Airport Upgrades and Miles?

After a 5 year hiatus from Virgin after 2 very distressing experiences with VA ground staff. I might have been quick to judge them as in hindsight both times were in Lagos and well... Lagos might as well be on Mars!

I had a really nice flight with them back from SFO in June and decided go back to the fold for my regular LHR-BOM hop for work.

On the way home from SFO, as I was traveling back alone I upgraded to PE at the airport for $419 (Q-K). I booked my trip to Mumbai in 2 weeks with Virgin today and decided to add my miles from June.

I thought I might get some miles for my previous E-PE upgrade but the lady at the flying club said no. Not too sure if she understood my request as she was very abrupt.

As I usually feel like death returning home from BOM (LOVE indian food but always makes me sick) I was thinking about upgrading from PE to UC. Its at the moment £705 but was going to chance it at the airport and let fate decide.

Is it the same for UC upgrades at airport? will I not be able to claim miles back? Do I even get miles if I hit the upgrade button on account?

Thanks

From what I understand in regards to your June trip you upgraded using cash and not miles... perhaps this is where the VS rep got confused. You will earn miles and TP for the paid PE fare (K) - call them back

Same thing with cash upgrades into UC - you will get both miles and TPs.

if you do an upgrade at the airport, my experience is the va system will not credit you with the miles for the original paid booking

you need to phone flying club after the flight and ask them to do it

Thanks Joey!

It was a cash upgrade in June and I think she thought I wanted to use my miles to upgrade (K Fare so I know thats not going to happen!). Rep sounded like she was having a bad day as said 'NO' before I even finished.

That is one thing I did like about virgin is their honesty. VA staff don't hide their emotions!.... I quite respect that!

....after calling them back it seems that you can't actually claim back miles for airport cash upgrade. :'( The only way you can claim points for an upgrade is if I call them up 2 days before my flight.

Apparently upgrades at airports are called 'Exclusive Upgrades' and you don't get anymore than the base miles for the original class :'( seems a bit mean as I thought I would at least get the value of the upgrade in miles!

...Mind this was based on the Rep's own guess as the Flying Club system was down!

....after calling them back it seems that you can't actually claim back miles for airport cash upgrade. :'( The only way you can claim points for an upgrade is if I call them up 2 days before my flight.

Apparently upgrades at airports are called 'Exclusive Upgrades' and you don't get anymore than the base miles for the original class :'( seems a bit mean as I thought I would at least get the value of the upgrade in miles!

...Mind this was based on the Rep's own guess as the Flying Club system was down!

Mmm not sure this is correct , maybe someone with more knowledge can advise but I do know that when I upgraded in jan at JFK with cash I phoned flying club up when I only got miles and TPs for the PE fare , they said if I emailed them my boarding passes they would sort it out but being the lazy so and so I am I never bothered v(

Thanks, it might make sense they offer miles from E/PE to Upper as a huge incentive to turbo-boast your miles. They'd need it as you'd miss out on quite a few benefits by the time its actually your turn at the E counter to ug.

Even BA told me twice that I could claim full miles on a CW upgrade also at JFK...didn't bother either

But I've recently watched 'Up In the Air' (2009) with Clooney (wow) and realised I've been a fool being a carrier 'slut'. Yep ashamed to say I've 'slept' with everything flying in the sky and only have a shoebox of blue cards to show for my 'infightdelity'!

Time for me to settle down, pick one lady of the sky and... [awful series of puns kindly omitted by poster]

....after calling them back it seems that you can't actually claim back miles for airport cash upgrade. :'( The only way you can claim points for an upgrade is if I call them up 2 days before my flight.

Unfortunately they are technically correct as per clause 3.1.5 of the FC terms and conditions.

3.1.5 Miles and Tier Points will be issued only for flights actually flown by you and will be based on the class of ticket you have paid for and will not reflect any complimentary or Reward upgrades. Miles and Tier Points will only be credited once travel has been completed, not at time of booking. Miles cannot be earned on any free or reduced rate tickets including, without limitation, reward travel, upgraded reward travel including upgrades purchased at the airport and Plusgrade, travel agent or industry discounts, Charter flights operated by VAA, Vex Courier, Miles Plus Money, child or infant and complimentary tickets. Travel on codeshare flights and partner airlines will not qualify for Miles More Friends bonus Miles.

It does say "Miles cannot be earned on any free or reduced rate tickets..." - no mention of loss of TPs for travelled class TPs are the things you are looking to stockpile to gain status with an airline.

This being said I have never had a problem in calling them up, stating that I flew in PE/UC and only received ECO/PE miles after paying a cash upgrade. They ask for the boarding passes, double check the new fare code you were booked into and credit the account with the missing miles/TPs - granted they don't have to, but in the name of good CS and maintaining customer loyalty they have done so for me in the past.

Apparently upgrades at airports are called 'Exclusive Upgrades'

I have been flying with VS for a fair few years and have never heard the term 'Exclusive Upgrades' used to describe cash upgrades at the airport before.... no idea if that was a guess or not, but I'd say keep pushing for them. As you say it is only fair given the amount that you ultimately paid at the airport would likely be to equal or more value than the tickets were initially offered for sale at.

Time for me to settle down, pick one lady of the sky and... [awful series of puns kindly omitted by poster]

Ha ha, brilliant. VS are a pretty solid choice in my book if they fly to where you need to go - not that you were likely to get much of an argument from this forum

Thanks!

I was really hoping for at least an extra tier point from my upgrade so I can get to Silver on my next flight in 2 weeks.

I've always had the worse luck dealing with Virgin on the phone. I was once left behind in Lagos for a computer glitch at checkin. Said I had to pay an extra $250 to fly at checkin (which was completely false!). Even if I wanted to Multala Mohammad Airport had no working ATMs at the time. I had no way to even pay it to claim it back on my return. They would't even let me fly back to LHR to sort it out there.

As there were no working phones in the Virgin office that could call london I had to call them on behalf of the ground staff. 3 Hours and a £1,500 phone bill later the flight left without me. I'm a super-chilled guy but 4 weeks in Lagos got to me and I mutated into Steve Martin from Plains, Trains & Automobiles. In a horrid rage I swore at the Airline, the counter staff, the Country and even my hero (sorry Sir Richard!). I out of disgust I purchased a ticket home with BA which left in 11 hours.

I did give a big hug the poor check-in lady several hours later as I felt so awful for my unforgivable behaviour.

Virgin paid my phone bill but that my last fight with them.... until this year.

Just FYI - shouldn't have any problem getting a UC upgrade on day - it's not often overbooked from what I've seen.

That said op-ups from PE to UC seem to be the common at mo Mumbai -> LHR from the grapevine at work (we have 6 people flying weekly in PE, who share this). PE is frequently overbooked (likely due to it entitling you to bypass the economy lines at BOM). It is my only ever op-up, and I was amongst a reasonable amount getting that treatment - around 5 people I saw on one flight. Since my flight in Aug I know around 30% of my work colleagues have had op-up's - which is a very high percentage.

Just FYI - shouldn't have any problem getting a UC upgrade on day - it's not often overbooked from what I've seen.

That said op-ups from PE to UC seem to be the common at mo Mumbai -> LHR from the grapevine at work (we have 6 people flying weekly in PE, who share this). PE is frequently overbooked (likely due to it entitling you to bypass the economy lines at BOM). It is my only ever op-up, and I was amongst a reasonable amount getting that treatment - around 5 people I saw on one flight. Since my flight in Aug I know around 30% of my work colleagues have had op-up's - which is a very high percentage.

Thanks Starquake! Tuesday the FC website said it was an additional +£1410 return upgrade from K. Last night in line with BA's sale, upgrade plummeted to just +£863 return from K. Snapped it up and didn't look back but will upgrade at the airport in future thanks to your tip!