Best PE fares/Virgin Club airmiles

Flew PE 3 times last year MAN-MCO each time, Now looking to book our PE seats for early May, returning early June. we are thinking of using some of our virgin club miles, this reduces the flight cost by around £500 for the 2 of us.I cannot see the point of keeping the airmiles as the flights for free upgrade using airmiles appear to be silly prices. I know that there is a economy sale on at the moment, but does not seem to change the PE fares! Has anybody any thoughts on whether there wil be a PE sale? Also, when is the best time to book these PE fares for May travel?

[Neil]

There are PE sales at various times throughout the year and MCO is sometimes included, but you are right that the econ sale doesn't effect the price of a PE fare.

Regarding using miles, you don't need a fully flexible fare that the VS website gives you (a Y fare code), you can use an L fare code. To get prices for that fare code either call VS or use this page on the VS site. Of course there still needs to be reward (U class) availability to use miles.

As to when to get the best prices, that is the million dollar question, and we would be a lot wealthier if we knew the answer. Of course during a sale is the best time, but outside of that the general rule is the earlier you book the cheaper it should be. There are only so many seats in each fare code available, so once the cheapest have all gone you have to go in to the next bucket, which are more expensive.

Just one final thing, with Easter being late this year, a lot of people (myself included) are including early May in to our trip, so that will only push prices and limit availability on the MCO flights.

Not simple I know, but there are options for you to look at.
Neil

I have recently been through the same situation yourself. I have just booked PE fares using M+M from MAN/MCO in November. Found the best solution was to contact FC direct with the dates, having checked the fares on the VS web site and found the saving to be as you mentioned, I felt the saving outweghed the miles which would have been credited had we booked the standard fare. Regarding when to book I would do it fairly soon to get the best choiceof seats.

Thanks for the info guys, will check out the options, at a glance it appears that you can for the same flights, upgrade an L economy for 20000 miles to PE,or, pay around £20 extra and use 7500 points to discount the full PE fare, albeit that trip earns no additional miles. Thanks for the advice. Geoff

Finally got around to booking our MAN to MCO PE seats, looks like we will be on the 333, that is according to the seat map, going to miss the 'bubble'. This flight, Friday May 6th is surprisingly lacking PE customers? Also the return flight Sunday June 5th appears to be short of PE customers. We used our accumulating Flying Club miles to save around £450, at least that will pay for the car rental. Tip, go to Alamo.com, NOT co.uk. click on offers then free uprade and enter your details, remember to put UK as country of origin and when you go through to selection screen you can upgrade yor car for free, compact to midsize or midsize to fullsize.also ignore the 4 door option, it is more dollars and I've never seen a 2 door car to be available in the last 6 trips! Good Luck

Glad you got an outcome you are happy with !

M+M fares do appeaar to vary in how good value they are but looks like you got a good deal.

Finally got around to booking our MAN to MCO PE seats, looks like we will be on the 333, that is according to the seat map, going to miss the 'bubble'. This flight, Friday May 6th is surprisingly lacking PE customers? Also the return flight Sunday June 5th appears to be short of PE customers. We used our accumulating Flying Club miles to save around £450, at least that will pay for the car rental. Tip, go to Alamo.com, NOT co.uk. click on offers then free uprade and enter your details, remember to put UK as country of origin and when you go through to selection screen you can upgrade yor car for free, compact to midsize or midsize to fullsize.also ignore the 4 door option, it is more dollars and I've never seen a 2 door car to be available in the last 6 trips! Good Luck

Good result Geben! Do you know if you still get the 1000 FC miles for using alamo.com as opposed to alamo.co.uk. I suppose with the free upgrade you could always pay £30 to get 1000 FC miles if they weren't offering them. Just interested.

Luke

Luke
Not aware that Alamo.com are tied into VS as a partner company, though will investigate. The savings on the Alamo.com can be as much a £100 as opposed to reserving your car through VS or Alamo.co.uk. Also as you are paying in dollars.If you reserve your car when exchange rate in in sterlings favour, you can save as much as $100. The sterling price is always the same on the Alamo.com site, only the rate of dollars changes. I've reserved and cancelled my reservation as many as 6 times depending on how the $/£ is fluctuating as I will be paying my invoice with a UK Credit card.