V-Flyer

There have been a lot of negative things on here recently about VS, so just to redress the balance a little - The tale of booking our UC trip Down Under next year. 8D

We decided we wanted to go back to Oz and NZ after our fabulous trip there in 2010. We have always wanted to go to the Australian Open Tennis which is always the last two weeks in January and we saw that the England cricket team are touring NZ starting early February 2013 - perfect!

The downside to this was that the window for our travel was limited, and therefore one of the golden rules of reward seat booking (flexibility) was out of the window.

A few weeks back, once the 336 day limit for the outbound had passed, we went online and found one G for the date we wanted LHR-HKG. We rang and booked that and, at the same time, booked 2 x Gs for HKG to SYD on first choice date without a problem.

The very next day, I checked again and the G we had booked LHR to HKG had been replaced by another. y) y) Happy days! Outbound sorted. 8D

When the 336 day window for the return passed. I booked 2 x Gs in Upper SYD - HKG on the day we wanted very easily. That just left HKG to LHR. I checked daily for about three weeks and there was nothing in any class for any day in February.

On 2nd April 2 x Gs appeared on five dates in Feb, but they weren't ideal. The gamble then is do you book or do you wait?
Changing the date on a G is fairly easy (I am told) and there is only a £25 admin fee to pay. However this, morning as if by magic 2 x Gs appeared one day away from our ideal date. Sorted! y)

There are other upsides to booking all the legs separately - Charges are lower on flights that are not Ex-UK and for some reason there is no credit card surcharge on the VS Amex for flights that are ex HKG / SYD ?|

All in all, I am very pleased with the way it has panned out. Having read some of the tales of woe on here, I was fearing months of uncertainty and frustration but it has all come together remarkably easily.

So, if you have points sitting in your account - don't despair! LHR - SYD in Upper is supposedly one of the more difficult routes to book, but this shows it is far from impossible.

Nick

Nick

You are truly the Master oo) oo) oo)

buns

I've got to say the day I did a dummy booking for 2 UC LHR-SYD reward returns I was absolutely amazed to find them first go ! Just shows if your lucky, your lucky

The ~ £720 tax/surcharges you now have to pay on Upper Class SYD return reward flights is enough to make your eyes water though :0

Thats over £200 more than I paid last year doing the same trip.

Looking to do something similar for a summer trip next year. Hope I manage to get the same luck. Out of interest, how much was tour total spend of miles and cash? I've never redeemed my miles before despite a v healthy balance, so any advice would be gratefully received.

It's great that you got them (in the end) Nick, but I'd still say the same.

It shouldn't NEED "patience and perseverance" in order to *redeem* what you've already EARNED...


Sorry, but VS DO make it intentionally difficult (and expensive, with bogus fuel-surcharge-BS) to redeem miles which they freely offer in return for your "loyalty". Way to go showing a loyal customer that they're valued by the airline - make them have to work out a week-long strategy to redeem the "rewards"....

n( n( n( n(

mitchja wrote:The ~ £720 tax/surcharges you now have to pay on Upper Class SYD return reward flights is enough to make your eyes water though :0

Thats over £200 more than I paid last year doing the same trip.

and the vast majority of that is down to VS rather than the APD or the airport fees

preiffer wrote:.......It shouldn't NEED "patience and perseverance" in order to *redeem* what you've already EARNED...

I don't disagree with your sentiments, Paul or those of James / Tonty, but I tend not to get too worked up about things I can't control.

I don't agree with bankers and other top earners pay levels, I don't agree with some of the government cut backs (or the way they waste billions of pounds of taxpayers money), I detest racists, bigots and people who are bullies; nor do I particularly relish paying VS a huge surcharge for my 'free' tickets but all these things are facts of life and I have to live with that. 8D ):

I just revel in my small victories. :X 8D

Nick,

Nottingham Nick wrote:I just revel in my small victories. :X 8D

Nick,

And then drink VS dry on 4 seperate visits to the CH ! ): ):

Nottingham Nick wrote:
I just revel in my small victories. :X 8D

Nick,

And so you should - congrats, UC all the way to SYD is a blessing indeed compared to the options y) .

I'm looking 11months ahead at present to book a UC reward and watching the flights disappear usually on the day they are posted. Realise I am going to have to work sharpishly to make this happen. Anyone know what time of day the flights come on at the 11month limit or is it dependent on flight time?

I don't think it is as simple as appearing at the 336 day mark any more.
From my own observations and conversations with VS staff, it really does appear to be random
In my situation a group of dates appeared on 2 April12 for Feb 13 - up to that point there had been none - then about a week later 2 more Gs appeared on the date we wanted.

Patience and perseverance!!

Nick

Thanks
I realise there will be some Gs arriving at apparently random times but I have noticed that a small complement usually appears on "opening day" before usually being snaffled that same day.