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#960680 by allenby
08 Jan 2023, 11:45
I understand 200 UC "flex" upgrade makes the tkt fully refundable, but can someone please explain the flight change benefits of the 200 "flex" upgrade?

I could not make head or tail of the flex t&C here below, or how these differed from a non-flex UC Z fare/tkt, if you wanted to change flight dates

thanks!

Voluntary Changes
IN THE EVENT OF CHANGES TO TICKETED FLIGHTS BEFORE DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY - APPLIES WITHIN TKT VALIDITY CERTAIN DOMESTIC REISSUE PROVISIONS MAY BE OVERRIDDEN BY THOSE OF VS INTERNATIONAL FARES NO CHARGE OR HIGHEST FEE OF ALL CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS- INFANT W/O SEAT DISCOUNTS APPLY AND REPRICE USING FARES IN EFFECT WHEN TKT WAS ISSUED PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET- 1. NO CHANGE TO 1ST FARE COMPONENT 2. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL MUST BE DOMESTIC 3. CHANGE IS BEFORE ORIGINAL SCHEDULED FLIGHT 4. AF/DL/KL/VS FARE TYPE BCF/BRF/BU ARE USED 5. PUBLIC FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED FARE IS IN PUBLIC TARIFF. PRIVATE FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED FARE IS IN PRIVATE TARIFF 6. ALL RULE AND BOOKING CODE PROVISIONS ARE MET 7. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM ORIGINAL TKT DATE TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT 8. TKT REISSUE RESTRICTED TO VS OR AF/DL/KL OR - REPRICE USING FARES IN EFFECT TODAY PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET- 1. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL MUST BE DOMESTIC 2. CHANGE IS BEFORE ORIGINAL SCHEDULED FLIGHT 3. AF/DL/KL/VS FARE TYPE BCF/BRF/BU ARE USED 4. PUBLIC FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED FARE IS IN PUBLIC TARIFF. PRIVATE FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED FARE IS IN PRIVATE TARIFF 5. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM REISSUE DATE TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT 6. TKT REISSUE RESTRICTED TO VS OR AF/DL/KL WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN LOWER FARE IGNORE RESIDUAL THEN ADD-COLLECT ENDORSEMENT BOX- HIGHER NON-REF AMT AND NEW ENDORSEMENTS. OR - AFTER DEPARTURE OF JOURNEY - APPLIES WITHIN TKT VALIDITY CERTAIN DOMESTIC REISSUE PROVISIONS MAY BE OVERRIDDEN BY THOSE OF VS INTERNATIONAL FARES NO CHARGE OR HIGHEST FEE OF ALL CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS- INFANT W/O SEAT DISCOUNTS APPLY AND REPRICE USING FARES IN EFFECT WHEN TKT WAS ISSUED PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET- 1. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL MUST BE DOMESTIC 2. FULLY FLOWN FARE NOT REPRICED TO FURTHER POINT 3. CHANGE IS BEFORE ORIGINAL SCHEDULED FLIGHT 4. AF/DL/KL/VS FARE TYPE BCF/BRF/BU ARE USED 5. PUBLIC FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED FARE IS IN PUBLIC TARIFF. PRIVATE FARES ARE USED IF TICKETED FARE IS IN PRIVATE TARIFF 6. ALL RULE AND BOOKING CODE PROVISIONS ARE MET 7. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM ORIGINAL TKT DATE TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT 8. TKT REISSUE RESTRICTED TO VS OR AF/DL/KL WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN LOWER FARE IGNORE RESIDUAL THEN ADD-COLLECT ENDORSEMENT BOX- HIGHER NON-REF AMT AND NEW ENDORSEMENTS.
#960681 by mitchja
08 Jan 2023, 11:58
Flex basically makes any fare fully flexible, from the VS website:

Upper Class Flex
All the benefits of Upper Class, plus:
Fully refundable
Unlimited changes (fare difference may apply)


So fully refundable if you should you need to cancel and comes with unlimited changes (barring any fare differences for the new fare).

A normal Upper Class Z fare (which is the cheapest fare) is now 100% non-refundable again if you canceled and if you made a change it would cost you £250 on top of any fare difference. I, D or C Upper Class fares are slightly less restrictive if you need to cancel and come with lower change fees. The higher the fare class, the lower the change and cancelation fees are.

For £200 extra for a round-trip, those flex Upper Class fares are actually a very good deal if you think your plans may change as they essentially make normally very restrictive fares fully flexible for a lot less than a fully flexible fares.

You will still only earn the Z fare Virgin Points and TP's though. Nothing changes for FF earnings.

All VS fares (Upper / Premium / Economy) now offer this flex upgrade option both via their own website or booking via an agent.
#960683 by mitchja
08 Jan 2023, 14:01
The fare difference is always the full difference between what you paid and what the cost is of the new fare on the date you wanted to change to.

You can do a dummy booking on the new dates to see the new fare cost. If the new fare is less, VS don't usually refund the difference.

Another way of looking at this 'flex' option is it's basically what VS were offering for free during COVID for all the changes then. Whilst the free COVID changes on all VS fares has now ended and fare restrictions are back to normal, this flex option gives you back that same flexibility but now it's costing you £200 extra.
#960684 by allenby
08 Jan 2023, 16:18
thanks again, James

my experience with aer lingus, on an unlimited free changes, business fare MAN JFK tkt:

at the time I needed to move/extend the return date, having flown the outbound

the fare difference, for just the new return flight [+month, and flexible on dates], was iirc between1000 - 2000gbp

but no change fee......

so am a bit cautious on the "flex" offer

also from virgin t&c "REPRICE USING FARES IN EFFECT WHEN TKT WAS ISSUED"

any idea what this means please?

thanks
Virgin Atlantic

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