Thinking the Unthinkable...

Morning!

I have been sitting on 50,000 miles for two years now and I don't foresee me doing any long haul trips for some time.

I have 20000 Avios and the BA website just makes it so easy to use them and book, the Reward Saver level is great. And I think that BA will provide me with far more options moving forward.

My question is - what do I do with those 50,000 miles?
Someone has recommeded that I turn them into HHonors points and use them for hotel stays. There's also the option of charitable donations too.

What do you think?

[Neil]

Transfer to HH sounds a good option if you are likely to get benefit from them in your HH account.

Personally I would do some shopping or other miles earning and get them extended for another 3 years, their most value is direct with VS and you never know what the future holds.

Virgin Wine?

[buns]

Transfer to HH sounds a good option if you are likely to get benefit from them in your HH account.

Personally I would do some shopping or other miles earning and get them extended for another 3 years, their most value is direct with VS and you never know what the future holds.

Sound advice from Neil y)

You never know what is round the corner and 50k could get a nice upgrade

buns

I am registered with the Tesco Virgin Miles scheme, so they are topping up slowly, but I note that BA are also part of that scheme... so I think I could get further with BA, really.

[Neil]

My point was that if you have some miles hit your account today, it will mean all your miles are kept active for another 3 years, so you can put an other new miles/points where you want yet not have to worry about losing your VS miles. In 3 years time you might have the want/need to use them, but really transferring them out really won't get you very good value from them.

True enough...

I don't dispute what Neil has said, but there is another point of view, which is that just as you cannot predict when you might want or be able to use your miles, neither can anyone predict the future of VS or FC. The greater the pile of miles you have stored away for a rainy day, the more vulnerable you are to a drastic devaluation of them, or airline bankruptcy, and so on. I don't entirely agree with that argument myself, but I do try to use up my miles all the time. Bird in the hand, and all that.

I don't dispute what Neil has said, but there is another point of view, which is that just as you cannot predict when you might want or be able to use your miles, neither can anyone predict the future of VS or FC. The greater the pile of miles you have stored away for a rainy day, the more vulnerable you are to a drastic devaluation of them, or airline bankruptcy, and so on. I don't entirely agree with that argument myself, but I do try to use up my miles all the time. Bird in the hand, and all that.

I've started to think along these lines too. I was happily accruing miles for some indeterminate future event, possibly a post retirement blow out, and then thought "what happens if...". So, have fun with them now...

[Neil]

I don't necessarily disagree with that view point. However the OP stated that they are unlikely to be doing any long haul flights for the next couple of years, it is just fact that transferring miles to another scheme really gives poor value for them. Of course if you are never going to use them on VS then something is better than nothing, but for what they will actually give you in another programme I personally think it is worth keeping them active at least for the next couple of years to see if circumstances change.

it is just fact that transferring miles to another scheme really gives poor value for them. Of course if you are never going to use them on VS then something is better than nothing, but for what they will actually give you in another programme I personally think it is worth keeping them active at least for the next couple of years to see if circumstances change.

True - I was wandering a bit off topic. The 1:2 VS / HHonors exchange makes some sense, particularly if you've status with Hilton and can look forward to at least free wi fi and perhaps exec lounge access (where available). A quick check for the other half shows that a night at the Hilton in Manchester in early November is £169 or 50k miles.

I do notice, however, that Hilton have a got a lot cuter about the redemption rates at particular hotels, where IIRC it used to be just 30/40/50k miles per night.

Devaluation!!!
That has never entered my mind :0
I nearly always have about 400-500k of miles in my FC account as I have trouble using them, kids have to travel in school holidays, don't plane ahead etc,etc.

Does anyone think that is a valid fear???
J

Devaluation!!!
That has never entered my mind :0
I nearly always have about 400-500k of miles in my FC account as I have trouble using them, kids have to travel in school holidays, don't plane ahead etc,etc.

Does anyone think that is a valid fear???
J

Flip of the coin kind of thing. ii)

400-500K is a little high for me, tend to keep around the 250K mark as any more is verging on stockpiling for no real cause in my book.

As soon as I cross that barrier I begin looking for reward flights to random destinations.. given you only have to pay taxes (and YQ ! ) it makes it quite a fair price for premium cabins. Take an extra holiday y) y)

Does anyone think that is a valid fear???
J

Google 'devaluation of frequent flyer miles' -- and then see what you think!
e.g.
http://www.economist.com/node/3536178
(this is tongue-in-cheek but the points are serious)

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/theglobaltraveller/2010/03/frequent-flyer-questions-mileage-devaluation/

... and lots more.

The basic points in many articles are that a) there is an enormous number of miles in circulation now; and b) ease of redemption never seems to get any easier. I think that it follows logically that, all other things being equal, miles are susceptible to persistent devaluation.

I'm in dilemma as well, having just carried out my first Virgin flight, I would definitely use them again. I may have to go to the US in a couple of weeks for work and to be honest, it may be the first of a few trips. I currently have Avios with BA and now miles with VS, however I'm struggling with deciding who to fly with to the USA to top up miles.

As our company travel is not good (i.e fly economy) the oppurtunity for earning big tier points and miles is not great with either, however with BA having a much bigger network i'm thinking of BA because I can use miles for Eurpoean flights whereas VS is only long haul and we will only ever tend to fly together as a couple when we book through VH, which will only be once per year and upgrading with a VH ticket is not that easy.

With the bonus we signed up for before going to Cancun will operate on my next 2 flights, I would make Silver on my next VS flight, but I really can't see any massive benefit to make me use VS, i'm unlikely to make gold and even if I did, would it be any use ?

Opinions...........

Opinions...........

...of VS or BA?????

Errrr which is best and more convenient for yourself? is the main question.

As you say you fly with VS on holiday, you may be able to gather miles for a holiday upgrade if you move your work travel over to VS, I would recommend booking flights with VS directly and then hotels/transfers with VH - gives you more options and more often than not is cheaper... On the other hand if BA fly where you need to go, take BA out for a spin...

In terms of service BA have improved immensely over the past couple of years, however it has taken them a time to get there. VS service seesaws a fair amount granted but I still prefer their service offerings to BA - consistency perhaps..

Silver gives you more mileage, which will get you closer to rewards.

Can't really tell you one airline is better than the other, because although classed as competition they offer very different products. In my opinion VS UC is still miles better than the business class that BA flies... no comparison with BA First though - but then again it isn't supposed to.

Economy and PE on board the refits and the new A333s have an awesome IFE which BA cannot compete with just yet.. The seats are also more comfortable and I find more spacious on the VS flights than with BA in my experience.. assuming they clean them that is ii)

Sorry this is just going to turn into a BA against VS list isn't it.... from my perspective I made the choice years ago given the comparison at the time made it easy - VS were miles ahead of BA in nearly every regard - BA have closed the gap in recent years but VS still have a slight edge in my opinion. I reached AU a few years ago and have not looked back since - the AU benefits will (for now) keep me loyal to VS, which I guess is the point of the loyalty programs :w

I find myself increasingly considering BA before VS......

The service is adequate - and I'm frankly not that fussed as long as they are professional - I don't recognise these unchatty BA CC, I've always found them very friendly. Obviously, the differences are too subtle for me.

The route network is huge and thus the loyalty programme more flexible.

My child gets Avios.

I get a household account...

BA CW is not as good as VS UC - but is usually cheaper, and the upgrade using Avios is fantastic.

BA are consistently consisistent - unlike VS where an outbound in Y can (and has been) superior to my inbound in W.

If you predominantly want to fly to VS destinations, then it makes sense to major on them.

If not, well, you're just going to need to make your decision...

That's sort of what I thought. I have always been a BA man and have used miles for a couple of "free" flights in the past for European destinations.

To be fair, I have never really had a bad crew on BA, perhaps they are not as friendly as my return crew on VS, however never had a BA crew as non existent as the outbound crew. They are consistent and I think if VS were like that they would be my choice, difficult to judge on 1 flight, so I might give VS another try to MCO before making a decision. Will at least give me silver for the next 12 months !

Devaluation!!!
That has never entered my mind :0
I nearly always have about 400-500k of miles in my FC account as I have trouble using them, kids have to travel in school holidays, don't plane ahead etc,etc.

Does anyone think that is a valid fear???
J

Yes, it's happening now, movement of flight costs from the base fare into fuel surcharge...