Surcharge

The every ongoing issue of the Carrier Surcharge....

Just checked a random Y flight to NYC in March :

Base Fare £99
"Surcharges": £120
Actual Taxes : £119

Surcharge is higher than the Base fare... v(

So all those unsuspecting newbies to miles will be saving a whooping £99 on a 35k miles redemption... v(

NH

Yeah, there's not good value in EC miles redemption, especially leaving the UK.

Better value (on VS) is often found when you buy a S class 'flexible' PE fare and then buy a miles upgrade to UC. PE upgradeable fares can be as little as US$1200 to $1400 round trip (UK to NYC) at times, (and at other times ridonkulously expensive, same as an UC, so watch out!) and you earn miles at your purchased level- something like 12,000 miles PE earning + TP.

An upgrade to UC, is 10,000 each way, so... spending 20,000 on the upgrade, but earning 12,000+, means it only cost you 8000 miles to get your bum in an UC seat. Not too bad.

Of course the BEST redemption is to use it on another airline without the pickpocketing that goes on here.

[mitchja]

This is why UK domestic reward flights on any airline are also an utter waste of miles!