Virgin flyer miles

[katytrott]

Was hoping anyone could give me advice/tips etc on Virgin flyer miles. We've just discovered them as most of our trips have been with Thomas Cook, Monarch etc, but our last one was with Virgin. On the way home last Oct we got diverted mid flight to Boston for a day, so we were compensated 35,000 flyer miles between the 4 of us. We've just cashed them in, and have opened a whole world of other ways to save them. We are considering getting a virgin credit card to get the imediate 3000 miles, collect miles by buying through that and setting our account up to pay it off at the end of the month.

I've also found the "Shop's Away" thing through the Virgin site and am intending to use that. Frustrating that this last year me with Cath Kidston, DH and Evans cycles and kids with Early learning centre, we could have earned round the world tickets for the whole of our village!!

Anyone had any experience/tips you could share with me? eg how to redeem them. Is it true we can share the total out over the 4 of us to get money off each of our tickets rather than getting one free ticket? We had to put the kids flyer miles on one of the adults account as they are too young to have an account, so when my DH discussed this with virgin they put my flyer miles on his account as well.

TIA

 

[WiganTony]

If you shop at Tesco and collect their Clubcard vouchers, you can redeem them for VA Flying Club miles as well - think it's £2.50 vouchers for 600 miles.

I also recently took out a VA Amex Card, and my VA miles total has rocketed as I used the card to pay off the balance of our Disney invoice and had 9000 bonus miles credited.

With regard to your question on using miles to get discounts, these are the Miles plus Money fares (see here for details). I have seen people get some really decent discounts on fares, but be warned that you may find it cheaper to book a "normal" fare, or the Miles plus Money may only give £40-£50 discount. Best advice is to keep checking on a daily basis for those bargain reductions!!!

 

[Raff42]

I have the VA amex card and my miles shoot up but I can only ever get miles plus money flights to new york. I love new york like so i go a lot but i expected to get a lot more for my money seeing as though I do my monthly spend on it and then pay it off before interest. I have about 20,000 miles and I can't really spend it on much because its much cheaper to book any disney holidays through travel city.

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

I also have a VA Amex card and what with using that and any points we get from flying VA we've been able to utilise our points quite well. We've used them to get M+M PE flights on our last 2 trips to Orlando and I've also used them to upgrade DH and my flights to Hong Kong to UC later on this year

 

[katytrott]

Thanks everyone

Best advice is to keep checking on a daily basis for those bargain reductions!!!

I think this Miles plus Money is what we're looking at doing. When you said to keep checking on a daily basis, is that just checking Virgin or do you check other sites as well? If other ones, do you do the same search at a comparison site each day eg Kayak.co.uk?

My other thought is we are wanting to fly next May and we can't book anything with Virgin till it's 11months before. In that circumstance would you start looking when it's 11 months preflight and hold off buying for a month in case deals come out, or is it best to book asap (I think I may be taking my own thread OT!)

 

[katytrott]

I have the VA amex card and my miles shoot up but I can only ever get miles plus money flights to new york. I love new york like so i go a lot but i expected to get a lot more for my money seeing as though I do my monthly spend on it and then pay it off before interest. I have about 20,000 miles and I can't really spend it on much because its much cheaper to book any disney holidays through travel city.

Only for NY? - is that the same for everyone? If not, why have you got this restriction?

 

[katytrott]

I also have a VA Amex card and what with using that and any points we get from flying VA we've been able to utilise our points quite well. We've used them to get M+M PE flights on our last 2 trips to Orlando and I've also used them to upgrade DH and my flights to Hong Kong to UC later on this year

Sounds awesome!

 

[higgy66]

I've got loads of miles but as I have always managed to haggle a decent package price I've never had to go DIY so I've never got to use them

I've enough for a free flight (pay taxes) to New York so have decided that I'm just going to keep banking them until I have enough for 2 free flights to NY then me and hubby will have a sneaky week away on our own!

 

[Helen B]

I've just 'cashed' in 9500 miles for our flights in November to Orlando. Going out in Economy and back in Premium, and it saved us just over £100 per person, but even looking for if we did the whole journey in economy the saving was about £90. I don't think I've ever had a saving of less than £90 for an M+M flight.

 

[WiganTony]

I think this Miles plus Money is what we're looking at doing. When you said to keep checking on a daily basis, is that just checking Virgin or do you check other sites as well? If other ones, do you do the same search at a comparison site each day eg Kayak.co.uk?

I would suggest checking the VA website for the Miles plus Money fares, plus also keep checking Kayak to see if you can get a better fare on another airline (e.g. BA LGW to MCO or TPA direct, or indirect flights).

You do need to be careful as when I was having a nosey on flights from LHR to the West Coast, the Miles plus Money option was working out dearer as they only had these prices on one flight - th eother had cheaper seats paying in full.

 

[Disney Princesses LW]

how far in advance can you book the Miles plus Money is it still 11 months before?? Are seats on a first come first served basis

 

[mattnkatsmum]

Don't forget that if you use miles plus money you don't actually earn any Virgin points on that flight, so that is always worth factoring in. I have had mixed results with miles plus money, but managed a decent saving on our July flights, for a change.

I think the best use of points is an economy to upper class upgrade. I try and save my points and have a decent splurge every so often.

 

[katytrott]

how far in advance can you book the Miles plus Money is it still 11 months before?? Are seats on a first come first served basis

I would say yes for both questions. Very confident on that for the 1st, fairly confident for the 2nd!

 

[katytrott]

Don't forget that if you use miles plus money you don't actually earn any Virgin points on that flight, so that is always worth factoring in. I have had mixed results with miles plus money, but managed a decent saving on our July flights, for a change.

I think the best use of points is an economy to upper class upgrade. I try and save my points and have a decent splurge every so often.

I did not realise this - thanks

I would suggest checking the VA website for the Miles plus Money fares, plus also keep checking Kayak to see if you can get a better fare on another airline (e.g. BA LGW to MCO or TPA direct, or indirect flights).

You do need to be careful as when I was having a nosey on flights from LHR to the West Coast, the Miles plus Money option was working out dearer as they only had these prices on one flight - th eother had cheaper seats paying in full.

I shall get hunting and be patient then!

 

[katytrott]

No one has had any experience with Shop's Away then?

 

[Rienchen]

can you upgrade any flight ot do they have to be flexible fares?

I have 50000 miles sitting in my account and would love to upgrade OH and me next year

 

[Helen B]

No one has had any experience with Shop's Away then?

Yes, I've used shops away, it tracks your purchases much like quidco does, and eventually the miles will appear in your account. When the miles do appear then the expiry date will update as well.

I've also found that you can collect miles and loyalty points. For example you can link through to expedia, and receive nectar points as well as miles, the same with Boots you can also get your advantage card points.