Cheapest way to get UC/PE Virgin seats? (Flying club points)

[kanickie]

Hello

My DH and I have been saving and saving our Flying Club points for the last few years through flights, Tesco Clubcard and Virgin CC . We're finally in the position where we have enough points to get ourselves return EC flights to ORL using all of our airmiles.

I have 37,000 and he has 45,000 - how would you guys recommend we use them? Can you combine them in one booking? (never used them so completely dumb to this!)

We've always loved the thought of flying UC but always thought it was way too expensive. Is there a way we could do this?

Our flights won't be out yet- we're looking at going in September 2019.

Thanks in advance! x

[Softy]

When the time comes, if you call to book the flights you can use the miles from both accounts on 1 booking. The other person has to be there to authorise it.

Economy flights are 25k return, Premium 45k, Upper 95k, so long as you fly after 7th Sept as that is when it changes to off peak. Peak times adds 10k each way.

So you almost have enough for Premium returns. You have enough for Economy one way and Premium the other. That would be 35k each. Suggest you do premium coming back as the taxes/fees are a lot less.

Taxes/fees on an economy return are around £240 each. September you should be able to find cash prices under £500, so when the time comes to book check the cash prices to see whether it's worth using miles. I don't tend to use the miles unless the flights are more than £550. I use them a lot on Vegas flights or peak times.

Search one ways on the website to find out what dates are available (set it to 'within 5 weeks' to get a table showing which days are available). Oh and search direct only. Indirect are not worth it when cash prices will be low, and it'll double the miles as they count as 2 flights. If you search returns you won't get the full availability as when you set it to 'within 5 weeks' It will only search for the amount of days of your original dates.

[kanickie]

This is so so helpful! Thank you so much for your reply! I will definitely look into it!

[loldis]

Note that I'm pretty sure the above miles quoted are for regular season direct miles, indirect and/or peak fares will be more than this. A regular PE indirect return is 60k for example, instead of the 45k direct.

If you really want to book UC, you could do a one way reward fare. And then book the other leg for cash on Norwegian instead of Virgin as they price per journey meaning one way isn't any more expensive than half of a return. It will be about £600 each in taxes in UC plus the cash fare.

[ChrisS]

Hi kanackie.. it's harder to acquire reward seats now, plus required miles is now 'from', I've seen some PE reward required miles almost as much as the 100,000 we paid for UC return last winter. I believe the 'from' element was down to Delta. As Softy said, it might benefit you by ringing VA for a chat.

Try a mock booking on VA, selecting 'miles' as your payment type to get an idea. Avoid cash buying flights as one way costs are high, particularly US to UK.

[Softy]

Originally Posted by ChrisS

Hi kanackie.. it's harder to acquire reward seats now, plus required miles is now 'from', I've seen some PE reward required miles almost as much as the 100,000 we paid for UC return last winter. I believe the 'from' element was down to Delta. As Softy said, it might benefit you by ringing VA for a chat.

Try a mock booking on VA, selecting 'miles' as your payment type to get an idea. Avoid cash buying flights as one way costs are high, particularly US to UK.

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That’ll be the indirect flights causing the increase in miles. Really not worth it at all. Just search for direct flights and the figures I said before will be there on the virgin flights.

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by Softy

That’ll be the indirect flights causing the increase in miles. Really not worth it at all. Just search for direct flights and the figures I said before will be there on the virgin flights.

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Hi Softy, since VA began miles 'from', I noted a required miles increase irrespective of direct/indirect, whereas miles were firm until VA updated their website. We were very lucky to get UC reward returns last year, used most of our miles altho we've built a few more up since. Debating flying Dublin to RSW next winter, pre-clearance appeals

[kanickie]

Thanks guys, I think I'll give VA a call and speak to them closer to the time and see what my options are. Confusing, this airmiles lark! I'd have definitely thought from all of the saving we've done that we'd have enough for a single flight UC each plus enough for EC back! x

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by kanickie

Thanks guys, I think I'll give VA a call and speak to them closer to the time and see what my options are. Confusing, this airmiles lark! I'd have definitely thought from all of the saving we've done that we'd have enough for a single flight UC each plus enough for EC back! x

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VA's standard UC reward seat mileage used to be 50k each way, but for off peak it's now fractionally reduced, if you can get the the lowest miles required! It's worth your while having a chat with VA, even if you do so now, just to get an idea of the best use of your miles

[stupet11]

We went for PE flights both ways - but booking seperatly as soon as they were released. This was August. Picked up LGW to MCO going out, and then got MIA - LHR coming back. About £400 each in taxes. (£300 outbound, £100 inbound).

Did similar at Easter - out to New York, then booked internal flight few days later for £100pp. And flew back from Miami. Used less miles than going to MCO, so had PE.