Using Virgin Flying club miles

[Skallywag]

Has anyone managed to book using these miles. We have quite an amount of them and so far never been able to use them for flights and wonder what the best way is.

Tried to book to Vegas back from Orlando after Disney Panama cruise - nothing and am going to try for next December to Orlando but would like tips. Seems these are only available on late availability unless anyone can tell me different.
Many thanks.

 

[wayneg]

Only way to do it is check every day(or twice a day) from dates being released until something becomes available. This year Miles and money have not been great. Last year we booked for this Easter £291+2,000 miles, next Easter upto £410+2,000. Still a lot better than full price but not the same savings. This August we got £533+2,000 full price never came below £830 for our dates. For next August there has only been about £50-100 saving so we have used 20,000 miles each for a free flight(£100 tax) and booked with BMI for return flight at £235, £335 for August is really cheap.
You need to be very careful using them, know rough prices for time of year you are booking, I used 2,000 miles each for a M&M to LAX last Oct, few weeks later thay were in a sale and cheaper without using miles.
No set rules for spending miles but my Brother tells me the Vegas route from London is a very difficult route to spend miles on, he goes every 2 months and had about 500,000 miles but has problems using them sometimes(maybe he leaves it too late, he only bookes about a month before going).
Good luck

 

[crabbie1]

Has anyone managed to book using these miles. We have quite an amount of them and so far never been able to use them for flights and wonder what the best way is.

Tried to book to Vegas back from Orlando after Disney Panama cruise - nothing and am going to try for next December to Orlando but would like tips. Seems these are only available on late availability unless anyone can tell me different.
Many thanks.

Hi Scally
I am looking to do the same thing and have traked from about september this year to last week at the prices using miles plus money to get an idea for next.In november the price went from 429(no miles) to 326(with miles) and when I checked last week in november it was 349 (no miles )to 289 (with miles.Its best to keep checking but as wayne said sometimes its only a few pounds difference and its not worth spending your miles.Good luck

 

[Jakey Rowling]

Has anyone managed to book using these miles. We have quite an amount of them and so far never been able to use them for flights and wonder what the best way is.

Tried to book to Vegas back from Orlando after Disney Panama cruise - nothing and am going to try for next December to Orlando but would like tips. Seems these are only available on late availability unless anyone can tell me different.
Many thanks.

If you are looking at using miles + taxes for the whole trip then next December is too early at present, when the window opens (330 days) then you can book the limited seat with little problem I suspect. I have does this in July a couple of times with no real problems.
You can book the outward and inward flight separately with no difference in cost this way so usually getting in there earlier.

If it's miles + money then the advice above is sound imo.

 

[Skallywag]

We tried to book to do the Panama from the first day they opened to fly to Vegas. Nothing at all has opened up on that route although they tell me they always do have seats available.

We also acquired a premium upgrade voucher from the Virgin Amex Credit card so will probably lose that if we cannot book anything in the time. Bit disappointed with the virgin system I must say but perhaps I will be able to sort something out for next December as have sufficient miles.

Thanks for the advice.
Brenda

 

[wayneg]

We tried to book to do the Panama from the first day they opened to fly to Vegas. Nothing at all has opened up on that route although they tell me they always do have seats available.

We also acquired a premium upgrade voucher from the Virgin Amex Credit card so will probably lose that if we cannot book anything in the time. Bit disappointed with the virgin system I must say but perhaps I will be able to sort something out for next December as have sufficient miles.

Thanks for the advice.
Brenda

It is a very frustrating system but its saved me over £3,500 in the past 18 months. This year seems to be harder than last to get good deals with miles.

 

[joanflo]

Hi Brenda, we are going on the PC cruise next Aug too after spaces came up (changed res from West Coast). Originally booked with miles UC return to LAX but had to change when we got PC. Now have PE to LAX and UC from JFK - nothing from MCO. We are tied because my ds enters the 6th form on 3rd Sep so we have to travel back the day the cruise arrives at P Canaveral.