Upper class D fare

I have an upper class d fare for mco to lgw on 4/01/2013. May have to change date to an earlier flight. Does anyone know if this is possible without charge

[Neil]

There is a £200 change fee on a D class ticket.

Is it same for I class fare as my partner has this fare code. thanks for the quick response

[Neil]

Changes are not permitted on I class fares at all.
The only thing you can do is for a £90 use the fare you have paid towards a bu/br fare (think a D might qualify in UC, if not then a J), but that is obviously a very expensive way of changing date.

Neil what's a bu/br fare?

[Neil]

Neil what's a bu/br fare?

br = business restricted (so a D fare)
bu = business unrestricted (so a J fare)

I must have been lucky in September, I changes a Z fare from a Tuesday to the previous Sunday and they only charged me £90.

-Steve

I must have been lucky in September, I changes a Z fare from a Tuesday to the previous Sunday and they only charged me £90.

Yeh does sound pretty lucky given the stigma of the Z fare, although to be honest frequent VS travellers tend to be given a little bit more leeway regardless of fare class... in the past I have been able to change 'non-refundable and non-changeable' flights with minimal charges and in one instance was late for check in at JFK( through no fault of my own for once ) missed the first flight out and they transferred me onto the next one no charge... lucky ?|

Perhaps just one of those unwritten benefits that keeps me loyal to VS...

I have an upper class d fare for mco to lgw on 4/01/2013. May have to change date to an earlier flight. Does anyone know if this is possible without charge

Technically no.. there is usually a charge for switching flights unless you get very lucky.

Anything is possible though.. give VS a call, explain the situation and they may allow you and your partner to change for just the change fees if there is availability. No doubt I am about to be set upon saying I am being overly optimistic. Perhaps.. but worth a pop all the same

If i remember correctly this kind of thing has come up before, didn't I suggest that the poster on that occassion pay the £90 and use the 'banked' funds used on the Z or I fare to pay for a PE 'S' or 'W' and then upgrade with miles.... technically this is possible too isn't it? Not sure if it was ever tried, can't appear to find the thread

Good luck though 8D

Don't forget that to change it, even with the fee, there has to be D availability on the flight you want to move to, and if there is a fare difference isn't that chargeable too?

thanks for all the help.

[Neil]

If i remember correctly this kind of thing has come up before, didn't I suggest that the poster on that occassion pay the £90 and use the 'banked' funds used on the Z or I fare to pay for a PE 'S' or 'W' and then upgrade with miles.... technically this is possible too isn't it? Not sure if it was ever tried, can't appear to find the thread

Good luck though 8D

I don't think it is, the t&c's clearly states that the funds from the Z/I fare can be used towards a bu/br fare, the important part of that being the b, which = business. So wanting use those funds towards a premium fare technically isn't what the rules allow.

Don't forget that to change it, even with the fee, there has to be D availability on the flight you want to move to, and if there is a fare difference isn't that chargeable too?

Yes that is correct, must be D fares on the new date and if the fare or taxes element has changed (gone up!) since booking, the change has to be reprised as if you were booking afresh on that date and the difference paid along with the change fee.

I don't think it is, the t&c's clearly states that the funds from the Z/I fare can be used towards a bu/br fare, the important part of that being the b, which = business. So wanting use those funds towards a premium fare technically isn't what the rules allow.

Ha, come on Neil, you agreed with the loophole last time ii) ... found the thread by the way.

It does not state that you have to be in the same class of travel, wouldn't what constituted bu/br be interpretive anyway? Upper Class does not have the word business in it and indeed there are some carriers out there that would consider the premium economy cabin a business offering

Regardless the exact wording is:

may be used as credit towards the purchase of a bu/br fare type at a price of gbp90

If you are using miles to upgrade back to upper then the funds banked are being used towards the purchase of a higher fare PE ticket that is then being upgraded into the UC cabin - see what I did there ... towards the purchase... didn't say you can't use miles to make up the difference to the br fare (i.e 'G')

Good luck Hutch, hope it irons out.. if you do manage to convince them of this sneaky way, please do let us know 8D

If you are using miles to upgrade back to upper then the funds banked are being used towards the purchase of a higher fare PE ticket that is then being upgraded into the UC cabin - see what I did there ... towards the purchase... didn't say you can't use miles to make up the difference to the br fare (i.e 'G')

There are complex derivate products being investigated by the Bank of England that are easier to understand....

Regardless the exact wording is:

may be used as credit towards the purchase of a bu/br fare type at a price of gbp90

I get what you are saying, but if you end up with an PE ticket upgraded to UC with miles, you are not ending up with the purchase of a bu/br fare -- a redemption booking would surely not be classed as such. So I don't think it would work.

[Neil]

Ha, come on Neil, you agreed with the loophole last time ii) ... found the thread by the way.

It does not state that you have to be in the same class of travel, wouldn't what constituted bu/br be interpretive anyway? Upper Class does not have the word business in it and indeed there are some carriers out there that would consider the premium economy cabin a business offering

I know, I know , but after looking in to it some more I think the bu/br wording would stop you using that loophole. Yes VS don't call it business, but that is what it is, and that is what the bu/br are relating to and is standard phrasing across airlines. There are other airlines that have similar restrictions on Econ fares and the t&c's use eu/er for economy restricted/unrestricted.

I get what you are saying, but if you end up with an PE ticket upgraded to UC with miles, you are not ending up with the purchase of a bu/br fare -- a redemption booking would surely not be classed as such. So I don't think it would work.

:0 :0 :0 999 :0 :0 :0 Next one is the big one!!! I will be expecting a speech

Come on at240 you are purchasing the ticket from VS - base transaction. Call it a redemption booking if you wish, but you are giving them something in exchange for a seat on their nice shiny plane ii)

Thinking of it a diff way... a G fare in UC costs £xxx (initial W or even Y fare) + xxxx miles to upgrade to - it would be called a Business restricted fare as it is a business fare that has restrictions on changes.. (admitting UC is business for a moment ii) ) Therefore fully within the rules as stated in the T&Cs - I think I may have missed a calling as a lawyer or perhaps I should work for the BofE as I can see the logic in this.. complex derivitive trading aside

As I said to the OP guys, they can but try. The wording of the T&Cs is open enough to allow this kind of action if they make a sound line of argument.. all depends on the kind of agent they speak to I guess. I am waiting for the opportunity to present itself so I can try this myself... so far not come up n( Would enjoy fighting this corner with VS.

Fingers crossed 8D

[Neil]

Thinking of it a diff way... a G fare in UC costs £xxx (initial W or even Y fare) + xxxx miles to upgrade to - it would be called a Business restricted fare as it is a business fare that has restrictions on changes.. (admitting UC is business for a moment ii) ) Therefore fully within the rules as stated in the T&Cs

You can't use that, because by your definition then a Z fare is a br fare, but it isn't. With VS a br fare is a D fare and a bu is a J fare.

Fare rules are VERY complicated, and I don't think of any of us fully understand them all, although I know a couple of people who are very good at them. It isn't the sort of thing airlines are flexible on, and while it might be fun to test the water I think it would ultimately result in you wasting a lot of time.

You can't use that, because by your definition then a Z fare is a br fare, but it isn't. With VS a br fare is a D fare and a bu is a J fare.

Fare rules are VERY complicated, and I don't think of any of us fully understand them all, although I know a couple of people who are very good at them. It isn't the sort of thing airlines are flexible on, and while it might be fun to test the water I think it would ultimately result in you wasting a lot of time.

Ahhh, standing ready to be corrected :0

So only two of the fare classes are classed as bu and br? I assumed they were groups of sub fares that differed due to what restrictions were on the tickets and of course cost.. ?|

In this universal b fare world, what would an I, Z or G be classed as? bs

I agree they are complicated, it is staggering the amount of variables there are in something, I would think, that should be simple. My time is never wasted, like Edison I am merely investigating how not to make a lightbulb i)

joeyc, what exactly is "the stigma of a Z fare" ?|

joeyc, what exactly is "the stigma of a Z fare" ?|

Oh, forgot I had put that. I don't know tbh, from personal expierence holding a Z fare ticket has always been met with a bit of a

When calling up to enquire about moving seats, DTCI etc.. when discovering the Z fare in the booking, the mood of the CS agent changes.. it is odd and noticable. They are not being rude or anything just literally back to the script and almost trying to contain laughter - same thing if I draw the check in agent's attention to this evidently hilarious fact.... it is really strange. May very well just be me, or may be the result of some in-joke about.. "Oh only a 'Z' fare.. that is the cheapest UC ticket you can buy" )

Any other guesses? or am I just being paranoid :0 :0 .... but they are following me all the time.... they are I tell you!!!!

Oh, forgot I had put that. I don't know tbh, from personal expierence holding a Z fare ticket has always been met with a bit of a

When calling up to enquire about moving seats, DTCI etc.. when discovering the Z fare in the booking, the mood of the CS agent changes.. it is odd and noticable. They are not being rude or anything just literally back to the script and almost trying to contain laughter - same thing if I draw the check in agent's attention to this evidently hilarious fact.... it is really strange. May very well just be me, or may be the result of some in-joke about.. "Oh only a 'Z' fare.. that is the cheapest UC ticket you can buy"

Any other guesses? or am I just being paranoid .... but they are following me all the time.... they are I tell you!!!!

Thanks for the prompt reply y) I asked as I have had Z fares before (I book through Virgin Holidays) and for our next flight (VS73 next April) we have an I fare out and a Z home. I'll look out for anyone looking down their nose at me v( and report back to Vflyer.

[Neil]

I have to say I have never noticed or felt I was treated differently for being on a Z fare.

Certainly on board the crew won't have a clue what fare you are on as all UC board cards will shows J/W/Y only, and this is one of the reasons for that.

Certainly on board the crew won't have a clue what fare you are on as all UC board cards will shows J/W/Y only, and this is one of the reasons for that.

You say one... can you name the others?

I asked as I have had Z fares before (I book through Virgin Holidays) and for our next flight (VS73 next April) we have an I fare out and a Z home.

My apologies if I caused any undue concern... no tangible stigma attached to it - just something that I observed, probably resultant from an injoke or from some banter that had previously been said and evidently enjoyed. 8D

[Neil]

You say one... can you name the others?

Yes, but I don't want to ):

I have to say I have never noticed or felt I was treated differently for being on a Z fare.

Nor I, whether on the flight or beforehand when making the booking or arranging DTCI and the like. But perhaps I'm just thick skinned...

we have an I fare out and a Z home. I'll look out for anyone looking down their nose at me v( and report back to Vflyer.

Problem is, seek and you'll tend to find