Reservation Points - help please

[marlouwrig]

Virgin holidays have justcancelled the Californian coach tour we have booked with them ( I will never book with them again - and as for trying to get some sense out of their Indian Call Centre !!!!!! ). The only alternative they can offer starts a day earlier which means that we would have to cancel our last night at DLH.

We are due to travel 10th July so I assume we would be able to cancel one night at this stage?

Also I understand that the points we used are now and will remain reservation points. But could someone please explain to me when we would have to use those points up by. We have a June use year and these are 2006 points.

I would really appreciate some help as I just can't get my head round this at all.

 

[gilld]

They will need to be used by the end of the use year they came from, so if they are from June 2006 then you will need to use they by the end of May 2007.

 

[Hilary]

They will need to be used by the end of the use year they came from, so if they are from June 2006 then you will need to use they by the end of May 2007.

Phew! I'm so glad (and impressed ) that you knew the answer to this, Gill - I'm afraid I couldn't get to grips with it!

 

[marlouwrig]

Thanks very much for your answer gilld.

Its just got worse now. Virgin have got it wrong again and it now appears we will lost two nights not one which is 70 points. There is no chance of being able to use these in Florida prior to May 2007.

Would I be able to book accommodation with these points before May 2007 for a stay in August 2007 or would I have to actually use the points for a stay by the end of May.

I'm feelling very stressed Virgin have completely ruined all our forward planning. I am thinking I may just cancel the Virgin trip altogether and see if we can put something together ourselves. Not easy with just two months to go and as we don't drive. Also somehow we need to end up in San Francisco. I believe there is a scenic train route from LA to SF - does anyone know about this?

 

[gilld]

Thanks very much for your answer gilld.

Its just got worse now. Virgin have got it wrong again and it now appears we will lost two nights not one which is 70 points. There is no chance of being able to use these in Florida prior to May 2007.

Would I be able to book accommodation with these points before May 2007 for a stay in August 2007 or would I have to actually use the points for a stay by the end of May.

I'm feelling very stressed Virgin have completely ruined all our forward planning. I am thinking I may just cancel the Virgin trip altogether and see if we can put something together ourselves. Not easy with just two months to go and as we don't drive. Also somehow we need to end up in San Francisco. I believe there is a scenic train route from LA to SF - does anyone know about this?

Afraid not, once cancelled points have to be used by the end of the use year they have come from. So as yours are from June '06 they must be used - not just booked - by end of May '07.

Can you book a night in London/DLP or somewhere to use them - if not, and you don't want to lose them completely, you'll have to do what I'm doing and try and rent them out - they can't be transferred. I've got someone interested and have to ring MS tomorrow to try and get their booking.

Sorry your holiday has been completely disorganised - hope you manage to sort it out.

PS I only know this because I cancelled a reservation for september earlier this week and asked MS all the do's and don't's!

 

[Pootle]

I believe there is a scenic train route from LA to SF - does anyone know about this?

Sorry you're having such a bad time sorting this out. It must be very annoying.

I've done the Amtrak train journey from LA all the way up to Seattle, called Coast Starlight, and it was wonderful. It goes through the San Francisco Bay area. Here's the link: http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...te_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321841&ssid=135 (Sorry, I never did get to grips with hiding these links, must try harder )

Union station in LA is just wonderful, they've spent a fortune on a classy restoration, and if you do go the train route, it's worth planning an hour or so in the station soaking up the atmosphere before the train departs. The train has a unique parlour car, with armchairs that turn through 360 degrees. We found it a very sociable experience.

Any questions about the journey, just ask.

 

[jjpenguin]

Marlouwrig,

I'm not really sure at this point but I am toying with the idea of a solo trip later this year, maybe we could exchange points, I use your points for that and you get my 2007 points for when you wish to travel.

As I said, all very much "wishful thinking" but knowing me, once I set my mind to it it'll happen! BTW this only goes for holidays & disney, not stupid things like careers and such

 

[mikki.young]

We went to Californa last year and drove down from SF to LA. If you go to visit Californa website they have lots of links and there were lots of tour companies about. Amtrak is certainly possible but you may have other options - lots of nice places to stop off at on the way up: Santa Barbera, Hearst Castle, Carmel, Monterey Bay to recall just a few. You may be able to combine a number of day trips with the same company and work your way up the coast but I bet there are also plenty who offer complete tours.