VS/VX tier point run query

If I fly from LAX to SEA via SFO on VX in F, do I get 4 VS tier points or just 2?

I assume the answer is 4, using normal principles.

Thanks for any help...

I think it depends on how it is ticketed. If it is a LAX-SEA ticket I have a feeling it only counts as 2.
If you buy 2 seperate tickets then obviously counts as 4 but the fare may well be higher.

If you upgrade using the special prices then the TP only count for the original class.

Thanks for the reply.

I am pricing it up as one ticket -- it offers me direct and indirect flights.

Generally speaking I think I am right to assume that you would get tier points for both flown sectors (that is how the crazy BA tier point runs work on AA), but I just wonder whether this is how it works on VX/VS.

Like JCBR, my understanding is that if the LAX- SFO -SEA is on one ticket, it will be viewed as a single journey so 2 tier points.
DL

I'd be interested to know the outcome of this. NYC-SFO via LAX on VX is often a lot cheaper than direct NYC-SFO on VX. I've never taken this option but have assumed another advantage is the extra tier points. Can you post if you have any more info?

Thanks very much for the replies.

I'm in a bit of a quandary about this and not sure whether to risk it. If it earns you 4 TPs it is a good deal (better than LAX-SFO), and the return trip can be done in a day -- 8 TPs for about $820. But if it only earns you the single-sector TPs, then it would be better to do the LAX-SFO run a few times.

As I said, I had thought that generally you earn miles and TPs for flown sectors (including connecting sectors). This is not a thru-flight so I had thought I'd be OK, but I am now a bit doubtful.

I'll let you know if I do it (won't be until May) or if I can find out any more about it.

I'd be interested to know the outcome of this. NYC-SFO via LAX on VX is often a lot cheaper than direct NYC-SFO on VX. I've never taken this option but have assumed another advantage is the extra tier points. Can you post if you have any more info?

It is all down to the market and what it will bear.

Some people are willing to pay a premium to fly direct, others are willing to put up with an extra stop to same some money (rather like the AMS 'trick').

Others will simply go direct because they havn't considered the cheaper 'via'route.

For others it comes down to time and the extra $$ for a direct flight is better value because of the time saved.

Yes, I would have thought if its not a thru flight you'd get the full TPs esp if you have 2 separate boarding passes. My only experience has been with US airways flights in First class, where I am booked thru to the final destination but I got 1 TP for each sector flown. No doubt if you ring FC they won't know.

Why not call VX directly ?
If you plan is purely to get TP and you have no real interest in going to SEA and you plan to allocate a day and $800 or so then why not just fly the LAX-SFO route a few times on the same day. It is a shorter flight that SFO-SEA and that way you are sure to get your 2 TP per flight.

You might also consider paying your fare on International (L gets 3TP, S gets 4).

[preiffer]

$800 for 8tp's puts a gold card at $4,000.

Money much better spent either flying in upper in the first place (if the intention is to get "free", $4,000, clubhouse access) or buying something a lot more enjoyable than days wasted on a plane going nowhere...

But then I never really did manage to get my head around "mileage runs"....

But then I never really did manage to get my head around "mileage runs"....

I guess it's just another excuse to fly when the other more sensible ones are used up

[Decker]

Isn't the normal rule "if the flight numbers change you get the TPs for each flight"?

$800 for 8tp's puts a gold card at $4,000.

This is an interesting point.
If I assume that you have 32 TP from normal flying and the extra 8 are intended to get to Gold then the value of Gold to you is about $850.
For that you get lounge access and double miles. To get 32TP you must have taken 6-7 Y/PE flights so probably at least 50k flown miles so $850 for an extra 37.5k miles (you would be getting 25% with silver anyway) is about the going rate for miles if you purchased them. Plus you get lounge access so sounds like a reasonable deal to me and probably cheaper than buying higher fares to get the TP.
However, VX are notoriously slow to award TP and they may not hit within your year end (which I assume must be soon or you would not be doing this).

Bear in mind that if your plan was to get to higher than Gold then the VX TP do not count.

[honey lamb]

However, VX are notoriously slow to award TP and they may not hit within your year end (which I assume must be soon or you would not be doing this).

Bear in mind that if your plan was to get to higher than Gold then the VX TP do not count.

I had an issue with VX not posting miles and TPs after my trip last year and eventually had to send in my eticket and boarding pass. It was coming close to the end of my current year but when I called VS about it I was assured that once the documentation had been received and logged the TPs would be attributed to the current year. They were.

JCBR

Exactly, exactly!

I will be close to Gold. Almost all my travel is on business; work pays for a Y fare and anything else is up to me, so the clubhouse can be a considerable enhancement to a flight and reduces the desire/need to upgrade to a higher cabin with cash. By my calculations I will get at least 20k extra miles (silver is now 50% bonus so I think your calculation is too generous) which would cost £315, so basically I am looking at a relatively small net cost to achieve Gold.

I am not yet convinced myself that it is worth it. But I am convinced that it is the cheapest way to acquire the tier points that I need...

assuming of course that one earns 8 for the round trip and not 4.... which is why I started the thread....

If there was a special offer emailed to me offering 20k miles miles , access to all lounges and LHR arrivals plus UC check-in (private security at LHR) for GBP600 I would think it was a pretty good deal.

I do thin kthe dafer option is to buy 2 round-trips LAX-SFO as the flight time is shorter and you earn 2TP definately for each flight. It would be a shame to do this up to SEA and then find you miss out 4TP.

(whilst some might think you are crazy for doing this I - and I bet a few others here - would do exactly the same)