V-Flyer

This may sound silly...
But I have booked a return to New York for next summer using my airmiles.

My plan was to pay for V-Room at the airport.
This was my first mistake - as I did not know there is no such thing at Heathrow and the clubhouse is only for upper class. Seems the same for New York as well.

So, I now have the opportunity to upgrade to upperclass using my miles & paying £100 difference in the taxes.

Trying to weigh up is it worth it.
If I do, then I have no more airmiles & a very comfy return trip in upperclass & use of the lounge.
If I dont, then I have 50k airmiles and nearly enough miles for a future economy trip.

If I wanted to access the lounge, then I believe the going price is £60, if I wanted extra legroom, then thats also £60

It is only a 7hr flight, so im not bothered about roughing it.

Split the difference? Why not spend 25k miles and upgrade one leg only.

I'd upgrade the LHR-NYC leg, and give yourself lots of time before your flight. The LHR Clubhouse is significantly better than the EWR Clubhouse and quite a lot better than the JFK one.

You should note that while it is sometimes possible to pay £60 for LHR Clubhouse access, entry is never guaranteed as it's strictly subject to availability.

Have you considered the No.1 Lounge? True it's no Clubhouse but as shared lounges go it's not bad at all, plus it's significantly cheaper (and cheaper still if booked via the VS website as there are discounts for FC members).

I am looking at only upgrading the return leg
2 tickets - so that eats up 40,000 miles

No interest in upgrading the outbound leg as its nearly £300 each, compared to the inbound only being £100!
Them pesky taxes!

So just wondering if the JFK lounge was worth it (9.30pm flight) along with a bed for such a short flight.
Or should I save the miles towards another economy flight in the future (Hong Kong or China in a few years!)

Upgrade every time , live for today

Blacky1 wrote:Upgrade every time , live for today

Although to be fair Blacky, you do try harder than most to reduce the chance of there being any tomorrow for you :-)

Seriously though, agree on the upgrade worth it more on the outbound, if lounge access is the main driver here.

ratechaser wrote:

Blacky1 wrote:Upgrade every time , live for today

Although to be fair Blacky, you do try harder than most to reduce the chance of there being any tomorrow for you :-)

Seriously though, agree on the upgrade worth it more on the outbound, if lounge access is the main driver here.

Lol cheers RC , I think I'll take that as a compliment

Eggtastico wrote:No interest in upgrading the outbound leg as its nearly £300 each, compared to the inbound only being £100!
Them pesky taxes!

To be fair only £67 of that £300 is a proper tax (i.e. the additional APD and assuming you are in economy) and the rest is the VS fuel surcharge which is certainly not a tax.

On the return there are no UK taxes so again it is the VS fuel surcharge you are paying for.


As to saving your miles for a future economy ticket then this may not be the best value / use of them as often the difference in the ££ element can be quite small as you still have to pay the APD, Airport fees and VS fuel surcharge,

The JFK lounge is pretty good. You could get there early, have a spa treatment, a drink, a meal, a shower etc.

And you'd get the bonus of Revivals at LHR when you arrive.

If buying a full mileage redemption, then - simply in terms of revenue ticket prices - using your miles for UC is certainly a more cost effective use than redeeming for economy.

I would upgrade, not for the lounge, but for a flatbed on a night flight. The club house is an added bonus.
Then do some serious miles collection to top up again.
Dick D

I would upgrade, too, for the reason NYLON and tontybear mentioned; economy redemptions just don't give the same bang for your buck as an UC upgrade. Even my OH, who is terribly bored by miles talk, insists that we only use them for upgrades! Obviously it will ultimately depend on what works best for you, though. As mileage programmes can be devalued, terms changed and routes cancelled with little notice, I operate an earn and burn policy and try to spend miles ASAP, even though it does hurt to see an empty balance Hope you have a wonderful trip.

Another vote to upgrade.
The JFK clubhouse is a good lounge.
You get a flat bed.
And you can have a breakfast and a shower in the revivals lounge at LHR.

Another vote for upgrade. I can't tell you what a boon the Revivals lounge is and very welcome a hot power shower was after a long last day and then a late departing flight, it was so refreshing and got me ready for the last leg of my journey home. And whilst the other Clubhouses may not be like the flagship LHR, they offer quiet space away from the crowds, simple but good food and plenty to drink if you're inclined. Go for it.

I'd go for the upgrade, where's the point using your miles in EC when the money isn't that expensive most of the time

hmm I like the idea of a flat bed.

I agree about bang to buck - but redemption seats need to be booked early - hence I am not going until late July next year.
Paid £250 + 35k miles each (fly to boston return from New York) each & its only an extra £100 for upperclass for the inbound leg.

I guess blowing all my miles wouldnt be a bad thing.
Now my next step is to convince myself to go for upperclass and not convert the points for IHG or hilton!

Easy answer - upgrade

Eggtastico wrote:Now my next step is to convince myself to go for upperclass and not convert the points for IHG or hilton!

I think the HHonors conversion rate is poor and since Hilton have moved to a variable basis for points booking the value of the points varies enormously. Recently I have found the rate for a single night in London varying between 50,000 and just shy of 200,000 for the same hotel on different dates.

Granted there are challenges with getting VS upgrades, but the NYC route is usually one of the better ones in that respect.

On balances my vote would be for upgrading on the outbound, unless you have a particular need to sleep on the inbound leg. Though JFK lounge and arrivals are great, on the outbound you'd have LHR CH, DTCI and you'd be awake to experience the full UC offering on board.

Thanks all

We have decided to upgrade the inbound flight.
I dont have any issue with the outbound as I will be fresh for a days travelling (flying 5.30pm) + I dont think its good value at the extra expense.

Coming back however, I think I will more tired from 2 weeks of travelling around the North East. Flight time is 9.30pm as well, so I really need to rest during the flight as best as possible, before navigating through london at 10am to get a train back home!

Hotel points dont represent good value & we have decided to have a more authentic stay by booking AirBnB's.

Happy to blow all the points, so it means I am tied to flying Virgin & could use other airports closer to home.

Have an awesome time in NYC and revel in being able to stretch out on the flight home!

There isn't a V-room at any of the airports VS use fly to/from NYC.