Tesco Vouchers

[GarryK]

I haven't really looked into this much as we don't shop much at Tesco. However, I know others do and there are several threads about using vouchers with Virgin.

Is it really the case that you concert £10 worth of clubcard vouchers into £40 worth of Virgin hol vouchers ?? That's what the website seems to imply.

If that's the case then DW might be heading to Tesco more than Asda !!!!!!

 

[joolz1910]

I haven't really looked into this much as we don't shop much at Tesco. However, I know others do and there are several threads about using vouchers with Virgin.

Is it really the case that you concert £10 worth of clubcard vouchers into £40 worth of Virgin hol vouchers ?? That's what the website seems to imply.

If that's the case then DW might be heading to Tesco more than Asda !!!!!!

Hi, I shop at Tesco and that is correct - the vouchers are worth x4! The only drawback is that you don't get any other discounts with this, so you have to make sure the amount you get off with your vouchers exceeds the other discounts you would have got anyway. I've been looking into this too.

 

[london75]

You particularly have to make sure that the added cost of Virgin Holidays over doing a DIY holidays doesn't swallow the benefit.

What I did was book a Virgin Holiday for one with a 5 bed villa (yes they do let you do this!!!) and then 4 other flights on Virgin Atlantic on the same flight. There is a good chance the one person will sit separately on the flight but it meant I could use £820 virgin holiday vouchers after saving for 2 years and still get the holiday cheaper than DIY.

Total price for flights (3 adults, 1 child, 1 infant) and accomodation with Premium Economy flights for 3 weeks in May was £4,700

 

[heatherbelle]

Just over a year ago, you could amase enough points to pay for your holiday. We have been to Disney's OKW with free dining and this year are going to LA and San Diego, all paid in full with points. Peeps were buying cars, and Tesco cottoned on to the blips in their IT systems. Up until Jan last year there were loads of loop holes where you gain loads of points, but they have dried up.

If you look up a website called paid to shop, you will find a whole host of us over there, who collect points. We are hoping that Mr T has realised that peeps like their points. I haven't been shopping at Mr T's as much, as there are no extra points to be had, but should they come back, then I'll start shopping there again.

London 75, I love the way you thought of doing that. A good way for those who don't earn vast volumes of points

 

[martinrmn]

I have just paid deposit for our holiday in December and used Tesco vouchers to the value of £1150.00. Although we do not always shop in Tesco my wife and I both have Tesco credit cards. If you shop elsewhere and use the card you still get points. As a community nurse I use a lot of petrol so use the card for this. When we have vouchers to use in Tesco we spend there. However, we do not spend unnecessarily in Tesco just for points. I have looked at the paidtoshop site and it does give some tips. At the end of the day it is worth getting Tesco credit cards because the points are ideal for Virgin holidays. Good luck collecting.

 

[mackay_j]

can you use them if you have already booked the holiday. If so how??

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

You need to have your vouchers before you book. I have some, but can DIY for less so at the minute doesn't seem worth it

I wasn't a fanatic collector - and don't bother now. Not sure what I will use them for at the minute.

 

[Macl1uk]

With Tesco Clubcard Vouchers you have to book direct with Virgin Holidays (not Virgin Atlantic) and pay the full current brochure price, no other discount or promotion is normally allowed.

You will not get your 5% discount for booking on line or any other discount, so your saving in Tesco Clubcard Vouchers must be high to counter the 5% or 10% that can be obtained elsewhere.

Tesco Clubcard Vouchers are valid for 2 years, some people have managed to get them rolled over for another 2 years by ringing up Tesco Clubcard Deals (how long they are going to do this I do not know). At nearly the end of the 2 year valid date for Tesco Clubcard Vouchers, you convert them into Holiday Tokens these have a further 6 months life, so without rolling over your vouchers you can save for 2 ½ years!

All Tesco Clubcard Vouchers must be converted into Holiday Tokens before you book the holiday. You cannot add any Holiday Tokens after the booking is made.

Holiday tokens are worth 4 times the value of Tesco Clubcard Vouchers, so £400 in Tesco Clubcard Vouchers gives you £1,600 off the cost of the holiday.

The Holiday Tokens are only acceptable for the complete holiday - flights and accommodation for the full period and must be for a minimum of 7 nights accommodation.

HOLIDAY TOKENS CANNOT BE USED AGAINST Virgin Holiday Cruises, flights only, fly drives, flight upgrades, hotel room upgrades, car upgrades, car insurance, fuel taxes, airport taxes, excursions, holiday insurance or any other optional extras.

Holiday Tokens are issued with the surname of the cardholder on, you can also use vouchers from other members of the party you are going with, even if they have a different surname as long as they are on the same booking.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

You particularly have to make sure that the added cost of Virgin Holidays over doing a DIY holidays doesn't swallow the benefit.

What I did was book a Virgin Holiday for one with a 5 bed villa (yes they do let you do this!!!) and then 4 other flights on Virgin Atlantic on the same flight. There is a good chance the one person will sit separately on the flight but it meant I could use £820 virgin holiday vouchers after saving for 2 years and still get the holiday cheaper than DIY.

Total price for flights (3 adults, 1 child, 1 infant) and accomodation with Premium Economy flights for 3 weeks in May was £4,700

Do you have to let Virgin know that other people will be staying in the villa - for insurance purposes?

 

[london75]

Do you have to let Virgin know that other people will be staying in the villa - for insurance purposes?

I did say on the phone as I specifically had to ask for a 5 bed as the default for my party size of 1 was a 3 bed. They weren't really interested, I just said I was meeting family over there and we were all staying together but I wanted to pay for the villa.

It doesn't really bother Virgin as obviously the price for 1 is loaded to cover the full villa cost.

From our own insurance point of view we have a good policy and obviously doing it this way reaps benefits over DIY in that if a hurricane prevents flights home, VH have to accomodate me whereas DIY you're on your own and good luck getting a room if the airport is shut. Even if we only get given a single room by VH, at least we've got somewhere to stash the luggage and get a wash rather than sleep on the airport floor!

That's worth bearing in mind if you DIY, who is going to sort you out if there is an emergency. Not that it puts me off normally but it's not something most people consider.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Thanks Might be able to use my vouchers at some point now.

 

[paulh]

rember there is a min spend think around £400.we look at a room only for a week at pop and came in way under
Paulh

 

[daipp]

We were £1.00 short of £3611 for our Christmas and New Year three week holiday with Tesco vouchers last year and had saved for over two years to get them. We intend doing the same for Christmas 2010 and currently have nearly £2000.00 worth.

Very easy system BUT as another poster has said, the points seem harder to come by these days.

David

 

[Macl1uk]

rember there is a min spend think around £400.we look at a room only for a week at pop and came in way under
Paulh

On Tesco Clubcard Deals with Virgin the minimum is £500 and it must include flight and accommodation for the whole period of a minimum of 7 nights. Surely with that in mind the minimum £500 must be exceeded by the flight part of the holiday?

 

[Cyrano]

We were £1.00 short of £3611 for our Christmas and New Year three week holiday with Tesco vouchers last year and had saved for over two years to get them. We intend doing the same for Christmas 2010 and currently have nearly £2000.00 worth.

Very easy system BUT as another poster has said, the points seem harder to come by these days.

David

 

[Camac]

You particularly have to make sure that the added cost of Virgin Holidays over doing a DIY holidays doesn't swallow the benefit.

What I did was book a Virgin Holiday for one with a 5 bed villa (yes they do let you do this!!!) and then 4 other flights on Virgin Atlantic on the same flight. There is a good chance the one person will sit separately on the flight but it meant I could use £820 virgin holiday vouchers after saving for 2 years and still get the holiday cheaper than DIY.

Total price for flights (3 adults, 1 child, 1 infant) and accomodation with Premium Economy flights for 3 weeks in May was £4,700

Another way to do it is to book the cheapest accommodation but not stay in the hotel (we have timeshare). The price of the hotel rooms are coming down in Orlando so you could get a better price booking directly with them but you would have had free flights. Be sure to tell the hotel you will not be checking in or the police will be looking for you to make sure you are safe!

 

[Melcatfish]

Another way to do it is to book the cheapest accommodation but not stay in the hotel (we have timeshare). The price of the hotel rooms are coming down in Orlando so you could get a better price booking directly with them but you would have had free flights. Be sure to tell the hotel you will not be checking in or the police will be looking for you to make sure you are safe!

This is what we are doing. That way we paid for the whole flight portion of our holiday in clubcard deals - we paid £2880 in deals for flights and 17 nights at the cheapest accommodation offered. Although the flights on their own would have been cheaper in cash than £2880 I was definitely happy to pay £720 in Tesco vouchers to get two adults, a child and an infant to Florida!

Mel
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