Tax on upgrades

Sorry if this is a duplicate thread, i did a search and couldnt find anything..

yesterday i called virign about booking s class them upgrading to upper - it was like 1900 plus he said about 100 tax but nothing was available.

I tried the trick people post here (checking with a dummy miles fare) and this morning it opened up.

I called back and it was the same 1900 but i was quoted 300 extra tax? does that sound normal? was the other guy wrong?

Thanks

I think it depends what class you are originally booked in as you do not make it clear in your first post.
I do know that if you upgrade say from PE to UC using miles there is an extra tax levy of around £52 / $80. Not sure what it would be say from EC to UC, a lot greater I would say the way taxes seem to work.

Sorry, S class is premium economy.

There is no difference in tax between PE and Upper.

There will be an increase in the Virgin Atlantic imposed Fuel Surcharge (sometimes incorrectly classed as tax by VS employees)

So I got ripped off? sounds like it... should have been more like the $100 the guy said yesterday rather than the $270 i got hit with today?

There is no difference in BRITISH tax between PE & Upper. It may be a different kettle of fish for journeys originating in the US or elsewhere. I would call back and clarify.

There is no difference in BRITISH tax between PE & Upper. It may be a different kettle of fish for journeys originating in the US or elsewhere. I would call back and clarify.

I think Hamster may be spot on here. I get told it's tax but it is the dreaded fuel surcharge.......Cue rants from everyone about how that should have been put to be years ago ): ):

Ill try, i have the agents extension but doesnt seem to offer a chance to input that... anyway i did find some blurb on their site (and i did upgrade both legs of the flight).


TAXES AND CARRIER-IMPOSED FEES STARTING FROM $242.70 WILL APPLY**

Not sure where that figure comes from Skatman.
Just checked my traveling rucksack. I have a receipt from two weeks ago that shows a PE to UC upgrade using miles from an East Coast Airport back to LHR.
The cost was $82.00. This is for one seat, one way.
Pretty sure if you make a call in the agent that answers can transfer you to that extension.

Not sure where that figure comes from Skatman.
Just checked my traveling rucksack. I have a receipt from two weeks ago that shows a PE to UC upgrade using miles from an East Coast Airport back to LHR.
The cost was $82.00. This is for one seat, one way.
Pretty sure if you make a call in the agent that answers can transfer you to that extension.

I paid $245 in May to upgrade 3 H fares to UC plus 30,000 miles from Newark so it looks like $ 82 is the right figure they should be charging

So maybe the prices changed?

If i do premium economy flight the fees are $485 fuel, 350 tax
If i do upper class flight the fees are $828 fuel, 350 tax

So did i just get caught out on the fule surchage?

My flights were 1836 premium economy, and 2198 after the upgrade (that was there and back).

It looks like ive paid $181 for each flight - which is guess isnt a whole lot more than the $82 x 2 you would have paid? $164

Maybe the guy yesterday was quoting me one leg?

Its more than I thought it would be but i guess im stuck now, nothing much i can do.

yesterday i called virign about booking s class them upgrading to upper - it was like 1900 plus he said about 100 tax but nothing was available.

I tried the trick people post here (checking with a dummy miles fare) and this morning it opened up.

I called back and it was the same 1900 but i was quoted 300 extra tax? does that sound normal? was the other guy wrong?

Given you are talking in $ I will hazard a guess you are doing a US originating flight.

It will vary by location but you will be looking at about $80-$100 for a ONE WAY outbound in surcharge diff.. now as you are going from the UK on your way back, that is where you get stung with about $180-$210 in diff taxes/surcharges or whatever they want to call them...

All in all I would say the second agent got it right and the first one got it wrong (although he did say about, indicating uncertainty)

Which route are you travelling?

I paid $245 in May to upgrade 3 H fares to UC plus 30,000 miles from JFK so it looks like $ 82 is the right figure they should be charging

H fares not usually upgradeable... got lucky there Blacky. Got to go for an S or W to do a mileage move from PE to UC usually

Thanks Joey (and to everyone else for their help; im travelling dulles to heathrow for christmas, then back in january.

OP says upgraded both legs of the flight, so how much would the UK-US leg upgrade cost

Thanks Joey (and to everyone else for their help; im travelling dulles to heathrow for christmas, then back in january.

Any time..

By your numbers, at worse it looks like a $19 overcharge.. meh wouldn't bother - I am sure they would justify it somehow ii)

I hope you enjoy London for Christmas and have a top notch flight.

Just as a side thing.. my next post will be my 2000th - do I get a badge/cap/vflyer pin or anorak for this next milestone?

Happy travels all 8D

hah, guess youll have to stop partying like its post 1999

I paid $245 in May to upgrade 3 H fares to UC plus 30,000 miles from JFK so it looks like $ 82 is the right figure they should be charging

H fares not usually upgradeable... got lucky there Blacky. Got to go for an S or W to do a mileage move from PE to UC usually

I know ,couldn't believe it myself but I was dealing with a lady not in VS uniform just in civvies so I guess she was a manager and she really couldn't of been more helpful and it was 5.30 am !

I paid $245 in May to upgrade 3 H fares to UC plus 30,000 miles from JFK so it looks like $ 82 is the right figure they should be charging

H fares not usually upgradeable... got lucky there Blacky. Got to go for an S or W to do a mileage move from PE to UC usually

I know ,couldn't believe it myself but I was dealing with a lady not in VS uniform just in civvies so I guess she was a manager and she really couldn't of been more helpful and it was 5.30 am !

I was told by FC when booking my virgin holiday that H fares are only upgradable at check in providing there's availability in UC and you have the miles.
I'm hoping to do this on my return leg from Miami as I'm flying out UC.

I got really confused when upgrading a few weeks ago. I had booked M fares LHR-LAX and then back JFK-LHR. I upgraded the outbound leg LHR-LAX with miles on the spot when I booked, and left the return as Economy while I saved up some more miles.

When I hit enough miles to upgrade Econ to PE I kept checking for a reward seat to open up, and when it did, I rang to upgrade expecting there to be some kind of extra fees/surcharge. The agent processing it went away, checked, and came back to tell me that no, there would be no extra charge. Then while processing the upgrade he came back on the phone to say "we have to refile the fare" and due to a change in the exchange rate between when I booked and when I upgraded, I would have to pay £18.60. That's less than I'd expected to be paying for any extra surcharge anyway so I paid it, but I just thought it was odd!

Hey,
I think the rules really seem to differ as my recent experience shows: I am taking a flight from Tokyo Narita to London VS901 on 20th Dec, I was booked in PE with an S class ticket and I used 12,500 miles and zero money to upgrade to UC. I booked the upgrade through Virgin on the phone and I was surprised as there were no taxes or charges at all and just air miles!! very surprised and very pleased.

Is there anywhere on the Virgin website where clear rules are explained?