is there anypoint collecting virgin miles for a family stuck with school hols

[kennycapes]

Originally Posted by Bozza

We've flown many times in PE and Upper flying only in the school Summer holidays.

Flexibility is key - be prepared to move by a day or two to use miles and/or fly into/out of Miami, possibly. We're also prepared to, say, use miles for three people but pay cash for the fourth if there are only three miles seats available.

Also, contrary to popular opinion, you don't always have to book up at flight release to get rewards seats. In 2017, we flew PE to MCO there and back in August, booking up only a few weeks before.

Just checking now, there is still some availability for trips this August in PE using miles too, eg 6-20 August.

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thanks for the tips. When i check the PE dates you suggested it comes up with dates for 2 adults but when i add 2 ch to the booking the dates disappear. so i may need to just focus on 2 adults return in my searches. and different airports.

[inkiboo]

We have booked 4x reward seats, out PE to MCO and back UC from MIA, for Easter 2020.

Getting UC to/from MCO is very difficult as there are only 14 UC seats. PE a lot easier.

You have to be a little flexible with dates and locations. Some years we've gone via Atlanta or even New York.

[spm23]

We have 9 of us going out 26th July this year, back 15th August.
You have to call or go online at exactly 11 months window and book the singular outbound flight and then if you want to return 13-15 days later, call those number of days later and get them to book the return and link them, saves a few pounds on it being a linked singular booking.
You sometimes need a little flexibility, we wanted 21 nights this year but flights only allowed 19 (only - it’s still a great long time)

I’m not helping myself by giving out these secrets for future years 😂

I think they have circa 8-10 reward flights per airport per day, we found Manchester better and also premium easier to book.

[Thorpy]

Originally Posted by kennycapes

HI all,

we are a family of 4 (2 ad 2 ch 15 and 12).

As the title suggests,

i have 100,000 virgin miles and we go in Aug 2020.

Was hoping to get 2 return tickets with miles and pay for the other 2.

But looking at the flights for Easter 2020 they of course have no outbound flights as reward seats until mid way through Easter and the return flights are are all at the start of Easter.

maybe i was being naive but i thought there would be a chance to use some miles but it looks like miles are designed for people that can be flexible with dates and do not go in any sort of school holidays.

i can be flexible with dates to some extent but only if they still fit in school holidays.

i am now expecting for my Aug 2020 holiday to see loads of reward seats outbound starting 30th Aug and all the return flights starting 1st Aug.

Completely un-helpfull.

Anyone out there that are stuck in school holidays (This cant be moved) during aug and got a return flight with miles.

i cant miss the odd day at the start or end so it needs to sit fully in the Aug school holidays.

we are going for 17 days BTW.


Thanks all

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After years of collecting miles, we finally had enough to book some flights, similar to you with circa 100K miles between us. We've booked 2 flights 12th August out of Manchester, returning 2 weeks after. We paid for the kids. We had to be flexible on dates, we booked these via flying club on the 14th October last year.

[kennycapes]

Originally Posted by Thorpy

After years of collecting miles, we finally had enough to book some flights, similar to you with circa 100K miles between us. We've booked 2 flights 12th August out of Manchester, returning 2 weeks after. We paid for the kids. We had to be flexible on dates, we booked these via flying club on the 14th October last year.

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Thanks for the update, Thorpy.

i will start to get my head round going out of different airports etc...

thanks all for all the great tips

[Bertiebear]

I’ve got just over 100000 at the mo and hoping to use what I will have added in august 2021 if not will keep saving for somewhere else. I’ve been looking on and off on reward seat finder and there’s defo been some. Just who get there first suppose.

[Bertiebear]

Originally Posted by spm23

We have 9 of us going out 26th July this year, back 15th August.
You have to call or go online at exactly 11 months window and book the singular outbound flight and then if you want to return 13-15 days later, call those number of days later and get them to book the return and link them, saves a few pounds on it being a linked singular booking.
You sometimes need a little flexibility, we wanted 21 nights this year but flights only allowed 19 (only - it’s still a great long time)

I’m not helping myself by giving out these secrets for future years 😂

I think they have circa 8-10 reward flights per airport per day, we found Manchester better and also premium easier to book.

See more...

Jumping on thread here. Does it work out more expensive to just do the outbound then inbound separately? We may even just book EC and pay the taxes if we can in 2021. I should have around 140000 3 adults 1 child.

[inkiboo]

Originally Posted by Bertiebear

Jumping on thread here. Does it work out more expensive to just do the outbound then inbound separately? We may even just book EC and pay the taxes if we can in 2021. I should have around 140000 3 adults 1 child.

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Yes, a lot more expensive. You effectively pay the taxes twice.

Linking the two miles bookings is easy, you just need to phone Virgin when you make the second booking and they will reissue the original ticket.

[THOscar]

Originally Posted by spm23

We have 9 of us going out 26th July this year, back 15th August.
You have to call or go online at exactly 11 months window and book the singular outbound flight and then if you want to return 13-15 days later, call those number of days later and get them to book the return and link them, saves a few pounds on it being a linked singular booking.
You sometimes need a little flexibility, we wanted 21 nights this year but flights only allowed 19 (only - it’s still a great long time)

I’m not helping myself by giving out these secrets for future years 😂

I think they have circa 8-10 reward flights per airport per day, we found Manchester better and also premium easier to book.

See more...

Total nonsense that you have to call or go online exactly 11 months out.

[Thorpy]

It was always "an option" for us and if we hadn't got those flights we'd have been looking at indirects, other airlines and all the alternatives. As it was the money we had to part with for the free seats, and the paid for kids seats made them competitive enough to be worth the compromise on dates.