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Booking reward flights

PostPosted: 04 Nov 2009, 20:33
by maz
I am looking to book 2 one way reward UC flights from either MCO to MAN or Miami to LHR in a few weeks when they come available. I do know MCO are hard to come by. I have just done a dummy run and there are Miami flights available for that date, but could not see how I can book mine with my points and my husband's with his. It just said I didn't have enough points, which I knew of course.

Did I miss something, or would it be better to phone when the day comes. Thanks.

PostPosted: 04 Nov 2009, 20:42
by Neil
Much easier to phone. FC will be able sort it much quicker than you would doing it online. It will be booked as two different bookings, with different booking refs (same as if you did it online, you have to book each one individually) but it makes no difference to you. Just make sure you are an authorised user on your husbands FC account before you call to make things smoother.

PostPosted: 04 Nov 2009, 21:19
by Kraken
I booked our UC reward flights MAN-MCO-MAN for next May online no problems - I deliberately put in Saturday outbound / inbound dates which I knew were highly likely to be unavailable for G fares & I was right. The website showed me the matrix grid with all the available dates each way for May 2010. Admittedly, all the miles were coming out of one - now quite depleted - flying club account. (And I'm still surprised that we managed to get 2 UC rewards on the same flight, not that I am complaining).

If you need to spend miles from more than one FC account and want to get it all done and dusted in one go, then it's probably easier to call FC. But it can be done online - which could be easier if Flying Club use an off-shored call centre nowadays. (They didn't when I last contacted them about 2yrs ago - but that is a long time in any business).

PostPosted: 04 Nov 2009, 21:53
by maz
Thanks. I will try for MCO-Man first, and our day is very flexible.

I will be about 1750 points short which I can buy, but my husband has quite a few more points than me. Can this number of points be deducted from his account to top up mine?

PostPosted: 04 Nov 2009, 21:56
by Neil
No. You have to book at least a one way reward out of each account. If you were doing a return reward you could 50% of the miles out of each account, but that is the minimum.

PostPosted: 04 Nov 2009, 22:15
by maz
Ok, thanks. That was what I expected.

PostPosted: 04 Nov 2009, 22:46
by tontybear
If Mr Maz has more points than needed could he not 'gift' the 1750 Mrs Maz needs to Mrs Maz rather than Mrs Maz having to buy them?

PostPosted: 04 Nov 2009, 22:55
by honey lamb
quote:Originally posted by tontybear
If Mr Maz has more points than needed could he not 'gift' the 1750 Mrs Maz needs to Mrs Maz rather than Mrs Maz having to buy them?

I think you have to buy miles to gift them. You can't gift them from your existing stash

PostPosted: 05 Nov 2009, 00:19
by pjh
quote:Originally posted by Kraken
I booked our UC reward flights MAN-MCO-MAN for next May online no problems - I deliberately put in Saturday outbound / inbound dates which I knew were highly likely to be unavailable for G fares & I was right. The website showed me the matrix grid with all the available dates each way for May 2010.


Ah...the same trick I used...

quote:Originally posted by Kraken
If you need to spend miles from more than one FC account and want to get it all done and dusted in one go, then it's probably easier to call FC. But it can be done online - which could be easier if Flying Club use an off-shored call centre nowadays. (They didn't when I last contacted them about 2yrs ago - but that is a long time in any business).


From my recent experience if you're attempting to book a UC reward you get directed through to the UC booking line which I don't think is an off shore call centre. I used it a few weeks ago to see if there were any reward tickets available to RSA next summer. In the end (when I started to enquire about other possibilities) I got the impression they were looking at much the same booking engine as available through the website. The only advantage seemed for calling seemed to be that they could give prices on upgrade paths.

Paul

PostPosted: 05 Nov 2009, 00:38
by Neil
quote:Originally posted by honey lamb
quote:Originally posted by tontybear
If Mr Maz has more points than needed could he not 'gift' the 1750 Mrs Maz needs to Mrs Maz rather than Mrs Maz having to buy them?

I think you have to buy miles to gift them. You can't gift them from your existing stash


as usual HL is correct. The gift miles facility is to enable you to buy some miles for someone else, not for you to give them some of your current miles. VS and all airlines don't want you to share miles as it makes gaining and buying rewards easier.