Newbee wanting to know about MPM?

Hi everyone.

This is my first post and I have come onto V-Flyer to get as much info as I can on MPM flights.

Rather than get on everyone's nerves with stupid questions every two minutes is there a part of this site or any other site with lots of info.

We have two children so our flights to Orlando would be around or in school holidays time, we don't mind taking them out of school to overlap with the holiday dates but would not take them out mid term. Is there a table that shows when MPM flights are available?

We currently have about 18000 miles and I am considering doing the Tesco Clubcard auto opt in scheme and we spend about £600 to £700 a month on fuel so also considering the Texaco card(even if they are a little bit more expensive) but I am holding out at the moment because of the uncertainty of when you can book.

any help at all would be appreciated.

Thanks


Mally

[Neil]

Hi Mally and welcome.

You can do a search using the words/phrases MPM or Miles plus Money, and you should find numerous topics showing questions/discussions on MPM.

Of course, every situation is different, so if you have a specific question them feel free to ask away. We have many users who have used MPM to get good discounts and also many users who travel to MCO with children, so fully know the issues with getting good and reward fares during the busy holidays.

There isn't anywhere on either V-Flyer or on the VS site that shows a full listed of the dates that have MPM fares available, but if you do a dummy booking on the VS site, the price matrix will show which dates have those fares available and the current fare.

Do remember, that MPM fares don't always offer great (or any) saving over regular revenue and sale fares.

Neil

Hi Mally, Welcome to V Flyer.
The general view around here is that the MPM flights aren't always good value. You might be able to get a decent Economy fare at certain times of the year for not much more than an MPM fare without having to put miles in This also begs the question, are the MPM fares giving you good value on your hard earned miles?
Ultimately this has to be your decision as to how you see the value to you and your travel requirements.

Usually the best value from miles is used as a true "miles only" fare or an upgrade using miles fare. In all cases you will be stung for additional taxes and fees.

As Neil says, the best way to see what is available is to do a dummy booking on-line using all the various options that are relevant to you given the number of miles that you have available.

Maybe a good way to boost your miles is certainly use the Tesco Clubcard route and consider signing up for the Virgin AMEX card (the black card gives you twice as many miles as the white card), or take out the "Proper" Gold Amex card which allows more airline options. By using any of these cards and the Tesco or Texaco cards together, your miles balance will soon go high, especially as you spend such a high amount on fuel. £700 spent on the Black AMEX card gets you 1400 points, plus a sign up miles bonus.

Some of us actually relish the idea of introducing people to sign up for the Virgin AMEX Card as we get points as well!...Points whores?...US...YES! PM me with your email address and I can do that for you!

Welcome...

MPM fares are only available in the lowest fare buckets, and these tend to be very scarce in and around the holiday periods. Orlando seems to be a particular offender in that respect, and flights tend to be be in the higher fare brackets. By the way, I'm making an assumption you're looking at economy fares given the FC miles you have to work with?

I'd echo the previous comment that generally speaking, MPM isn't a great way to use miles, personally I've never seen more than a £20-30 discount from any 'normal' cash economy fare. Set that off against the fact that not only are you spending a 'token' amount of miles to get that discount, but you're also not earning the flown miles from that trip, and it works out a pretty poor deal IMO.

In fact they can sometimes come out MORE expensive, crazy but true - I'm looking at a Dubai flight right now in the June half term week that's about £25 more on an MPM basis...

As someone who has done the MCO route more times than I care to remember (with a child, hence restricted to school hols...)...

Apart from what others have said, if you are prepared to take out of school a couple of days early, you might get lucky with reward fares.

However, on this route in particular, MPM has rarely, if ever, represented a good deal.

I'd encourage you to think more long-term, save the miles, maybe get the amex card etc, and treat yourself to upgrades (even just one way), if and when they become available.

What I did, was to wait until I was ready for other destinations, in my LAX and Barbados, and use them on those flights.

I was able to bag UC returns to LAX last year, buying the correct bucket of eceonomy, then miles to upgrade - now that, is really good value!

In short, on just about any route, MPM is rarely worth it - the best way to use FC miles is on upgrades.

Plus, flexibility on dates is the one thing that will let you get those upgrades.

[Neil]

I have to disagree with the last couple of posters. Again, as a regular MCO traveller, and often with family who are at best occasional long haul flyers, I have found MPM at times a good way to save some cash. On our trip in Easter 2011 we had nearly a £150pp saving, which over a family of 5 was a great saving for them.

Of course, if ultimately you aim is to earn more miles and fly in a better class and save money, the MPM might not be the best route to go down. Yes it can offer a saving, but if you are aiming for more than that and prepared to look at the bigger picture, then paying a bit more on your economy flights for a fare that will earn you miles and TP's, then the future benefits could be better. If however you are likely to fly on VS long haul once every now and then, happy to fly economy and ultimately looking for the cheapest way to get from A to B, MPM could well work for you.

Actually, Neil, that's a good catch.

It's true that you can save a few quid per person using MPM (£150 is the biggest saving I've ever seen), but the downside is that you don't get the miles for that flight and therefore reduce options in the future.

If you're an occasional flyer though, Neil's point is that the saving may work for you, and the fact that you don't acrue further miles on that flight is not as important to you.

Anyway, 'nuff said...

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yes we are occasional long haul flyers (once every two years)and are not interested in PE.

A couple more thing and I will have enough to stew on for a couple of days...

How do I find out what buckets are available on any given flight? I can't find any reference to that on the VS site.

And secondly, I have seen MPM flights and the stated number miles you to trade, is it possible to call VS and trade more miles that the site suggests for further discount?

Cheers Guys

Mally

[Neil]

No, the MPM amounts are fixed, you can't pay more miles and save cash, thems the rules I'm afraid.

Regarding the availability of each fare code, that isn't published on the VS site. There are some sites like Expert Flyer (which requires a subscription) from which you can gather the info, but it only shows a maximum of 9 seats in each fare code, regardless of how many are available. Also, just because there is lower economy fare codes available it doesn't mean there will be MPM fares available. That is something that is decided by revenue management and that figure isn't published anywhere.

Neil... if you managed to get £150 off pp in Y, then I say well done sir... and it might just have tempted me in that case as it would stack up versus the opportunity cost on miles (although it's probably close even then, as an AU that would also be getting miles for my cherubs).

Did you actually succeed during the core easter holiday fortnight, and if so, did you have to book far ahead - because I see that there's nothing doing right now for this year, even with a 'sale' on... In fact I remember an earlier discussion thread where it was suggested that sometimes you can't get much cheaper than B/L fares because of the route popularity at that time of year.

I am genuinely interested myself because I have a suspicion that mouse land will be calling me in a year or two and the prices are quite frankly hair raising compared with the caribbean...

RC

[Neil]

I didn't book them for myself, because I wanted the miles/TP's for future flights, but my sister-in-law and family did. We flew out the Tuesday before Easter weekend for two weeks, MAN-MCO. In all fairness most of the MPM (and reward seats) do tend to be on the VS73 for the outbound we have found.

We booked June the year before, so about 10months or so. There were never any O/N fares released that I saw, with the lowest being X class, and prices around the late £600 early £700's, which are pricey but then Easter is pricey.

Wish I found this site two weeks ago....
Traded some CC points for miles just over a week ago and looked at MPM fares to Orlando for two weeks in July. Economy MPM fares were £493.40 pp across a lot of the days. The date I was looking to book, 12th July, would have cost £681.40 pp normally, so I would have saved £752 for four of us.

Looking at how many of the days had similarly good discounts, and July being 6 months away, I didn't realised just how exceptionally good the MPM fares were, or how quickly they'd disappear

MPM discount is now worth less than £30. Gutted.


Will be keeping a close eye on prices next January that's for sure.

And when you see a price you like nab it because it won't (as you have found out) be there for long,

Bud I'd check both ££ only and MPM fares as sometimes the ££ fare can be cheaper- its all down to which fare buckets are available when you look and book

I've been looking at mpm to Mia in aug 12 last week and that's saving £110 off each ticket. That was available for 9 tickets I may be purchasing

Sorry, should read 8 as can't buy for 9 online