Best use of points

Hi, appreciate that this may be a repeat question for many of you but I can't seem to find help anywhere else in the forum history...

I've built up quite a collection of Virgin points over the last few years yet I'm struggling to spend them!

I have about 63k points, which sounds like a lot but I'm this close to spending them on two redemption flights in economy for my partner and I in the current sale...I know it's a terrible waste but it seems impossible to use them to upgrade without paying a fortune for flexible tickets.

Ideally I'd look to buy a flexible economy ticket and upgrade us both to premium economy both ways, or maybe to upper just one way (probably the best value?).
We're looking to go back to NYC, either over the Christmas, March half term or Easter period (she's a teacher) so are pretty flexible on dates but every time I look the site says it's £1200 per ticket for a flexible ticket or more likely that there arent any available on those dates...is there any way to get them cheaper?

If I was a colder man I'd use them all on myself to get a upper class redemtion one way next time I'm going with the lads...

Sorry for a rambling post...hope you can help

[Nottingham Nick]

I agree the economy redemptions are not the best use of points, but as you have 63K, coupled with the current redemption offers, then this is probably your best course.

Your problem can be summed up in two words - 'school holidays'. n(

Cheap fares are not often available during the school breaks, and as you have already said, you need one of the more expensive buckets to get a fare that can be upgraded with points.

The curse of travelling during peak times is something that is often rued on these, and many other discussion forums. AFAIK, there is very little you can do about it.

If you are absolutely tied. You can wait for sales, or carry on collecting.

Do you have the VS Amex card? If not, that is a very good way of building your points up, and they offer a voucher for Y to PE upgrades on mileage flights - subject to quite a large annual spend.

Nick

[Neil]

It does vary depending on your own personal wants. First thing is don't look for a flexible ticket on the VS site, as it will book you in the highest Y class fare, when an L fare would do. You can either call up to get an L price or use this page on the VS site

If I were you, with 60k, I would look to use them for 2 x one way upgrade to UC. You can buy an L fare one way and then either a discounted economy the other, so an L/N combo (or PE the other way if you wanted, and the upgrade to UC one for 30k miles each.

It might suit you better to upgrade both way to UC, for 20k round trip, but then it comes down to how much price difference there is between the L economy fare, and the cheapest PE fare (K class).

The other thing is, try and book as early as poss to ensure you give yourself the best chance of getting the reward seats.

@Nick, do not start me on school holidays!
She gave up a very well paid job to teach, and it's fantastic, but the days of our cheap getaways in May and September are over...

@Neil, thanks for the link but despite that though, I still cant seem to find any L fares at all, even for non school holiday dates!

[Neil]

Probably best, and easiest to give FC a call, the website isn't the best still, although depending on when you are looking, especially towards this Xmas time, they could have already gone.

thanks chaps, think im going to keep on collecting for a bit...do flexible economy ticket prices go down in the sales also?

[Neil]

Not really, the economy sale prices are usually the lowest fare codes, but prices of all fare codes go up and down.

Not really, the economy sale prices are usually the lowest fare codes, but prices of all fare codes go up and down.

Up. Unless a sale. And don't forget APD goes up a lot this year :0 .

@Nick, do not start me on school holidays!
She gave up a very well paid job to teach, and it's fantastic, but the days of our cheap getaways in May and September are over...

We're in the same position and have settled for digging in and collecting as many miles in as many ways as possible. Over the years (and I can't sugar the pill - it has been years) we managed to accumulate enough to spend miles last year on a couple of UC returns to the west coast.

As Nick pointed out, the VX Amex Card or one of the Amex cards that offer membership rewards that can be exchanged for miles can be a good way of building a miles balance.

One other thing; it is always worth checking fares for school holidays when sales are on. Though these offers often omit these periods, I've had two relatively (!) cheap trips in PE and UC to Boston and NYC during summer holidays and October half term.

Paul

Paul

I have been collecting miles from wherever possible, joined Virgin wines, signed up for life insurance, fly VS where possible and of course pay for everything via the VA Amex card.

The miles are mounting up, but I can never find a reward flight suitable or the fare class to use miles to upgrade is really expensive.

My business partner has 132500 miles and she cant spend them! :0

I also belong to the CSA Skyteam FF programme, you can use miles for other things like a 737 sim session, a hot air balloon ride, car hire etc

[Neil]

The miles are mounting up, but I can never find a reward flight suitable or the fare class to use miles to upgrade is really expensive.

My business partner has 132500 miles and she cant spend them! :0

Not sure where you are looking to go, or when, but we have used miles both for full rewards and upgrades from L class economy fares for nearly all our flights over the past 3 years, to various destinations including MCO/LAX/SFO/MIA/NYC/BOS. We have flown during busy periods, quieter periods, Easter holidays to MCO, and in the main have always got pretty much the dates we wanted.

[Nottingham Nick]

...I also belong to the CSA Skyteam FF programme, you can use miles for other things like a 737 sim session, a hot air balloon ride, car hire etc

Virgin have similar deals - details here on the VS website.

I have no idea if they represent good value, as all my points go on UC redemptions. Like Neil, I have never had much bother finding flights, even in school holidays - you just have to book well in advance, and be a little flexible of the dates of travel.

Nick