Getting rid of half a million virgin miles

You'd think it would be easy, right?

IN fact, I'm finding it almost impossible to pick a desired flight (LAX, SFO, JNB) becuase, even with extreme flexibility, I cna find options outwards for two seats, but none available for the return. This was for the second half of 2015. It's all a bit depressing.

Can I flog the miles on ebay?

Rob

You can try but it is against the T&Cs and Virgin do monitor ebay and can and have closed peoples accounts.

You could move them to the hilton miles programme and use them for rooms.

Yes, I thought as much!
Oh well. But the inability to use miles also makes it much less likely I'll retain my VS credit cards. We put all our spending through this, but it seems to have limited value if we can't use the single benefit.

TSK!

Return flights from the US are notoriously tight for G availability, presumably because VS know they're more likely to sell UC seats due to the demand for flat beds on night flights.

Do not despair though: if there are still unsold seats at check-in, they'll very often sell you a miles upgrade at the desk. No guarantee, obviously, and you may want to do load checks to get an idea of how busy UC is as ultimately if it's full there won't be any Gs!

I guess I could use my VS miles on Delta. I hvae to go to Brazil a couple of time next year, and Delta fly to Rio and Sao Paolo.

Or JNB would work, as a trip to Namibia or Tanzania bird watching works for me.

I just despaired at the complete lack of decent options, which makes me think that airmiles are a bit illusory as a benefit. My mistake in letting 500,000 build up, I suppose.

If you can find upper seats outbound are there any p/e seats inbound.

If your using the old system to search IE the old web pages as opposed to the new pages that show all classes with the little coloured stripes there are maybe premium seats inbound that could potentially be upgraded closer to departure.

The other option is to phone as sometimes a (good) agent can find availability that's not showing online

Hope you manage to get something sorted.

David.

Or potentially a flight into NYC (which seems to have quite a bit availability) then and onward connection with Delta or VIrgin America ....

I seem to have a problem of not enough miles in my account, so maybe I could help you out

What times of year is the OP trying to book for? (e.g. is it school holidays / significant public holidays in the country of departure).

Only asking as - maybe I have been lucky - but I have yet to have a problem getting 2 UC seats on the MCO routes in May (early, not half-term) or November (again, early to avoid Thanksgiving). And these are on aircraft with only 14 UC seats.

Sure, I have not always been able to book both seats as outright G's both ways from the start, but frequent checking and perseverance has always paid off.

If the OP does want to dispose of the miles, the best way is to find a friend who wants a flight & book it for them using miles. Come to a private agreement that they will reimburse you for the taxes/fees/charges + whatever for the miles. To Virgin it then appears that you have booked a flight for a friend using your miles, which is fine.

My experience has been that Gs are often released one at a time (presumably in relation to how revenue fares are selling, and also other pax moving their reward seats to different dates). If you re-do your search just looking for one ticket, you'll most likely find significantly more availability for the dates you are interested in.

If you do, then a good hedge would be to use your miles to purchase one reward seat in UC and one reward seat in PE (so look for flights where both cabins have one seat available - easy with the new colour-coded system).

Then just keep checking that flight every day until another G comes available; when it does (and they do!), just pay the miles and tax difference. Because you're only looking for one G at a time, you stand much more of a statistical chance than always looking for two G tickets.

For example you and I might be looking for 2 G tickets on the same flight right now, which only has one G available. You let it go because you want two G tickets now. Instead, I buy up that one G. In a month or so another G is released, which is also of no use to you, because you still want two. I then buy that single G.

Good luck!

Everyone's experience of using miles is different. With partner miles there are several unwritten rules - like don't expect to travel business to NZ on Air NZ

But in virgin territory,over 10 years and probably 20 redemptions, I"ve NEVER failed to get G's on the route and date I've wanted. Read the IATA rules on booking in advance, and it's always worked for me!

Regards

Peter

apart from T&C's the transfer fees would be extortionate.

quick look & I see SFO for October out on 6th 7th 13th & 14th Tues & Weds
Return 19th or 20th Mon & Tues