You can now spend VS FC miles for VX flights

[Neil]

Just received email from FC about this:

Did you know you can earn Flying Club miles with Virgin America on domestic US flights? Well here’s even more great news: you can now spend your Flying Club miles with them too!

One Premium Economy flight with Virgin Atlantic from London to Los Angeles earns you 19,070 miles – that’s enough for an Economy return trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco with Virgin America (15,000 miles). Or you can fly with them Economy return from Los Angeles to New York for 25,000 miles.

If you’re travelling onwards on your upcoming trip, Virgin America has a range of connecting flights from Orlando

Sounds good y) y)

Full details on the VS website

Sounds good.

Just need to make sure that they have solid processes in place for booking VS/VX connections on one PNR, and schedules are aligned to allow connecting traffic.

[mitchja]

Whilst this sounds good my only concern is that as this is a bilateral agreement (both airlines can now sell there own fares on each others A/C so I presume VX now also have access to VS reward inventory) I just hope this does not reduce VS reward availability.

It's already getting harder to book VS reward flights as it is.

[Pete]

Have to say, about time! Although the redeem rate doesn't look great. 20K flying club miles to fly First LAX-SFO. A fare you can buy for about $275 or thereabouts. On Virgin Atlantic metal 20K can get you a one-way upgrade from Economy - Upper Class, which is probably worth about £700.

[mitchja]

Also just noticed this bit as well:

No one way rewards permitted.

This might cause a few issues depending on the route.

Whilst this sounds good my only concern is that as this is a bilateral agreement (both airlines can now sell there own fares on each others A/C so I presume VX now also have access to VS reward inventory) I just hope this does not reduce VS reward availability.

It's already getting harder to book VS reward flights as it is.

VX have posted on to their Facebook page that you can now use VX elevate points for VS flights
and from March 22nd flights on Virgin Australia.

Facebook says 15,000 VX points for JFK - LHR on VS
Link

Sorry if this is a stupid thing to say... but VX has been a partner airline for a long time - doesn't that mean that reward redemptions have always been available? What exactly has changed?

Sorry if this is a stupid thing to say... but VX has been a partner airline for a long time - doesn't that mean that reward redemptions have always been available? What exactly has changed?

until now you have only been able to earn VS miles flying on VX, not spend VS miles

[Scrooge]

Have to say, about time! Although the redeem rate doesn't look great. 20K flying club miles to fly First LAX-SFO. A fare you can buy for about $275 or thereabouts. On Virgin Atlantic metal 20K can get you a one-way upgrade from Economy - Upper Class, which is probably worth about £700.

That is a massive understatement, 75k for a first class trans con, sorry, not happening, AA is 32500, certainly AA is not as good as VX, but 75k is just way to much.

[mcmbenjamin]

Great!

On the Virgin Atlantic page for Virgin America partner awards, the Palm Springs and Portland routes are not listed.

Any logic in Virgin Atlantic listing every route and the award versus a distance or region based chart? I assume VS will grow, hence listing every route (and updating the chart) with become an exercise.

I think more important than spending miles would be to allign the schedules better so you can connect from VX onto VS flights.
This is very hit and miss at the moment.

[Darren Wheeler]

Aligning VX flights to match VS ones might be a step too far for the US regulators. Would smell like VS influencing what VX do.

I think more important than spending miles would be to allign the schedules better so you can connect from VX onto VS flights.
This is very hit and miss at the moment.

Does anyone know if being a Flying Club Gold member now gets you benefits with Virgin America, e.g. clubhouse access when flying Virgin America? That would be nice

[honey lamb]

Does anyone know if being a Flying Club Gold member now gets you benefits with Virgin America, e.g. clubhouse access when flying Virgin America? That would be nice

Nope! You still have to pay and it is dependent on the CH being open as it only opens to fit in with the VS flight schedules

These partnerships are small potatoes. None of them really add much to maintaining loyalty. You can't use VX facilities, Au bonus doesn't count etc. Can you even upgrade with FC miles or is it just straight miles tickets which are offered.