape Town. Using EK ex LGW as the VS prices were eye watering when we booked and we are funding four in J; our connection in DXB is rather more relaxed than 55 minsutes.

@ matty p and pjh.

The weather in August will still be warm ... but the locals will be wearing jackets/sweaters.
Expect around 20 to 23 during the day, (Durban area) down to 16 in the evening.
It won't be rainy season, that's October/November, just before Summer starts.
Although my garden in Margate needs rain, as does the whole of S.A .... a real drought period over the last year.
CPT will be a bit cooler overall.

I'm off to S. A myself in August... house maintenance whilst it's cooler... what dates are you going?

Paul

mattyp wrote:
We're flying in Y and have a 2hr 35 layover so bar another A380 turning up at the same time I'm hoping it'll be a fairly leisurely connection.

You should be OK. The nice thing about JNB is that at Immigration there is someone manning the queue and sending you to the shortest line instead of trying to guess which one will move fastest.

I don't know if this is happening in JNB or whether it was because I was coming in from DXB, but they are currently screening for Ebola. We had to fill in a form which was collected after Immigration in DUR and our temperatures were taken!

We had a 55 min connection when travelling through DXB with EK last year - If we weren't reasonably fit I don't think we'd have made it!

I had a 1.5 hour transfer in DXB with EK a couple of years ago and missed my connection.

We're spending a couple of weeks travelling the Garden Route from Durban down to Cape Town. With it being August I'm a little nervous about the weather but hey ho, if it rains we'll just have to find somewhere to drink some wine!

We did the Garden Route a couple of years ago having started at Port Elizabeth. It poured down!

cooperman wrote:@ matty p and pjh.

The weather in August will still be warm ... but the locals will be wearing jackets/sweaters.
Expect around 20 to 23 during the day, (Durban area) down to 16 in the evening.
It won't be rainy season, that's October/November, just before Summer starts.
Although my garden in Margate needs rain, as does the whole of S.A .... a real drought period over the last year.
CPT will be a bit cooler overall.

I'm off to S. A myself in August... house maintenance whilst it's cooler... what dates are you going?

Paul

We're there the first two weeks in August. A couple of days around Durban (MrsPJH's place of birth), then the Battlefields, a few days safari and then back to CPT. Too many days on the road just spent getting from place to place, but there you are...a rookie error.

We fly out on August 6th. A couple of days in Durban and then heading south over the course of the two weeks. Two days hiking in Drakensberg, a safari and a few national parks. I'm also sure we'll stumble across a winery or two! We've planned 3-4 days in Cape Town at the end.

We did an organised tour from Nairobi to Victoria Falls a couple of years ago and I'd say it still ranks as my favourite ever trip. Trekking to see the gorillas in Rwanda was just amazing. We'd love to have carried on down but that little inconvenient called 'work' stopped us.