Increase in points for rewards redemptions

Hi, so it looked like the forum speculation was true. Points for rewards have just jumped (and IMO by quite a lot)

Increase of 5,000 miles, Economy to Premium, one way
Increase of 10,000 miles, Premium to Upper, one way
Increase of 15,000 miles, Economy to Upper, one way

so the EC-UC upgrade has just got up 30000 for a return trip, this is nearly double.

If i had a use for my points i'd cash them in before the rise but doesn't look like I will.

What a surprise !!! Ha

For those who haven't seen the page on the VS site - this takes effect from March 1st.

Can't say I'm shocked though!

Wow! That means you've really got to want the TP and economy miles to make an upgrade worthwhile.

A full upper redemption to NYC is 80K miles + £448.05.

Versus

X economy upgraded to upper 70K miles + £946.05

Wow! That means you've really got to want the TP and economy miles to make an upgrade worthwhile.

A full upper redemption to NYC is 80K miles + £448.05.

Versus

X economy upgraded to upper 70K miles + £946.05

unless full redemptions are set to increase too...

I have to say that I'm surprised by how quickly this has happened, only days after the drop from M to X. Will VS IT be able to implement it so quickly?

I do wonder whether anything will happen to the mile requirement for full redemption. As mentioned by others already, I would also struggle to justify the upgrade if the redemption remains unchanged. Assuming they don't touch the EC redemption(a big if), the PE vouchers could become more valuable...

Will have to wait and see...

unless full redemptions are set to increase too...

It can only be a matter of time. BA now charge up to 120,000 miles for a Club World return to JFK. VS charge 80,000.

It's oft been said that M-G (and now X-G) upgrades are the best use of VS miles. Not any more it seems. Arguably their upgrade prices have been on the generous side but this is a big increase - 100% in the case of PE-UC to the east coast.

Darn ... Just got enough for our 5 PE reward flights but can't book until October ... Oh well better keep saving !!
Lisa x

I am surprised its taken VS so long to get in on the act since the BA increase was last April. It was inevitable I suppose, have been holding onto a few VS miles but the redemptions to where I want to go are non existent was hoping for Vegas next October as they are doing two flights a day in that month and there is some reward availability for this year( Have already booked with BA).
Linda

Let's go with the logic they will increase full rewards. If I booked a flight with miles and wanted to change it in a few months would I have to fork over the extra miles?

I'm guessing you would as when you change a reward flight (full or upgrade) they usually refund the miles and then start again.

I've been caught out with that before when I made the original booking during a reward sale.

I can't say I'm surprised by this after the BA changes last year. VS giveth with one hand and taketh away with the other. EC to UC upgrades have jumped SIGNIFICANTLY, a 30,000 miles increase is huge. Guess we'll have to see what happens with full redemptions, no doubt these will jump eventually.

Well I was dithering over boosting our recent NYC and upcoming SFO flights, since I had plenty and other half was doing okay, but this has spurred me on to boost and get the bonus, make the most of it.

Just had a look at this. A rather disappointing move for all of us obviously.

With the recent miles boost bonus we would have had enough miles for X to G upgrades to Hong Kong, but now are 30,000 miles each short. Grrrrr.

This is the death knell for us collecting FC miles I think. We have never bothered with ex-EU trips as the palava of flight connections put me off, but it seems a better option in light of this change if wanting to fly VS.

I shall direct all my airmiles earning towards Avios as the wider destination choice with BA suits us.

Hey ho, but as others say, no great surprise.

Another nail in VA coffin imo.
Following the herd again.

If Virgin introduced a proper Amex 241 like BA have then they would have a compelling reason to continue to collect miles. With their limited (in comparison to BA) routes, they need to offer something better than the competition to keep us loyal.

The current companion ticket is a joke.

If Virgin introduced a proper Amex 241 like BA have then they would have a compelling reason to continue to collect miles. With their limited (in comparison to BA) routes, they need to offer something better than the competition to keep us loyal.

The current companion ticket is a joke.

Totally agree. Swapping to a BA card on my anniversary date. Want to bag my 2x E to PE vouchers first.

Another nail in VA coffin imo.
Following the herd again.

Hmm following the herd perhaps, but I would disagree that it is another nail in their coffin. Let's not forget that it was only back in 2011/12 that VS reduced the miles needed for upgrades; it used to cost 20,000 for PE-UC one way from LHR-JFK for example. Under this change I am still saving about 5000 miles on what I used to pay so I won't be leading the charge to burn down Crawley Towers in protest just yet.. The question we should be asking ourselves is whether or not the VS hard and soft product is worth the increase in cost to the consumer. In my view, it still is.

In the meantime, I still have a week to plan out any upcoming trips and book Economy 'X' fares to upgrade with the current spend table numbers. Let's hope my luck with Gs holds for some cheap UC flights ahead

Another nail in VA coffin imo.
Following the herd again.

Hmm following the herd perhaps, but I would disagree that it is another nail in their coffin. Let's not forget that it was only back in 2011/12 that VS reduced the miles needed for upgrades; it used to cost 20,000 for PE-UC one way from LHR-JFK for example. Under this change I am still saving about 5000 miles on what I used to pay so I won't be leading the charge to burn down Crawley Towers in protest just yet.. The question we should be asking ourselves is whether or not the VS hard and soft product is worth the increase in cost to the consumer. In my view, it still is.

In the meantime, I still have a week to plan out any upcoming trips and book Economy 'X' fares to upgrade with the current spend table numbers. Let's hope my luck with Gs holds for some cheap UC flights ahead

With all the changes recently, the seem to be squeezing the pips.
And why hasnt the carrier imposed surcharge decreased?
Afteral, Virgin says its to help cover the cost of Fuel http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/us/en/bo ... arges.html
We might be able to fly in the sky, but there is no escaping the cost of fuel and other charges.

So while fuel has got cheaper, has something suddenly got more expensive that is hidden in this carrier imposed surcharge?

And why hasnt the carrier imposed surcharge decreased?

It's recently dropped by £20. Not a staggering amount, but it's something.

And I'm in Joey's camp here. Can't really see this being the death of an entire airline or an airline's brand. Life goes on!

These days the sole purpose of "carrier imposed fees and surcharges" is, surely, to make VS some money they wouldn't otherwise get from miles redemptions.

For those (and I appreciate it's the minority) who are able to take advantage of ex-EU fares in a sale, using miles to pay for your UC flight - either outright or to upgrade - now seems barely worth it. If you know how to find the best ex-EU fares, business class travel is now probably cheaper than it's ever been.

For those (and I appreciate it's the minority) who are able to take advantage of ex-EU fares in a sale, using miles to pay for your UC flight - either outright or to upgrade - now seems barely worth it. If you know how to find the best ex-EU fares, business class travel is now probably cheaper than it's ever been.

I am coming round to that way of thinking. I Miles Boosted our flights just days before the chanegs and now partly regret that. But we will get enough miles for a return X to G trip each. Just a tad annpying. I shall then likely withdraw from any serious VS miles collecting.

BA miles with the x2 241 vouchers we get every 12 months makes more sense for now for us.

We like direct flights from LHR but could quite easily arrange for connecting flights from EXT to DUB and AMS for ex-EU connections. Though this does add extra days on to a trip as i will need a healthy connection time to allay my anxieties relating to missed connectioms

I shall ponder our options.

These days the sole purpose of "carrier imposed fees and surcharges" is, surely, to make VS some money they wouldn't otherwise get from miles redemptions.

For those (and I appreciate it's the minority) who are able to take advantage of ex-EU fares in a sale, using miles to pay for your UC flight - either outright or to upgrade - now seems barely worth it. If you know how to find the best ex-EU fares, business class travel is now probably cheaper than it's ever been.

THere should be transparency in exactly what the surcharges are.
As you say, its just to get some cash for reward redemptions.

The biggest reason why I stopped the upgrade from economy to Upper thing was the rise in the base upgradable fares which happened quietly a while back.

In 2012, we did JFK for about 650 (upgradable fare) + 150 taxes plus, think it might have been 50K miles then.

Now its much more than that, worse for west coast too....

This rise makes little difference to me, my 300K miles were going to used for two G returns without upgrading at some point in the future. The spare will probably go to waste unless I do a ex-DUB return and get more miles. That's only likely to happen if they repeat that 750 quid Upper to West Coast sale they had last month. Sadly the 330 days meant we couldn't book the new year trip.

But if I was planning to mile upgrade that sort of route, the base cost would be like 400 quid more before the miles.... No thanks.

A balanced piece by Raffles at headforpoints here: http://www.headforpoints.com/2016/02/23 ... -upgrades/

Although he has missed the point raised by Smid - that M fares have risen considerably in the last year or two so allowing X fares to be upgraded isn't as generous as it first appears.

Avios earning with BA Amex now makes so much more sense for us as well. The vast network is the real draw, Virgin is only good really for US travel now.

Putting all spending through the Amex ready for the 2 for 1.