Virgin cc, companion flights and M&M

[Pootle]

Got a bit concerned after reading the August thread about flight prices and seeing a few negatives about the Virgin offers.

We've had great deals with BA Airmiles many times, but recently decided to get a Virgin credit card since you only needed 7500 miles to qualify for the free Companion flight (full fare, I know ) if you got the card with a fee.

Am I wasting my efforts collecting these? Or are the problems people are having only during the school holidays?

Have any of you had good deals recently with either miles and money or the Companion ticket to Orlando, or anywhere else in the US for that matter?

Thanks

 

[AndRu]

I think they're a great idea ... unless you have children and/or want to travel in school holidays. I've looked at M+M flights for half term next February, in Easter and August '07. On each occasion the VA web site reports "No seats available". Yet the same search for normal price seats allows you to book them.

Does this make business sense? Yes. Is it fair on people that have to travel in these months? Personally, I think not.

However, there are some great deals to be had if you can travel whilst kids are at school. So if you are in this position (or if you don't mind the grief of taking your children out of school), then I reckon the points system is great. I just wish I had known that trying to use points with VA during school holidays would be virtually impossible before spending £1000's on their credit card(s) to build my points total. We're now in the position of having almost 60,000 points (with another 9,000 to be added after we travel next August), that we as a family won't be able to use. Not unless it's for short trips that aren't affected by school holidays.

 

[wayneg]

I had no problems using 2,000 points each for next Easter to Florida. Cost £291 each. Fly Easter Saturday for 2 weeks. I also go in 2 weeks (Oct half term)to Los Angeles for 8 nights £375+2,000points.
Next August is the first time I have had a problem using points in school hols but I still think its a bit early to rule out any offers appearing.

 

[Pootle]

wayneg and AndRu: Thanks for your replies which have helped me feel more optimistic. My days of fitting in with school holidays are long gone . One thing's for sure, if I can't get a free companion ticket (in PE), the credit card will be cancelled immediately. BA Amex has been great for us (we get BA miles in other ways too) and I'm about to book business (with BA free companion ticket) to Vancouver and based on past experience I won't have any trouble - but this is for September.

....I just wish I had known that trying to use points with VA during school holidays would be virtually impossible before spending £1000's on their credit card(s) to build my points total. We're now in the position of having almost 60,000 points (with another 9,000 to be added after we travel next August), that we as a family won't be able to use.....

I feel your pain and hope something becomes available for you.

 

[UKDEB]

I don't claim to be an expert in all this, but over several years of securing M+M, Upgrade, Companion and Reward flights, I've built up an idea in my mind of how it all works.

I believe that Flying Club is a loyalty programme which offers genuine benefits. We have been successful in securing either M+M, Upgrade, Companion or Reward flights for all our trips for a good few years now. However, that's largely due the fact that we've been willing (and able) to be flexible. For example, we extended our upcoming trip by two days either side of that originally planned to secure PE Companion flights.

What you need to understand is that there are many classes of ticket sold for any given flight. Each class is assigned a code (these codes apply industry-wide, but their use can differ from airline to airline). There will only ever be certain numbers of seats, per flight, available in each class. For the M+M, Upgrade, Companion and Reward flights there are very few (although ordinarily it appears there is more M+M availability than the other categories). Class G, for example, is used for Reward or Upgrade flights in the Upper Class Cabin. Class T is used for Reward or Companion flights in the PE Cabin. The numbers of seats in these classes will be decided on a flight-by-flight basis. That is why you will often be unable to secure such seats even though the flight is far from full.

One time (before I understood any of this) we phoned to enquire about both Companion and Reward flights in PE. We were given prices for both options and, based on the miles we each had available, decided that our friends would book Companion and we would book Reward. They phoned and booked theirs and then handed the phone to us to book ours. It transpired that there were only 2 seats available in that class on that particular flight. They, of course, had already taken one of those seats, so there was only one left for us to book.

We phoned last week to enquire about Companion and Upgrade (UC) flights for next August. We wanted to fly into Boston and out of Orlando. We could secure either option with no problem for the LHR-BOS leg, but not the MCO-LGW one. We started by trying to move the dates to see if that would make a difference, but (the very knowledgable and helpful) Lee in the Premier Team explained that they don't normally allocate any seats in those codes on any route out of Gatwick - there are only 14 UC seats on those aircraft, so they tend to sell them easily. If there are any unsold seats 7 days before the flight, there's a chance they will release some.

I hope that helps a bit. In summary, for the best chance of securing one of these fare codes, try to be as flexible as possible and to book as early as possible.

 

[Pootle]

Deb, that is just great information and has been printed out. Thanks for taking the trouble to put it down; it's much appreciated

 

[AndRu]

Deb, thanks for the information as it's interesting to know how these schemes work. Unfortunately, we can't be that flexible as due to my DW working at a school and having three children under 12, August was our only option. I know Netty has managed to find some M+M in July/August but we can't go then as my daughter will be in Germany on a school trip. I've been looking / enquiring with VA from June this year for August '07 so I did try early!

From what you've said and from my experience, the VA (and I guess other) schemes are fantastic if you can be flexible, i.e. go while the kids are at school!

 

[Goofyish]

I am also saving Virgin points, hoping to use them for our flights in August 2009! So far we have around 26,000 and I'm busy collecting points with the Virgin White CC and my WE.O.U cards (use both for petrol at Texico, so get double points for each transaction ).

Now I'm worried that when we come to try and use the points we won't be able to! We are also tied to school holidays as DW works in a school.

 

[Goofyish]

Just checked on the Virgin site for next August and they have some M+M flights leaving between 7th and 12th returning between 21st and 22nd for £520

 

[heatherbelle]

Gooyfish

Have you looked into Tesco Loyalty points.

Here's a link to a website, that explains how the system works. Basically in a nutshell, you do your on-line food shop and get bonus points, open lots of accounts, you need to do this, as you can only use one bonus point per account. If you like wine, you can order from the wine warehouse and earn even more.

I've been doing this for 6 months and so far earnt 800.00 in deals towards my next virgin holiday. You have to earn your deals before you book though.

I too also have a virgin white card and am earning miles. I pay for my tesco food shop with it. Tesco's own card doesn't earn as many points.http://www.paidtoshop.co.uk/forum/index.php

 

[Goofyish]

We haven't got a Tesco within 10 miles of us and have never fancied doing the weekly shopping online - I like to pick and choose what I'm buying

 

[UKDEB]

We haven't got a Tesco within 10 miles of us

Count your lucky stars - you can't travel more than about 200 yards around here without coming across a Tesco and they're about to open another in Gloucester!

 

[wayneg]

error on virgin
I just edited this message as Virgin are having problems with their site, I posted some good rates for next Aug, Just been back to book and they have changed only available some dates at £520 again.
Maybe they are in process of changing their site or it was an error I dont know.
Now search engine down totally.

 

[Goofyish]

Just checked on the VA site and the £520 fares are still there for departures up to the 12th August (return dates only up to the 21st though!).