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Help with reward flight booking

PostPosted: 29 Sep 2019, 19:38
by jilly
This afternoon I was helping my son booking reward flights LGW-MCO.

He is a red FC member, has a VM card and has a EC to PE reward on his account. Wanted to book PE outbound and UC return all with miles.

He has 137,500 miles.

We have flights held but really think the quote is wrong, ie. not enough miles but too much in taxes.

I thought it would be a total of 120K miles plus £1070 in taxes (for two seats)
He has been quoted 95K miles but £1408 in taxes.

I really can't get my head round how this calculation has been done even if it's been done as two one way journeys. He does intend to question the quote tomorrow after they've checked their annual leave dates can be granted but any information would be gratefully received.

Thanks
Jill

Any help would be greatly appreciated before he calls tomorrow.

Re: Help with reward flight booking

PostPosted: 29 Sep 2019, 20:01
by jilly
sorry should have added dates. 19 March/2 April 2020.

Re: Help with reward flight booking

PostPosted: 29 Sep 2019, 20:38
by David
Nearly the same dates but upper both ways, so something a bit wrong with your quote.


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Re: Help with reward flight booking

PostPosted: 29 Sep 2019, 21:29
by tontybear
I managed to do a straight miles dummy reward booking PE out and UC back and got 140k miles plus £ 1, 070 in fees etc (of which 600 is the VS carrier surcharge almost double the two lots of APD!)

For a straight economy classic out and UC return - NOT using a voucher - I also calculate it as 120k miles and the same fees as above (after making an adjustment for the Y-W APD and VS surcharge)

Calculations based on Y =25k, PE = 45k and UC = 95k round trip per person so for 2 = 25 Y + 95 UC = 120


Perhaps using the voucher is causing some sort of error in the VS calculation of the miles needed - and even using a mix of the straight reward and the upgrade charts I can't get 95k miles. Perhaps the fees element is pricing in a including a change fee ?

It would be worth asking VS to spell out the miles and cash elements to you in chapter and verse - including the fee element details not just an aggregate of the total.

Re: Help with reward flight booking

PostPosted: 29 Sep 2019, 21:43
by DragonLady
I disputed “ taxes” with VS in this post
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=298759.
Despite going back to VS ( twice) I had no joy. At the end of the day I’d say the quote in miles ( ie a reduction in what I and Tonty have calculated as being correct) almost offsets the “ taxes” ( because they’re not actually taxes).
DL

Re: Help with reward flight booking

PostPosted: 29 Sep 2019, 22:30
by AlsirAl
I have found some agents will try and sort a “good deal” that your not looking for without asking and will just pricery seats for less miles. You will need to ask for a full cost breakdown of what’s quoted and most importantly check which fair bracket they have done it on ;-)

Re: Help with reward flight booking

PostPosted: 30 Sep 2019, 00:46
by jilly
Thanks everyone, at least I don't feel as if I'm going crazy anymore - I got exactly the same calculation as Tontybear.

I did speak to Virgin myself as my son passed the call to me when the price and mileage wasn't as I'd said. I think it 'threw me' when he quoted 95K miles and I did question this. He said the outbound was no miles and because I am Gold and my son is Red I thought I could be wrong about the miles needed. As we were only holding seats I wanted to double check what he was entitled to as FC Red after making sure the seats were held.

Earlier in the year I booked PE outbound and return on the same route for a booking for my younger son's honeymoon in July. A few days before they left some UC class seats were released for the inbound. I know at that point I only paid another £30pp plus miles.

Hopefully it will get sorted tomorrow and I'll ask for the the full details and update.

Thanks again

Re: Help with reward flight booking

PostPosted: 01 Oct 2019, 00:22
by jilly
Just wanted to give a quick update.

My son rang this evening after I'd assured him of the actual cost and mileage due. He had no problems at all, the lady on the phone couldn't work out the previous calculations either.

As originally thought, it was 120K miles plus £1070 in taxes so now booked.

Thanks
Jilly