| Author |  Topic  |
Forrest
![]() United Kingdom
2 Posts
Joined: 14 May 2008
Status: offline |  Posted - 14 May 2008 : 16:59:13  
| Hi - i was hoping that some of you on here might be able to suggest how i can make best use of some flying club miles for a family trip to Orlando next year.
Basically we (myself, wife and son) were given miles due to a 24 hour delay last summer we plan to use those for a return trip next summer and I'm not really sure of the best way to use them. For info purposes I have 47k miles (which include those for my son) and my wife has 31.5k miles.
As far as I can make out we cannot merge the miles into one account, and therefore do not have enough individually to obtain one free flight. My options are therefore:
1) Use the miles plus money
OR
2) Get a free companion ticket with at least one fully paid up fare. However that companion deal only seems to be relevant from Premium economy (and not economy)?
I suppose at the end of the day if we were going to go anyway and we can get all three of us there and back in Premium for what we were going to pay for economy then that is ok, but just not sure if I am making best use of the opportunities.
Any advice / ideas gratefully received thanks in advance
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SDJ
 United Kingdom
1343 Posts
Joined: 16 Nov 2005
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jillizzy
United Kingdom
294 Posts
Joined: 30 Mar 2005
Status: offline | Posted - 14 May 2008 : 17:15:00
| You cannot merge the miles but you can take 50% from one account and 50% from another, in essence booking two one-way reward flights. It is also possible to buy more miles to make up for an extra ticket.
I think my answer would depend on whether you have 47K in one account or whether that is split too.
Obviously it's too early to book for summer next year as flights are only bookable through VA until the end of April 09.
HTH
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steph_goodrum
 United Kingdom
6659 Posts
Joined: 12 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 14 May 2008 : 17:44:26
| Have you checked the Flying Club website at all as they sometimes have offers on.
I looked at going to Boston and then to Orlando in the summer and could have done the trip for 80,000 miles instead of 100,000. The miles are valid for 3 years so why not pay the normal economy fare for next year (depending on when you want to go) and then you and your wife will have enough miles for a free trip after that.
It depends when you want to go what is the best way of using them, if you are tied to school hols (I am assuming your son must be under 12 if you got his miles.) then to use the companion flight s quite expensive as you have get a fully paid fare in Economy (which may be why it looks like a Premium economy price, I think the ticket class has to be something lik Y,B,L possibly M.
The did have an option to "gift miles" so you could have top your wifes up with yours if you could get the flights for 40K miles but that wasnt available last time I checked a few days ago, it still shows on the website so hopefully they will reintroduce it. |
Babblin Boo
http://www.orlandovillas.com/villas/92.aspx
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MarkJan
 United Kingdom
2436 Posts
Joined: 21 Oct 2004
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stabard
 3022 Posts
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sammibabe
United Kingdom
269 Posts
Joined: 19 May 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 14 May 2008 : 18:54:51
| | Virgin gave us some miles which we have used for our holiday in August which gave us a great saving but I can't remember exactly how much. I think we could only use 2000 each for a miles and money fare though (total 10,000). Somebody can probably confirm that one way or the other. When we were looking at fares how much you save does depend on when you go. The miles stay on the account for 3 years but remain if you use the account. My husband has just joined some website and you do surveys for them (by email)and get points which you can convert into virgin miles. | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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Susan J
 United Kingdom
1064 Posts
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stabard
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wrpac00
 United Kingdom
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Ian Dee
 United Kingdom
844 Posts
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 14 May 2008 : 23:05:06
| we were given 25000 each because of a 12 hour flight delay last year.
No matter how or when we look, non school holidays, on the web site we can only use 2000 miles plus money. There does not seem to be an option to use all of them plus money or any over 2000.
This does not seem right as if we fly to Orlando twice a year it would take 6 years to use up.
Of course any miles + money does not gather more miles.
Any other options known? |
Ian Dee
www.villasflorida.com/Villas/818.aspx
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steph_goodrum
United Kingdom
6659 Posts
Joined: 12 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 15 May 2008 : 07:41:36
| Ian
If you travel in N class rconomy seats both ways then you will get around 4,300 miles, if you go for Q class (they usually seem to be around £50 dearer) then you get around 8,600 miles so would only nedd to do 3 trips and will then have enough for a free trip (50k) miles or 40k if they are on sale.
We have used free trip sin school summer holidays to go to LA and Boston/Orlando and not had trouble getting seats (for 3 of us) so far. We have enough for a free trip at the moment but are waiting till we go in peak time to use them as it makes more economic sense. We tend to use them when we aren't going to the villa because then we only have accommodation to pay for on that trip. |
Babblin Boo
http://www.orlandovillas.com/villas/92.aspx
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Forrest
![]() United Kingdom
2 Posts
Joined: 14 May 2008
Status: offline | Posted - 15 May 2008 : 07:50:27
| all
many many thanks for your ideas etc - i think that I'll just have to spend a bit of time with Virgin on the phone as and/when the summer 09 flights are announced
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Ian Dee
United Kingdom
844 Posts
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 15 May 2008 : 08:45:36
| quote:
Originally posted by steph_goodrum
Ian
If you travel in N class rconomy seats both ways then you will get around 4,300 miles, if you go for Q class (they usually seem to be around £50 dearer) then you get around 8,600 miles so would only nedd to do 3 trips and will then have enough for a free trip (50k) miles or 40k if they are on sale.
We have used free trip sin school summer holidays to go to LA and Boston/Orlando and not had trouble getting seats (for 3 of us) so far. We have enough for a free trip at the moment but are waiting till we go in peak time to use them as it makes more economic sense. We tend to use them when we aren't going to the villa because then we only have accommodation to pay for on that trip.
thanks for that steph, but my point is that if you have the miles you don't seem to be able to use them in their entirety just bit by bit; or is it that I should talk to Virgin on the phone rather than try and do it on the web?
The various classes of course have the miles but its the offers that exclude the miles. Miles I have so I dont need to get more.
I'm not explaining this well |
Ian Dee
www.villasflorida.com/Villas/818.aspx
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steph_goodrum
United Kingdom
6659 Posts
Joined: 12 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 15 May 2008 : 09:00:50
| Ian
The miles plus money offers are based on a set amount of miles for each it's 2000 miles +money for Economy class then xxx amount for premium economy and xxxx for upper class . I'm not sure on the number required for each but can check 8,000 for premium economy seems to ring a bell but not sure on Upper. If you are close to the number required for a free flight you can buy miles to top it up, but as you say you can't say I've got 25,000 miles so what do I need to to make it up to 50k.
You say you were given these 25k miles for a 24 hour delay so obviously were booked onto a Virgin flight, have you added the miles for the flight itself? If you were not members at the time then you can have backdated flight miles up to 6 months which will bring the number up.
2,000 Flying Club miles for an Economy fare
7,500 Flying Club miles for a Premium Economy fare
15,000 Flying Club miles for an Upper Class fare
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Babblin Boo
http://www.orlandovillas.com/villas/92.aspx
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Edited by - steph_goodrum on 15 May 2008 09:03:32 | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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Y
 United Kingdom
127 Posts
Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 15 May 2008 : 12:56:32
| Ian
I don,t know if this helps but i recently queried whether we could use the miles from mine and my husband,s accounts to purchase a rewards flight for our daughter when she goes on a volunteer trip to South Africa mext year.This is the email from Virgin:
When booking a return reward, miles can be taken from a maximum of 2 Flying Club accounts, though only providing equal amounts of miles are being redeemed from each. For example, a reward requiring 40,000 miles can be obtained (subject to reward seat availability) by redeeming 20,000 miles from each account.
If booking a one way reward, all mileage required must be taken from 1 Flying Club account.
It isn't possible to transfer miles between Flying Club accounts, or from another frequent flyer programme to Flying Club.
If you require further assistance please speak with your Flying Club helpline.
also this from another email
With regards to your query, to make a third party booking for your daughter it will be necessary for you to contact your Flying Club helpline. The miles can be taken from two accounts and can be used to make a booking for third person.
Hope this helps
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jillizzy
United Kingdom
294 Posts
Joined: 30 Mar 2005
Status: offline | Posted - 18 May 2008 : 21:01:32
| The main problem with getting Upper Class reward flights to Orlando is because there are so few to start with, only 14 on each flight. Having said that I have done it a couple of times, usually either when the flights are first released or within 7 days of travel when they can release any unsold seats for reward bookings and upgrades.
If like Susan J you are lucky enough to have that many miles, it's very easy to get UC (no first on Virgin) to Miami and add on a limo from there(just a few extra miles) which will take you to any address in the state of Florida. We like to do that once a year and we can then both relax and have a drink without driving when we arrive, also nice if you want to do a side trip to the keys or the coast.
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Ian Dee
United Kingdom
844 Posts
Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 18 May 2008 : 21:37:02
| thanks Steph et al,
Seems I will have to stick with the 2000+ bit then.
We had a miles + money flight last year that was delayed , so did not get the miles on that flight.
We are still using up miles that HAVE accumulated from flights we booked 'normally' and got miles with them.
Whilst we have the miles it does not seem any point in booking a 'normal flight'
as this just increases the number from which we can only use 2000.
We never have flown PE as cannot justify the expense
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Ian Dee
www.villasflorida.com/Villas/818.aspx
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Tonish
 United Kingdom
307 Posts
Joined: 17 Jan 2005
Status: offline | Posted - 26 May 2008 : 13:32:32
| I still haven't got my head round Virgin miles plus money. I was checking out the cost of an extra seat this summer (might bring father in law. Miles plus money costs £2500 plus 15000 miles; without using the airmiles it costs £2300 amd you get 17,000 miles given to you.
Doesn't make any sense to me. |
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wrpac00
United Kingdom
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domster
 United Kingdom
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Best use of Virgin Flying Club Miles?
