Using Virgin Points with KLM

Just rang the VA call centre to book a flight using points on KLM (Manchester > AMS, and AMS to AUA), but was unsuccessful.

The call handler told me some routes are blocked but couldn't explain why, only that I'd have to book with cash the normal way via KLM's website.

Considering the publicity with Sky Team, this isn't a great first experience.

Has anyone else experienced this, or have I been unlucky?

I booked a business class return from Amsterdam with KLM using points on the VS website in March, from memory it was around 15k points plus taxes which were around £60. I also received 10 tier points

Thanks for the insight.

I've since had a bit more of a play with the VS website, and you can indeed book online with points or cash for KLM flights, but some routes aren't available (such as Aruba).

Looks like I'll have to buy a ticket the old-fashioned way on this occasion.

I tried to book a simple UK>AMS return on the VS site using points and it wouldn’t work. Had to ring up instead but that was painless.

Paid £100 plus 16,000 points I think for a flight that was selling for £400+. Bargain.

There was tons of availability.

[mitchja]

Not all the reward inventory is realised to other airlines even in alliances. Often much of it is only available to the airline's own frequent flyers.

Take Delta for example, they have been a VS partner airline for years and they still don't make all their reward inventory available to VS customers.

Can you imagine the uproar if the other 18 airlines in SkyTeam all grabbed all the VS reward inventory?

Not all the reward inventory is realised to other airlines even in alliances. Often much of it is only available to the airline's own frequent flyers.

Take Delta for example, they have been a VS partner airline for years and they still don't make all their reward inventory available to VS customers.

Can you imagine the uproar if the other 18 airlines in SkyTeam all grabbed all the VS reward inventory?

That might make sense.

I suppose I'll have to readjust my expectations!

I booked a LHR-AMS-HKG, and then HKG-AMS-LHR, as 2 singles in Business, for end of June and early July (it was roughly a 1 week duration trip).

For both times I saw the availability on the VS site, went through all the way to enter card details, send through payment to Amex, only to be returned with a "We can't complete your request" error message.

Had to call up. For the outbound, the agent said she couldn't actually see the availability on her system, despite me refreshing the VS website on the call and the availability was still on my screen. I waited a few days and more availability showed up, and I still had to call.

For the inbound, they were able to process the booking on the call.

It was relatively painless. Had to wait a little bit on the phone but once I got an agent it was ok.

Good luck!

[mitchja]

If you start the booking process online for any type of fare but don't complete it, that fare will get ring-fenced for a period of time to stop others trying to purchase it. The also included VS agents not being able to purchase it for you as well. All airlines have this system in order to stop multiple pax trying to buy the same fare.

Not sure the time VS set for their fare ring-fencing but I would imagine it's somewhere between 30 and 60 mins.

If there are multiple fares available this ring-fencing isn't an issue as when you book again you just grab the next available fare, however, if there is only that one fare left you will have to wait for the system to release it again.

I've had similar issues when trying to book DL reward flights online via the VS website. After waiting for an hour or so; a VS agent has been able to book it for me.