Virgin cuts, now affecting competitions?!

Just looking at the T&C of this month's Insider competition on the VS newsletter.. They've splashed out on two (yes, two!) economy returns to Dubai, but in the T&Cs you have to pay the taxes too! As there is a sale fare for Dubai at the moment, you get the 134 cost of the flight free, but have to pay 190 each in taxes, fees and surcharges!!

Is it just me, or is that a bit of a miserable prize? I remember when a competition meant a pair of UC tickets somewhere!!

'12. Passenger taxes, charges, fees and surcharges (the amount of which are subject to change) on the prize tickets, are to be paid by the prize winner. '

[mitchja]

You have always had to pay the tax/fees on all competition prize flights.

The high tax/fees also de-values economy reward flights, which I guess is the reason why VS have reduced many of their economy reward flights to only 25,000 miles.

You think that's bad, have a look a BA or BMI's reward domestic flights. In many cases you only have to pay a couple of pounds more for a revenue flight!!!

Regards

I won a pair of Premium Economy tickets to to anywhere exceps Australia and opted for a trip to Japan, this was a couple of years ago as the fuel surcharges were about to hiked up so I was desperate to get it finalised and eventually had it confirmed the day before the tax hike.

Great trip though, 17AC both ways!

[Scrooge]

Yes, dues to the way VS and BA separate the fuel surcharge from the cost of the ticket the reward part does not cover the surcharge.

Honestly though, shouldn't there be a true in advertising thing, a surcharge is supposed to be a short term thing for unusual events, at this point I would say we are beyond that.

I am also hearing a rumor that the Florida AG is starting to look at airlines and the fuel surcharges, now that would be interesting.