VS/Amex Reward Upgrade

I've just earned my first VAA Credit Card Econ>Premium Reward Upgrade (allocated on FC 15th May) and know nothing about them. I know any reward from VS is subject to T&C's and any rewards are always hard to benefit from but, Can anyone explain whats the best way to play the game and claim this please? i.e. how long are they available to use etc. We only fly for leisure now so restricted anyway and are flying with BA only this year - VS again not till Sept 2013 to SF.
Any help gratefully received as I know someone on here will know all the in's and out's.
Thanks

The voucher can only be used on a miles redemptions. They have a shelf life of a year to be used against a booking from application on to your FC account (so in theory you could use them next May to book a flight for the following calendar year).
I've managed to use them a few times but they've mostly expired in my FC account. Not a huge benefit IMHO.
DL

I agree they are not as valuable as they sound. They only work on totally miles tickets (which do not earn miles/TP) and only in PE so they are nothing that special.
I would rather use the miles necessary to purchase the qualifying ticket for an upgrade.

I have to say I have earnt 2 pa every year for the past 5-6 years and used them. often if you wait for a miles sale it works out fairly good value.Much better value for me than the 2 for 1 companion.

the trick is to be flexible on routes and dates

I personally don't find them usefull at all, but I can see how they can make a nice saving on miles if traveling PE.

[Neil]

I agree they are not as valuable as they sound. They only work on totally miles tickets (which do not earn miles/TP) and only in PE so they are nothing that special.
I would rather use the miles necessary to purchase the qualifying ticket for an upgrade.

I disagree. If you are clever you can get some ''bargains' (if there is such a thing as a bargain airfare anymore).

For the trip, ex MAN to MCO with very limited UC and no option at all due to a/c type on our return tomorrow, during the miles sale last year I booked 2 Y rewards for 25k each, upgraded them to PE with the AmEx vouchers and paid a total of £640. So for £640 and 50k two or us have flown PE to MCO, great value IMO.

To the OP, Just to add to what DL has said, there only needs to be PE reward seats available, not economy, but you just pay the economy mileage value and the voucher upgrades you to PE. You need to call VS to do this.

Last year, mine were added a few days earlier than normal so for 3 days I had 4 in my account. Used 3 to book 3 reward seats in PE to New York, cost 88500 miles and about £1000 in taxes etc. y)

[Nottingham Nick]

There are certainly more 'success stories' with these vouchers than there are with the awful companion seats. 8D

Nick

And as another success story, for next month's trip to Boston I was nearly out of points after snagging two G's for the outward leg. But I only needed 45,000 miles for the two of us to return in Premium, by paying economy and using the upgrade vouchers. Even the Virgin staff member said that this 'appeared to be too much of a bargain'!

Peter

I've been lucky enough to snag an AmEx upgrade over Christmas recently with my first upgrade voucher. I was laughed at when I gave my dates 'you won't get reward flights over Christmas I'm afraid'...

I also used the upgrade for a recent trip to MCO. I find them very useful on that route as PE tends to be about £200 more per person than most of the other routes.*

* By no means fact, but just my perception on where I travel.

Oh thanks so much everyone, we were going to use FC Miles next Sept anyway for SF so thats ok then, so if I play the game I will then just have to decide how to tell my dear husband that he will be sitting on his own up the back for the flight

Just a thought, is the upgrade just for one leg of a return?

As mine was registered in my FC account on the 15th May does that mean I start earning towards another one from that date, so that there is a possibility that I may have another one before the 1st one runs, thus enabling me to make use of the two for our flight, as someone posted above - sorry so many questions

Oh thanks so much everyone, we were going to use FC Miles next Sept anyway for SF so thats ok then, so if I play the game I will then just have to decide how to tell my dear husband that he will be sitting on his own up the back for the flight

Just a thought, is the upgrade just for one leg of return?

The upgrade is for a return.

My wife managed to get one of these PE upgrade through her Amex card. I have to use more of my own miles to be sitting next to her otherwise I would have sat at the back. This was last September MAN-MCO.

To the OP, Just to add to what DL has said, there only needs to be PE reward seats available, not economy, but you just pay the economy mileage value and the voucher upgrades you to PE. You need to call VS to do this.

Just tried to use mine and was told there had to be an economy upgrade available. ?|

[Neil]

To the OP, Just to add to what DL has said, there only needs to be PE reward seats available, not economy, but you just pay the economy mileage value and the voucher upgrades you to PE. You need to call VS to do this.

Just tried to use mine and was told there had to be an economy upgrade available. ?|

Ring back and speak to someone else. There only has to be PE reward seats, not economy. I have used this voucher numerous times, the agent obviously isn't fully aware of the rules, ask to speak to a supervisor if necessary.

Ring back and speak to someone else. There only has to be PE reward seats, not economy. I have used this voucher numerous times, the agent obviously isn't fully aware of the rules, ask to speak to a supervisor if necessary.

So tried again, and success!

£384 for a PE Man to Mco.

[Neil]

Ring back and speak to someone else. There only has to be PE reward seats, not economy. I have used this voucher numerous times, the agent obviously isn't fully aware of the rules, ask to speak to a supervisor if necessary.

So tried again, and success!

£384 for a PE Man to Mco.

y) For getting it sorted, works at a great price for PE, even better when they have a Y reward seat sale on like last year, but still very good.

v( for the fact you had to call back again, I really wish VS would get their CC staff trained up properly, this voucher has been in operation for years now.

It does highlight just how useful forums like this can be (as well as enjoyable of course!)

It is a shame that people would otherwise miss out.

Absolutely couldn't agree more, when i think of the wasted miles and reward vouchers i could have used but didn't know what do with them.

This site is invaluable with the knowledge and information on it and all you experts give yourselves a pat on the back. A big thank you from me. Linda :X :X :X

It does highlight just how useful forums like this can be (as well as enjoyable of course!)

It is a shame that people would otherwise miss out.

agreed this forum is a mind of info,daughter calls me a nerd but doesn't complain when I get good upgrades

I would agree that these upgrades are far more useful than the companion vouchers. We have always waited until theire is a reward seat sale, then used the vouchers to upgrade. Whilst you do have to be flexible on dates (and book as far as possible in advance) we got a family of 4 travelling PE to MCO in may for £1,200 - about the same price as one regular adult seat at that time of year!

We have never found the companion vouchers to be any use - the cost of the flexible ticket you need to buy to utilise it is normally c. 2x the cheapest fare on the website, so have never found it cost effective.