V-Flyer

I wonder if anyone can help me with a query on one-way flights, or at least entering the US in one city and leaving from another!

We are looking to do a road trip next year starting in SFO and taking in Napa, Tahoe, Highway 1, San Diego and finishing (potentially) in Las Vegas. We would love to be able to fly into SFO and out of LAS.

When I check the flight prices for one-way, they are completely eye-watering! Is there a way around this? Do you get better deals if you call FC and ask them to quote and book?

We have some miles available to use, probably about 100K each or so, but UC rewards on SFO and LAS are exceptionally rare!

Also be interested to hear from anyone who has flown UC from LAS, with there being no clubhouse was the experience dented somewhat? Would PE be a better option and save UC for another time?

Finally if anyone has any experience of the SFO clubhouse, is it as good as LHR? What are the opening times?

Sorry to have so many questions... been a long time lurker of this forum and this is my first post!

Hi and welcome to V Flyer.

As you intend to use some of your miles and want a different airport to depart from, then i suggest calling FC. (If you use the "more options" tab on the booking page you will get a true sense of costs BTW)

As you have rightly gleaned from your lurking, the shared Lounge used at Las Vegas is nothing to write home about and to maximise the UC experience, a departure from the UK where the Clubhouses are right up there at the top is the best way to enjoy the facilities

Good Luck with grabbing Reward flights and be prepared to be flexible

buns

PS The SFO Clubhouse was once ranked one of the best due to the Clubhouse Manager - it has food and cocktails on offer and whilst it has showers, there is no spa

could you fly back in to Manchester from SFO, loads of reward availability!

Thanks Buns for the reply.

How could I have not seen the more options tab? I'm always on the site and probably have never looked at it! This opens up a world of possibilities now. The price for the flights we are looking at for UC out to SFO and UC back from LAS to LGW is coming up about £1,800 each, which is pretty reasonable. Hence I might grab them for cash and save my miles for another hop across the pond.

One thing though, with these options the tier points earned per adult are only 7 and 13,191 miles - But usually it's 10 tier points each for an UC flight? Is the restriction because of the different city in / out business?

I must admit the option of finishing our trip in Vegas but then taking a Virgin America flight back to SFO before flying back to LHR is tempting.... but does add another flight and another airport to an already long trip.

Has anyone managed to get into the Amex lounge at LAS or is this in the wrong terminal and no way Jose?

Myf wrote:Thanks Buns for the reply.



Has anyone managed to get into the Amex lounge at LAS or is this in the wrong terminal and no way Jose?

I know Vegascrazy has used the Amex Lounge on more than one occasion, so it is doable

As for your Tier Points, I would suggest you look carefully at the cabin for each sector - if in doubt contact FC

buns

mdhayes wrote:could you fly back in to Manchester from SFO, loads of reward availability!

Yes, that's a possibility too. There is a great deal of availability from Manchester on reward flights, which is good to know when LGW and LHR fill up so fast. I checked out the lounge at MAN and it doesn't look half bad, much better than I would have thought it would be.

As all my connecting flights originate outside of the UK anyway, I can connect through LGW, LHR or Manchester.

The option of doing an open jaw trip on the VS Website is terrible.

Expedia is really good for "Multiple Destinations" style trips.

ColOrd

If you book with Expedia do you get less Tier Points and less Air Miles?

When I tried to input the details into Expedia it will come back with any airline but Virgin, which is odd?

Myf wrote:One thing though, with these options the tier points earned per adult are only 7 and 13,191 miles - But usually it's 10 tier points each for an UC flight? Is the restriction because of the different city in / out business?

Just to echo what buns has said, do triple check your cabin. 7 TPs would suggest out in UC and back in Economy, or vice versa.

Myf wrote:If you book with Expedia do you get less Tier Points and less Air Miles?

No. Exactly the same. You could get more TPs and miles if you were placed into a higher UC fare bracket but let’s not over complicate things.

Myf wrote:When I tried to input the details into Expedia it will come back with any airline but Virgin, which is odd?

At the bottom of the search, hit ‘direct,’ choose ‘Virgin Atlantic’ and obviously select ‘Business.’ They’re showing for me fine, but if you’re not seeing any results it might be due to a full UC cabin, hence why your TPs on the Virgin search console are off kilter too.

What dates are you thinking of going and we can look at all your options… Including a quick round trip to Dublin before hand. I flew into SFO and out of LAS with VS in UC in July and it was less than £1,000 return by starting my journey in Dublin.

The Tier Points and miles were well off as I was indeed not selecting UC both ways! Sadly once that has been corrected my price has jumped up too!

Expedia I have now sorted, was choosing First Class, but of course should have been opting for Business - sorry, I'm very new at all this. Very grateful for everyone's wisdom!

How does the Dublin trick work? Do I fly into Dublin and then choose ticketing from Dublin to SFO and then from LAS to Dublin? I take it I then have to get the plane to Dublin and not just not turn up and get on at LHR and off at LGW? I've tried to follow the Ex-Dub thread, but have not yet garnered exactly how it works. Do you do the through booking through VS or through Expedia?

Might be a no go for me though as I'm starting out in GCI, and might add on just too many flights and airports. I love airports and planes, but there's only so much I can take!

You absolutly must NOT miss your first DUB(*) - LHR leg. If you do the rest of your trip will be cancelled.

(*) It does not have to be DUB but any non UK airport will do e.g. A, CPH, AMS,CDG.

Get expedia or google flights to price up your trip from Guernsey and see what it comes up with. Or use a non UK airport that has flights to/from Guernsey

But yes get either to price up DUB-SFO and LAS-DUB as a multi city trip.

ColOrd wrote:The option of doing an open jaw trip on the VS Website is terrible.

Expedia is really good for "Multiple Destinations" style trips.

yup - it can be found on their old booking system, but no their new one.
Easier to check availability by doing dummy returns for both legs & then phone to book an open jaw.