V-Flyer

How does this work in practice? It looks as though you fly to AMS and then fly back to the UK to get your VS flight - but how does flying back to the UK reduce the price?

Confused but intrigued...

You start (and on paper end) the flight outside the UK, so you don't pay APD.

Try a dummy booking on Opodo or Expedia...choose a specific airline (VS) from AMS to your final destination (eg CPG,JNB,JFK etc)...it only seems to work for business or first class flights ...economy isn't much difference in my experience.

Good hunting.

catsilversword wrote:but how does flying back to the UK reduce the price?

The logic goes as follows: someone in continental Europe could fly direct to their ultimate destination with a European carrier. (So for AMS it might be KLM, for example.) All things being equal, VS or BA will not normally get that business because even if they match the KLM price, they will still require a connection in London and this is less desirable than a direct flight. So they have to discount their fares quite substantially to attract the business that will then be routed through their LHR hubs. There is also the tax advantage mentioned by mitchja, but I think this is a secondary consideration.

This is why ex-AMS (or ex-LIS or ex-....) fares are good.

Just clarify this for me:

I book a flight AMS-LHR-SFO-LHR-AMS (my planned trip in March)

Do I just turn up at Heathrow pretending I have come from Amsterdam or do I have to book a single flight from LHR to AMS and then come back to take my flight form Heathrow?

Have checked on Expedia for my dates in March and in UC

AMS-LHR-SFO-LHR-AMS = £2026
LHR-SFO-LHR = £3200 (Virgin website)

Too good to be true?

mswadley wrote:Just clarify this for me:

I book a flight AMS-LHR-SFO-LHR-AMS (my planned trip in March)

Do I just turn up at Heathrow pretending I have come from Amsterdam or do I have to book a single flight from LHR to AMS and then come back to take my flight form Heathrow?

Have checked on Expedia for my dates in March and in UC

AMS-LHR-SFO-LHR-AMS = £2026
LHR-SFO-LHR = £3200 (Virgin website)

Too good to be true?

You absolutely HAVE to take the AMS-LHR flight. If you don't then the rest of your flight will be voided so if you turn up pretending you had come from Amsterdam you wouldn't be going any further than the check-in desk.

I did it earlier this year and simply flew to Amsterdam on one ticket, overnighted there and flew back to LHR and onwards to SFO the next day. It still worked out cheaper than doing the LHR-SFO-LHR fare. While it does seem too good to be true, it does work and at240 is spot on as to the reasons for why it is so much cheaper from continental Europe as opposed to from London

You will need to fly the AMS-LHR sector as if you don't fly it all following sectors will be cancelled.. so you would need to get over to AMS first!

The fare conditions and stuff will say that you also need to fly the last leg (LHR-AMS) aswell.. but i'm sure there are all sorts of reasons that could cause you to miss this by accident Often best to book the last flight as LGW-AMS instead of from LHR.. as there will be no chance of your bag being checked all the way through to AMS when you;d want to pick it up in LHR

duggy83 wrote:Often best to book the last flight as LGW-AMS instead of from LHR.. as there will be no chance of your bag being checked all the way through to AMS when you;d want to pick it up in LHR

Erm, I had to stop the check-in lady from checking it all the way through when in SFO earlier this year. She seemed to be of the impression that she could and I couldn't risk it. I suppose the computer would have said no but I didn't give her a chance to find out. In any case she had started looking for an ex-LHR flight to AMS for me :0

Got it!

Will have to decide if better than £1500 + 40,000miles for a PE to UC upgrade?

Assume you still get miles and TP if booked through expedia?

If the AMS-LHR flight was cancelled, (weather, ash cloud, delays etc) would that void the whole trip?

Penny_L wrote:If the AMS-LHR flight was cancelled, (weather, ash cloud, delays etc) would that void the whole trip?

I would presume that if it were cancelled then there would be an obligation on BA/VS to arrange an alternative

honey lamb wrote:

Penny_L wrote:If the AMS-LHR flight was cancelled, (weather, ash cloud, delays etc) would that void the whole trip?

I would presume that if it were cancelled then there would be an obligation on BA/VS to arrange an alternative

Thank you

And that would still apply even if booked through a 3rd party such as Expedia?

mitchja wrote:You start (and on paper end) the flight outside the UK, so you don't pay APD.

James the savings are FAR more than the APD.

It can cost more than £ 1000 less to fly from AMS via LHR to a US destination that it does to fly direct from the UK and that is on the same trans atlantic flight.

Though you do have to buy a seperate flight from UK to AMS and possibly a night in a hotel too.

It works for some people and some routes so it pays to do some research.

Incidently when I asked on the VS facebook page why it was FAR cheaper to fly from AMS I was told to write to my MP for an explanation!

mswadley wrote:

Assume you still get miles and TP if booked through expedia?

as long as you put your FC number in when you book or at check-in yes you do

Ooh - thanks everyone!

presumably hand luggaage only cuts out the last leg issue ?

Regarding the last leg, isn't there another trick whereby you book the LHR-AMS sector a day later to avoid the bagge in AMS you in LHR scenario?

Or you simply ask them to check your bag only as far as Heathrow. That's what I did and it wasn't an issue

you had to ask twice ???

Also works for some other European cities, and can be easier on BA because of the Oneworld connections. For example, Cork (ORK>LHR>SFO>LHR>ORK) in Club going out 14 March and coming back 21 March is £1770 p.p.

Searching for the same on Expedia and with VS throws up a routing through AMS and LHR with KLM (ORK>AMS>LHR>SFO!) and a silly price.

Hand baggage only on the LHR-AMS-LHR leg makes the whole thing very quick.

I used the left luggage facility in T3 and for £8.50 a bag, makes good sense.

Just done a couple of dummy bookings on Expedia and am astounded by the savings to be made. Is it only AMS it works for, or any other European airports?

catsilversword wrote:Just done a couple of dummy bookings on Expedia and am astounded by the savings to be made. Is it only AMS it works for, or any other European airports?

I believe it works for others. I've heard Lisbon and Copenhagen mentioned in the past

Just booked an UC return from Amsterdam to HK in May (Sun to Thurs) for £2650. Direct with Virgin its £6200 - Premium was £2500. Can't believe the saving. Booked with ebookers - a little annoying as kept dislaying £2460 but it jumped to the higher figure when trying to book. Tried it 3 times and gave up. Still a great saving. BA 1 way from heathrow is an additional £70

As above I have a flight to HK starting in AMS. I need to book the flight over to pick my flight up. If I leave my bag in storage at Heathrow how long should I give myself in AMS. Is under 2 hours too risky. What is the BA lounge like at AMS.

Any help much appreciated