Virgin flying club - Upper Class International -taxes = OUCH!

Flying from Los Angeles to J'Berg for the World Cup next summer and got two seats in Upper Class using miles/points from AMEX/Starwood. Very excited to find these seats until they said there would be $950 in taxes/surchages...WOW! Is this because we are flying through Heathrow? Ridiculous....just defeated the purpose of using miles and saving money

VS and BA do have higher surcharges and fees when using miles to redeem tickets compared to US domestic airlines, but I'm sure if you try to purchase two J tickets LAX-JNB it will be quite a bit more than $950.

Actually if you're being charged $950 for the two tickets combined, that's a substantial reduction from recent "taxes" and surcharges. Last time I looked into UC award seats the fees were well over $700 for each ticket.

Small solace I'm sure but it could be worse.

You have four legs of a journey, with UK taxes added and these are a lot, e.g. currently £80 / $130 for each departure from the UK, plus fuel surcharges and other fees. Yes, they're a lot. Welcome to Britain (or at least, welcome in transit!).

Actually, if the OP is transiting through LHR, then he won't be paying the departure tax - this should only be payable if >24 hours are spent in the UK...

Actually, if the OP is transiting through LHR, then he won't be paying the departure tax - this should only be payable if >24 hours are spent in the UK...
Agreed - and it's often worth structuring reward tickets specifically to make sure this doesn't happen. Makes a huge difference.

Its an outrage plain and simple and devalues their program and trust

Its an outrage plain and simple and devalues their program and trust

How can UK Government taxes devalue or lessen trust in an individual airline, what a weird statement ... you'd have the same if you flew BA for example.

How can UK Government taxes devalue or lessen trust in an individual airline, what a weird statement ... you'd have the same if you flew BA for example.

I am talking about fuel surcharges you are referring primarily to taxes
Thats my bad I am looking primarily at the surcharge and the total combination of both
So essesntially I am off topic based on the OPs thread title
I really don't have issue to be clear about the taxes

Its an outrage plain and simple and devalues their program and trust

But the reality is, their main competitor does exactly the same - there's no incentive for them to not stick on a fuel surcharge. Where are the passengers going to go?

Same concept as the charges for checked bags in the US - once one airline does it, it makes sense for (almost) all of the others to do so too...

But the reality is, their main competitor does exactly the same - there's no incentive for them to not stick on a fuel surcharge. Where are the passengers going to go?

Same concept as the charges for checked bags in the US - once one airline does it, it makes sense for (almost) all of the others to do so too...

One could discuss the rights and the wrongs of the airline industry till the cows come home :) It would be interesting to see( not that it really matters )which carrier is the ultimate evil in nuisance fees

As to your question because I am based in North America I am more familiar with the One World and Star Alliance partners here
we don't get the shafting you folks are getting in the UK

The good news is booking through select one world partners one can avoid some of the gouging at least when booking reward tickets
We have alternatives here including flying BA without the surcharge
though very limited choice in flights

Looking at some of the threads in these forums lately as well as my own booking experience is making me see a different strategy for the future in programs
Have earned millions in BA and a half million with Virgin
I am going to take that revenue stream and bring it back to US based airlines
where not perfect they play reasonably fair.At least for the time being ;)

One could discuss the rights and
As to your question because I am based in North America I am more familiar with the One World and Star Alliance partners here
we don't get the shafting you folks are getting in the UK

That is surely a matter of perspective neah opinion.

Last year I flew AA first class LHR-LAX, I had two bags and each was about 53lbs, I paid $200 extra in baggage fees. At that time I could have taken four bags on VS / UC at up to 70 lbs each with no extra charge.

From where I sit, Americans get shafted more.

At least with full service carriers in the UK you generally pay your ticket price once. It's also a matter of opinion, but I prefer it that way.

That is surely a matter of perspective neah opinion.

Last year I flew AA first class LHR-LAX, I had two bags and each was about 53lbs, I paid $200 extra in baggage fees. At that time I could have taken four bags on VS / UC at up to 70 lbs each with no extra charge.

From where I sit, Americans get shafted more.

At least with full service carriers in the UK you generally pay your ticket price once. It's also a matter of opinion, but I prefer it that way.
Suppose that depends where you are seated ;) Ryan Air ? :D
As an elite flyer I have only paid the baggage fee only once here in the US in all the years the fees have existed. And I could have avoided even that had I been willing to repack one of my large suitcases. Had I not just packed up my two floor home the night before and loaded it in a moving truck with some friends I would have repacked.

Suppose it depends on a number of factors when comparing fees country to country
I hope my comments weren't taken on a personal level.
That said when it come too fees I have never seen such wild fees in my life as I have in Europe

I was quoted 385 approx Euros for one bag at check in by KLM on a one way economy ticket from Amsterdam to Berlin. My bag was approx 12 lbs overweight or something like that. My ticket was no more then 150 in US dollars
Luckily I had a nice agent who made a one time exception on a technicality as I had just come over on a transatlantic flight recently.Because I was on two seperate tickets and not traveling all on the same day I suppose I received a very nice gesture by a very kind individual
I sure was prepared on the next trip I will tell you that :)

Have earned millions in BA and a half million with Virgin
I am going to take that revenue stream and bring it back to US based airlines
where not perfect they play reasonably fair.At least for the time being ;)
I presume you mean through US programs, not spending the miles with US airlines - that would be an astounding choice, given the alternatives available.

I agree with your point about using the US programs to avoid fuel surcharges, etc. though. Have flown on many, many VS flights in UC using CO miles.

Do you have the same availability when booking VS flights with CO miles? I'm not familiar at all with CO's ff program.