Finding fare code!

Hola!

I'm helping a friend who has a LHR-DEL return in K Class (premium economy) due to fly next week.

He's just found out that his girlfriends mother is seriously ill - and needs to get out asap - ideally tomorrow.

There is K Class available on tomorrows flight - he's forwarded me his tickets - I cannot find fare rules / fare code anywhere - is this possible via Manage My Booking?

Is there anywhere I can see the fare rules of the ticket he has bought (he booked direct) - I have his e-mail from Virgin (but no e-ticket) from VS - so can't find his fare code which i'd be able to interpret.

In essence, all K class fares I can see say £150 change penalty (no PEX). But Virgin are telling him he has to upgrade (I assume to H or S or W?) - and it costs thousands.

Thank you!

A 'K' fare is non-changeable and non-refundable, and to my knowledge, upgrading it to a more flexible fare class doesn't actually give you the flexibility, it's fixed on what you originally were booked into (please correct me if I'm wrong on that someone!).

I have a suggestion - if your friend has the miles spare, there is miles availability in Premium and Upper for tomorrow's VS300. If he's able to grab one of those that will get him to Delhi on Friday. If he's booked a cash roundtrip though, he is at risk of losing his return flight (because he will not have flown the one he originally booked). I'd advise him to call VS again and discuss options to get him to Delhi asap, whilst preserving his original return journey.

Thanks - i've been looking hard and K class is showing a £150 change fee - but it may well be that further rules restrict changes.

No miles (he'd piled onto Jet Airways and all his miles there...).

I have doubts as to whether VS will protect his return flight - but a £660 fare is possible on Air India, obviously not Premium Economy, but needs must. I'm directing him to his insurers, and just the hell of it, trying with Virgin again.

Thanks - reading K Class fares are showing a £150 penalty to change. but it may say later change is not possible.

No miles, he lost his as been flying Jet for his 4 annual UK-India flights sadly.

I've told him to investigate insurance, but a cash fare of £650 on Air India may be his best bet now, and claiming back some of his taxes on his £900 Virgin flight.

I've advised it's worth calling Virgin again to see if he gets a different response. I'm just not sure i've come across an airline that makes finding fare rules so difficult,

You can change the return of a K fare but you need to have flown the outbound first - and the fee is usually £150 plus any fare difference (for example a weekend). However you can only change of the K fare is available for the flight you wish to change to.
As for the outbound - you cannot change or refund it before departure but you can use the full value of the ticket towards a new ticket. However, a K, H and S usually require advance purchase. If you are not within the advance purchase then you will end up paying an eye watering W fare which is likely to be around 3 times the K fare you paid (yes - for the same seat !)

If budget is an issue just about the best you can do is buy an economy which will hurt but not as much. You might even cojsider buying miles online and using them to upgrade.

As for the outbound - you cannot change or refund it before departure but you can use the full value of the ticket towards a new ticket. However, a K, H and S usually require advance purchase.

How exactly does that work? Using the full value of the ticket towards a new one? When I've tried to change K's in the past, it's been a case of throwing them away and buying a whole new ticket..

well it is not really a change (or refund) to the K ticket. You are buying a new ticket at current prices and applying the value of the original K ticket towards it (no refund if cheaper). Has to be done before departure.
Has to be fully un-used ticket and before departure.