VS Black Amex Upgrade question

Hi all,

Have been looking over my Amex and was wondering about the following on the VS website regarding PE upgrades:

When you’ve spent the same amount again, you'll be eligible for another Premium Economy reward upgrade when you redeem your miles on an Economy booking. You can do this up to twice a year, every year.

This is based on the spending 5k over a year - I've done that about 3 times since I've had my card - so does that mean I'll get two upgrades at the end of the year? I've seen that the companion offer has posted to my FC account, so was just wondering about this one...

Thanks!

Oli

[Neil]

Yes, you will get two if you have spent min 10k

Thanks. I'm presuming that these are only valid on the highest revenue Y fare?

These can only be used to upgrade reward flights, bought with miles. You just need reward availability in PE.
Particularly good value during a reward seat sale - I just used these vouchers to get flights to DXB for next May, a bargain at 28k miles per person plus taxes:)

I know these have to be redeemed within a year of being posted to your account. I have two lots EC-to-PE reward upgrades sitting on my account, which posted in February this year.

Is it that the booking has to be made within a year, or is it that the flights have to be flown within a year?

Thanks!

Booking must be made within 1 year, so in reality they are valid for 2 years

Good to know: thank you!

Yes, mine have been in my account since February 2014 and our flights to DXB are in May 2015

Next question!

Do I have to be actually flying, or do I just have to make the booking using my miles?

[Neil]

Neither, you don't have to fly and the miles don't have to come from your account, you just have to be authorised to use the miles from whoever's account you do use the miles from.

To use the rewards, you 'pay' for an economy miles flight and then the voucher upgrades you to PE. There doesn't actually have to be economy miles seats available, but there must be PE miles seats available. You cannot further upgrade the PE ticket then with either miles or cash.

Neil

Thanks, Neil,

That's all really good to know, thank you!

You cannot further upgrade the PE ticket then with either miles or cash.

Is it possible to use the voucher for a one way EC -> PE upgrade (or to put it another way; to fly a return reward flight outbound PE, return UC, but only paying for EC+UC?).

[Neil]

You cannot further upgrade the PE ticket then with either miles or cash.

Is it possible to use the voucher for a one way EC -> PE upgrade (or to put it another way; to fly a return reward flight outbound PE, return UC, but only paying for EC+UC?).

Yes, you can not use other voucher for one of the legs (you can't then use it later though, so you're giving up one leg) and just use normal miles to upgrade from econ to UC, or do a combo fare paying for UC,

You can split 1 voucher for 2 EC to PE upgrades for 1 leg. I've just done that and to confirm, I bought 2 miles EC seats then used 1 Amex reward upgrade for the single return leg for me and Mrs AC. We bought 2 single 'M' seats in EC for the outbound leg and I upgraded to us both to Upper using 50,000 miles

AC.