USING FFC MILES FOR UC REWARD FLIGHT

HELP PLEASE. WHATS THE BEST WAY TO BOOK REWARD FLIGHTS. I HAVE ALMOST ENOUGH FFC MILES FOR AN UC RETURN FLIGHT TO NEW ZEALAND. I KNOW THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY OF THESE SEATS AVAILABLE PER FLIGHT SO WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE THAT I CAN GET A SEAT ON THE ACTUAL FLIGHT I WANT ?
THANKS FOR ANY HELP INFO ANYONE CAN GIVE ME.
[?]

[Decker]

Hi SnoMo and welcome to V-Flyer. I'm guessing you don't post much on the internet? Netiquette dictates that posting in ALL CAPS IS SHOUTING and is therefore perceived negatively by other internet users. If you could bear that in mind it'd be cool.

The chances of you being able to get an Upper Class return flight to New Zealand are zero as Virgin don't fly there. You could conceivably use your miles to get a flight with ANZ (see the Virgin Website) but as you say these are rare. The best bet is to call Flying Club and have them investigate availability. The thing to stress is flexibility. ExpertFlyer shows availability of ANZ reward flights and shows for example that the NZ1 on 5th Sept has one available seat. So you could use your free Expertflyer credits to look for suitable dates.

Hi Snomo

Using VS miles for partner airlines is something I've had experience with - both on Singapore Airlines and Malaysian.

You have to 'work with the system'. The VS staff (with whom you have to book it) can't see what days are available and what aren't

They have to ask for a date, wait, and then often 'the computer says no'

I've found that the partner airline, if you talk to them nicely, may tell you what is and what isn't available. When you know what is, then you can phone VS quickly!

Also I've had maximum success in booking as soon as the flights when I want to go open - The IATA 330 day rule, which says that the flight is available for booking (but not necessarily for REWARD booking) 330 days before you want to go. But remember, that if you want to come back(!) then you need to book 330 days before the date of the RETURN leg - hoping that your outward leg hasn't been fully booked in the meantime

Good luck - treat it like a lottery rather than your right, and I hope you get what you want

I'm sorry for shouting everybody, there is so much to understand about joing a forum isn't there.
Thank you Decker and Peter, I know the system reward things always err on the side of the rewarder rather than the other way round, but I must say if the Virgin staff can't help you with what's available and what's not, whiout going through so much bother, then it does seem a bit unfair. I assume that when VA quote 180K FFC miles for NZ they are quoting with a partner airline in mind then? I shall investigate further. I would be totally flexible on flight dates so that would be a help I guess. Sounds like the best thing I could do would be to befriend a VA member of the booking staff and let them sort it out for me! I shall have a go at your idea of talking to the partner airline first Peter. Thank you both again.

[Nottingham Nick]

quote:Originally posted by SNOMO
I assume that when VA quote 180K FFC miles for NZ they are quoting with a partner airline in mind then?

You say 'When VA quote 180K FFC miles.....'. Where did you get the quote from? In my experience it is unusual for VS to push partner redemptions above their own flights.

Upper Class to SYD with VS is 180K points
Business Class to AKL via LAX with Air New Zealand is also 180K.

Also, just as a totally anoraky aside. Virgin Atlantic are VS, not VA. I believe VA used to be some now defunct Venezuelan airline called Viasa, but I think the IATA code VA has now been transferred to Virgin Australia. [:D][8D][;)]

Nick

Thats a new one? never seen NZ available on the miles spend pages...only Sydney Australia

[Nottingham Nick]

Redemption to New Zealand has been available with partner airlines for ages.

When we go to New Zealand we are using VS from SYD, but the Oz-NZ bits are being done on Virgin Blue.

Nick

[Decker]

Yes that's an interesting one - the page linked above actually references UK->Sydney VIA Auckland. The small print T&C references only Sydney via AKL _but_ the spending miles section references

quote:
Australia - UK via AKL and LA
or Auckland- UK via LA


Just spoken to Premier Line and they confirm that LHR-LAX-AKL is legitimate, NZ1 and 2. I love that routing.

Your quite correct the flights are to Sydney for 180K return not NZ, you have to look under the partner airlines (Air NZ) to get the 180K miles and as Air NZ no longer has an Upper/First Class their business class is now the equivalent (so they tell me). Any way I Just thought I would do a dummy run on the LHR to Syd retun Upper, as I couldn't actually believe that these redemption flights were ever available but sure enough, although you can only book to June/July 2010, after changing the leaving date 7 times, up came a return flight in Upper for 180K miles! Fantastic, or was this just beginners luck!
Another question, why VS and not VA? Excuse my ignorance but all this is very new to me and so interesting.

[honey lamb]

quote:Originally posted by SNOMO

Another question, why VS and not VA? Excuse my ignorance but all this is very new to me and so interesting.

It was previously used by another airline at the time of the start up for Virgin Atlantic. I believe it has now been transferred to Virgin Australia

[Decker]

Ah no looking for Sydney on the VS flight will be VS flights not NZ... if you want to float some dates I can check ExpertFlyer for NZ for you...

quote:Originally posted by SNOMO
Air NZ no longer has an Upper/First Class their business class is now the equivalent (so they tell me).


There are some good trip reports that you can search with people's experiences of ANZ business class ... you'll find that it's the same seat and similar layout to VS and generally people like the eating a drinking options.

It's not equivalent to a good first class such as Cathay, Emirates or Singapore ...

That's really kind of you Decker and I may well take you up on the offer as and when I know what dates I would be looking at. Now that Virgin Blue and VS are interlinked regarding Velocity and Flying Club do you think they will eventually introduce a through redemption fare to NZ without having to use the ANZ partner airline for redemption?
I have just found and checked out the Seat Maps - what good info to be gleened there.
I am off to Boston in October flying PE (can't afford UC for this trip) can any one tell me anything about applying/getting a 'ClubHouse Pass' as a Silver FFC member please? Or should that be asked on a new thread?

slinky09 thanks for that info.

[Neil]

quote:Originally posted by SNOMO

I am off to Boston in October flying PE (can't afford UC for this trip) can any one tell me anything about applying/getting a 'ClubHouse Pass' as a Silver FFC member please? Or should that be asked on a new thread?



You don't get access to the CH when flying PE, nor is it a benefit of being FC Ag. Only UC pax or Au members have access to the VS Club houses.

There have been a few times lately when, capacity depending, there has been the option/offer to buy access for 60 per person at airport check in. This however is not standard practice and there are varying reports on how/when/if it happens or still exists.

If you became V-Flyer member, you can post your trip plans in the Itinerary forum and if other members are flying on the same day with access then they might offer you access as there guest, this has been known to happen on numerous occasions.

Seem to have added this twice, sorry

Thanks for the tip Neil, I will enquire about the Clubhouse on the day and keep my fingers crossed (or hang about outside in the hopes that someone takes pity on me). I have taken people in as my guest before but as I am flying PE this time just wondered if a CH pass was obtainable.

quote:Originally posted by SNOMO
Thanks for the tip Neil, I will enquire about the Clubhouse on the day and keep my fingers crossed (or hang about outside in the hopes that someone takes pity on me). I have taken people in as my guest before but as I am flying PE this time just wondered if a CH pass was obtainable.


To be blunt CH access is for UC pax and Gold FC memebrs plus a guest. If one wants to use the CH then you should either buy a UC ticket or fly enough to use that right. Hanging around the CH entrance is just not on [V]

Hackneyguy

quote:
To be blunt CH access is for UC pax and Gold FC memebrs plus a guest. If one wants to use the CH then you should either buy a UC ticket or fly enough to use that right. Hanging around the CH entrance is just not on [V]

Hackneyguy


Oh dear I do seem to have upset you Hackneyguy or perhaps you are just recovering from a humour bypass?
Perhaps this forum is just not for me after all, just when I was about to go up to Gold too, never mind.
Thank you everybody else for your help any way
Regards

SNOMO

When you fly PE with Ag you would need to ask at CHECK-IN if there was any paid access avaiable on the day you check-in and NOT at the CH, because as they say 'refusal often offends' and the long walk back down the stairs to 'ordinary' departures will only annoy and embarass yourself and get your trip off to a bad start.

Any paid access, IF it was available, should be regarded as a BONUS and not a RIGHT and would be determined by the staff at check-in. Factors they would take into account would no doubt include dress and behaviour.

If you are flying UC or have Au then you gain automatic aceess to its portals, and once you are in you wouldn't want the CH to be crowded out with others guests would you? Especially if those 'guests' had just been picked up off the street so to speak.

Standing at the entrance, where you will be pretty sharply (but politly) moved on by the staff anyway once they have determined you are ineligible to enter, or at the bottom of the stairs is definitly not on.

When you do fly UC on your trip to NZ, or just get access because og your Ag status, how would you like to be approached by a total stranger at the bottom of the stairs pleading for you to take them in as a guest? I bet you would be pretty angry and be demanding that VS staff or BAA Security do something about the people who disturbed you. In all reality the VS staff would probbaly spot this anyway and refuse the guest admission in any case.

Where v-flyers do take in fellow v-flyers in to the CH as their guest it has been arranged beforehand, by a private message and by checking who is flying on what day using the itinerary listings.

Don't forget the person (v-flyer or not, and v-flyer is not necessarily known about by all VS staff and it does not confer any sort of addtional special status) who does take a guest in is in some way vouching for that person and that they will behave and not abuse the CH and they would not want a black mark on their VS record.

This forum IS open to everyone but there are certain basic standards of behaviour and criticising or making comments about other v-flyers certainly is not one of them.

[honey lamb]

Oh dear, is it only me who thought SNOMO was joking when she talked about hanging about outside the Clubhouse [?]

quote:Originally posted by honey lamb
Oh dear, is it only me who thought SNOMO was joking when she talked about hanging about outside the Clubhouse [?]




No, I took it to be tongue in cheek too [:)].

[Neil]

quote:Originally posted by DragonLady
quote:Originally posted by honey lamb
Oh dear, is it only me who thought SNOMO was joking when she talked about hanging about outside the Clubhouse [?]




No, I took it to be tongue in cheek too [:)].


Ditto!

Well it raised my hackles as you you know that is rare

quote:Originally posted by honey lamb
Oh dear, is it only me who thought SNOMO was joking when she talked about hanging about outside the Clubhouse [?]

Nope, I did too....

Cheers
Michael

Oh thank goodness for honeylamb, DragonLady, Neil & mcuth and anyone else who read my post with a smile. For one awful moment there I thought I had stumbled upon a forum where a sense of humour had been banned!
Just to clarify, I am a silver FFC member, I have used the ch on several occasions (taking guests in too) also the revival lounge on return from Sydney and Barbados, and the drive thru check-in (which is wonderful). My sad reason for not quite making it before now to Gold is that I fly several times a year to Canada, where unfortunatly VS don't.