Virgin Atlantic miles scheme - is there one?

But don't forget Virgin miles needn't expire - even if you just buy 1000 miles (£30) every 3 years you can keep them - or buy a case of wine from Virgin wines - or lots of other things

Peter

Right, just realized I have 30,000 + miles with BA. Gave them a call (as recommended) and have managed to get a business class return to the US!

This is one respect in which the BA Exec Club rules currently offer a good deal -- the 25k to MFU from any WTP fare to Club World on US routes is very attractive, in my opinion.

However, the VS scheme has its advantages... double-cabin miles upgrades, for example.

Is the underlying issue here, that the VS flying club Ts&Cs plus rules, buckets etc etc are very complicated? Perhaps, too complicated?

If you know all the ins and outs, there's good rewards to be had, usually, but I doubt there's many who know how to actually get them - unless they read V-Flyer, of course:D

BA, for example, are a little more accessible in this regard...

Perhaps it's just the nature of the beast, a rewards scheme just "is" complicated?

But don't forget Virgin miles needn't expire - even if you just buy 1000 miles (£30) every 3 years you can keep them - or buy a case of wine from Virgin wines - or lots of other things

Peter

Yes Peter but the OP is talking about walking away from VS - and anything Virgin branded - completly.

I suggested transferring them to HH was a way of him at least getting some benefit to them rather than loosing them completly.

But don't forget Virgin miles needn't expire - even if you just buy 1000 miles (£30) every 3 years you can keep them - or buy a case of wine from Virgin wines - or lots of other things

Peter

I hadn't realised that - knew they remained live if you booked a flight within certain time frame though. Another piece of useful knowledge gleaned, thanks Pete!

Again many thanks for taking the time to help out here everyone,

Peter, sounds like you have every reason to be happy with Virgin miles having saved 50k! I'd be quite ecstatic myself -)

However as I mentioned above, I don't have the flexibility to book when the airline has availability but rather when I need to be there. Over the past 18-months Virgin has not been able to book a single trip using miles (for upgrades only, I always pay the required min fare - 5 business flights + 1 family holiday to California) yet the first time I called BA they sorted me out. This is the reason for my gripe.

I didn't mention this previously but I have/had a Sliver card with Virgin which I was hoping would offer me some benefit/preference but instead I received a letter telling me that I hadn't booked enough flights and had lost this 'privilege'. I contacted Virgin first on all of the past 6 and for this flight and they could not offer me the miles upgrades so I booked with BA (hence the 30k BA miles I accumulated0. So I think it's fair to say that the reason I didn't retain the Silver card is down to Virgin not being able to supply the goods.

Concorde RIP, I agree, the rules and regulations are not that clear and no-one had explained this to me until I joined this fantastic forum. The way it was pitched is that I could upgrade using my miles for the regular business trips I need to make and that this was a painless process.I would suggest that they pitch it more honestly as lesser mortals such as myself feel 'taken in'.

I wonder how big a party I can throw with 150,000 miles spent on wine!? -)

[Neil]

I didn't mention this previously but I have/had a Sliver card with Virgin which I was hoping would offer me some benefit/preference but instead I received a letter telling me that I hadn't booked enough flights and had lost this 'privilege'.

That seems very strange. On the basic economy fare you earn 2 TP's per leg, so 4TP for a round trip, so your 6 flights would equate to 24TP's for the year. You only need 15TP's to earn/retain Silver FC status.

Unfortunately because Silver is so easy to obtain the benefits are very minimal, and you really need to get to Gold (40TP's) before the benefits kick in more, but even then it doesn't affect the availability of reward seats.

Hi, Sorry for the late response, only just seen this thread. I have also had problems trying to book Virgin reward seats. It makes me mad when you spend a lot of money with Virgin building up these points only to find that their reward scheme does not deliver. I have tried on numerous occasions to book reward seats and, each time, the seats are available but they won't allow you to book them as a reward seat. Now, I can see them doing this with school holidays and prime time but the times I've searched for have all been off-peak and different days of the week, even as far as 11 months in advance, still no joy. I am seriously considering boycotting Virgin over it.

[Nottingham Nick]

Welcome to V-Flyer xMAZx.

Can you be more specific - what routes are you trying for? What times of the year? Which class?

The availability of reward seats and their release dates has been debated on here numerous times, and is obviously a very important topic to those of us who collect miles.

The VS system has changed recently - it used to be that the best time to book reward seats was at the 11 month window, as soon as they were released, but now is it far more random - apparently a lot of seats are now released close to travel dates.

Sharing specific experiences (good and bad) helps others planning on redeeming their hard earned points.

Nick

Hi, Most of my searches have been for flights from London to Las Vegas or London to Florida and the dates I've wanted have never been in school holidays or what I would class as peak times. I always know the exact dates a year in advance so its not a problem with availability of seats. For instance, my latest search is to Vegas for September 30th, 2012 returning on Oct. 7th. Seats will be available online tomorrow and I know there will be seats available at full price but there will not be any reward seats. If I transfer my husbands points to my VFF account, I will have enough points for a reward flight but I will have to pay £140 to transfer them and I know I won't be able to get my reward seat anyway. I just think that if you've got enough points, and the seats are available, you should be able to get a reward seat.

[Nottingham Nick]

I like your idea of all seats being available for points redemptions, but it isn't that simple on any airline.

The simple fact is that the release of seats for reward redemptions is a balancing act by Revenue Management. They won't release lots of seats that they know people will pay top prices for - ie holiday destinations during school holidays. Also, I assume you have been looking to redeem in Upper and the flights Vegas and Florida have at most 14 suites and the A330s have none, so the same rule of selling for top prices applies.

If you really want to go to Florida, one well used solution is to book a points flight to New York / Boston and then get a cheap JetBlue (or similar) fight down to MCO / FLL or wherever you want to be. For Vegas look at going via SFO or LAX.

We can discuss the fairness of the system till the cows come home, but the fact is that all airlines run a similar system - their perfect scenario is to keep customers loyal by releasing reward seats on 'off peak' flights that wouldn't be full anyway.


Nick

Gotta have some sympathy though, despite my miles balance showing there are ways of using them, it is difficult for some people, especially since VS has gotten so erratic about releasing redemption seats. If VS got its act together, people wouldn't complain so much ...

[Nottingham Nick]

Totally agree slinky.. y) y)

I have yet to try and redeem with the new system, already I am not looking forward to it. v( I also think that golds should get preference for availability, but that is another debate entirely. 8D

I liked the old system, but VS seem to have adopted the public service maxim of "if it ain't broke - fix it until it is" ?|

Nick

My experience is this

I booked a G for the VS10 on 2nd November on Monday 17th October - so 2 and a bit weeks in advance. It was the only flight available NYC-LHR that date though when I actually booked but there were other flighs available when I was doign research.

So like M+M fares - the system works for some people but not others.

Hi, I am a new member and I felt compelled to reply. I have been flying London to LA with virgin the last few months for work. Work normally pay the ticket, but like the other fellow I cannot upgrade to premium economy using my own points.
The reason I am given is that my ticket is a class O ticket. Each time I book a flight, I am basically ONLY offered an O class ticket or a full priced ticket - there seems to be nothing in between. These tickets are of course, relatively cheap at around £450-£500, but to get a different class of economy ticket costs £1860 !!!! (So think about this people, you can buy a ticket for £450 and not updgrade, or you can buy a ticket for £1860 and they will be so kind to let you upgrade, how nice of these people). Virgin are in a no lose situation here, whilst I, dazzled by their promotion of miles is feelig a right sucker.

My company will not approve the purchase of an economy class ticket at £1860, so I am basically stuck in economy class forever.

OK some of you may come on line and tell me I dont know what Im saying, or point to a clause or condition or a revenue related reason - but I kind of dont care less - I feel cheated by the whole program - whenever I got one of their stale microwaved cheese sandwiches or boiled lollies, I kept telling myself that it's worth the pain now, as you can upgrade later.... Upgrade my a**!