Anyone know the T&Cs on USAir VDB Free Ticket?

 
Old Aug 28, 2005, 6:30 pm
  #1  
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Anyone know the T&Cs on USAir VDB Free Ticket?

I just got one of these and might get another. I'm curious if it's worth having.

What fare codes does it book into?

Anyone had any luck going to the Caribbean with them?

Thanks!
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Old Aug 28, 2005, 7:26 pm
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Originally Posted by thegingerman
I just got one of these and might get another. I'm curious if it's worth having.

What fare codes does it book into?

Anyone had any luck going to the Caribbean with them?

Thanks!
Tickets book in "X".... similar to 20 or 25K awards. Only good in the Continental US and Canada; non-upgradeable.....

Last edited by dukeman; Aug 28, 2005 at 7:31 pm Reason: to add Canada
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Old Aug 28, 2005, 7:29 pm
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1) It books into X bucket, same as the 25K awards.

2) Unlike awards, does not require a Saturday stay so potentially very valuable to a midweek business traveler out of a fortress hub like CLT.

3) AFAIK they are only good for US and Canada - not Caribbean.
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Old Aug 28, 2005, 8:19 pm
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Should have requested a voucher instead. They always say they will give a free ticket to use but you should be able to get a voucher instead. I always sorta chuckle when I hear this and see people get in line to get their free ticket imagineing that they will get no miles or upgrades. It brings a tear to my eyes.
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Old Aug 28, 2005, 9:41 pm
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Just sell it on eBay.
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Old Aug 28, 2005, 10:14 pm
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Easier said than done

Originally Posted by zsmith2
Should have requested a voucher instead. They always say they will give a free ticket to use but you should be able to get a voucher instead. I always sorta chuckle when I hear this and see people get in line to get their free ticket imagineing that they will get no miles or upgrades. It brings a tear to my eyes.
I have tried to ask for monetary voucher instead of free ticket before and always been denied with US. The last VDB compensation me and two kids received I had to basically beg for meal vouchers and phone card.
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Old Aug 29, 2005, 12:24 pm
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Originally Posted by dhflies
I have tried to ask for monetary voucher instead of free ticket before and always been denied with US. The last VDB compensation me and two kids received I had to basically beg for meal vouchers and phone card.
Ditto. I did ask and they said no. Anyone had luck with sending in the free ticket and getting vouchers in return?

It sounds like the agent who gave it to me was full of crap, too, as she said it's NOT capacity controlled. Booking into award classes sounds capacity controlled to me.
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Old Aug 29, 2005, 6:47 pm
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Originally Posted by thegingerman
Ditto. I did ask and they said no. Anyone had luck with sending in the free ticket and getting vouchers in return?
Just yesterday as I was boarding my PIT-LGA flight the GA called for volunteers. I offered to bump for $$ vouchers...the agent taking the BPs seemed happy to oblige, but was overridden by another (I guess more senior) GA.

I have, however, had recent luck in exchanging a RT voucher for $200 voucher. I found a soon to be expiring voucher that I knew I would never get around to using, called CA, and after a little sweet talking was told to mail it in for exchange. $200 good for use on any US, USX or US Shuttle flight was in my mailbox when I got home last night. ^
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Old Aug 30, 2005, 3:43 pm
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VDBs

I offer $200 or the RTFC.... I feel its worthy to explain the benefits to both. Although in June when I needed to yank 20 people off a plane, I offered BOTH the RTFC AND $200 TCV!!

Btw, you can now use the TCV's on a couple Star Carriers.. I know BD is one of them...
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Old Aug 30, 2005, 4:16 pm
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Originally Posted by BrokesiliaFlyer
I offer $200 or the RTFC.... I feel its worthy to explain the benefits to both. Although in June when I needed to yank 20 people off a plane, I offered BOTH the RTFC AND $200 TCV!!

Btw, you can now use the TCV's on a couple Star Carriers.. I know BD is one of them...

What does RTFC and TCV mean?

Thanks
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Old Aug 30, 2005, 6:03 pm
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Originally Posted by TelevisionTdTina
What does RTFC and TCV mean?

Thanks
I'm going to guess Round Trip Flight Coupon and Travel Credit Voucher.

I hate to be a contrarian here, but I kind of like the RTFC. True it is capacity controlled, but it's also very flexible. If you're flying on a route where award travel is not too much of a problem you can book yourself for a next-day trip (even with the $200 voucher you'll still pay an arm and a leg for that!). You can change the dates at will -- as many times as you want (assuming availability) before or after it is issued. You reserve a space and have 30 days to issue. You can cancel the trip if the ticket has not been issued -- allowing you to hold something for 30 days and shop around for a decent fare. Can be a very nice backup.

The real downside is that you have to turn this in at an airport. However if you book for travel within a month they will not require this. The coupon expires one year after it was issued, but in a sense it is valid two years. If you know you will travel one particular route (say, to visit family, whatever) you can book the travel on the day before the coupon expires and use dummy dates. Then change the date to what you want so long as it is within a year of the date of booking. And you can still change airports so long as they are sister airports (BWI, DCA, IAD, for instance).

Not sure I've made much sense here. The long and short of this is that if you want miles for every flight, you will not like this. If you value being able to book last-minute travel and not pay through the nose these can be useful.
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Old Dec 21, 2005, 9:37 am
  #12  
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Can the RTFC be used for an open-jaw trip?
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Old Dec 21, 2005, 12:05 pm
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Wow, didn't know about this one. What are the other carriers?

Originally Posted by BrokesiliaFlyer

Btw, you can now use the TCV's on a couple Star Carriers.. I know BD is one of them...
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Old Dec 21, 2005, 12:32 pm
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Note: TCV ($-off), not VDB voucher. Most likely booked on US stock.

-JC
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Old Dec 21, 2005, 8:56 pm
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I will agree with NewtoCanada. If you are a fairly infrequent flyer, it will take you a long time to build up miles to get a free flight/upgrade. The VDB gets you a free round-trip ticket. I have used these in the past to go on vacations to unusual cities (i.e a United voucher from PIT to Durango, CO, which is a very expensive ticket) or just on expensive flights (i.e. earlier this year tickets between LGA and PIT on any airline were over $400 so I used a voucher). Yeah, I didn't get miles, but I got the benefit similar to what miles get you.
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