Kaycee85

Hi everyone

Hope you're all well!

So I've just discovered this site and the forums and I'm super excited! Now I don't know terminology or anything like that but basically I'd love to know how I can really make the most of collecting and using my virgin Atlantic miles

I had a shed load that I hadn't really thought about after i took a couple of holidays. In April I decided to fly upper class from gatwick to viva Las Vegas using my miles, only paying taxes and the likes of around Ł700 return. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can now see the benefit of a flat bad on long haul flights!

Anyway I'm heading back to Vegas in March and San Francisco in September.

I want to fly upper class again if possible, particularly September as this is holiday rather than work but need another 30,000 miles to just pay the taxes again. I have enough to get an upgrade but the non flexible seat prices make it seem like not really that much of a discount.

Could I wait until after I have flown in march or is that me risking not getting a reward seat??

Realistically I am going to be flying internationally twice a year minimum from now on, possibly more. With again another 2-5 trips within uk that I can get miles for while little red is still in operation. So I want to be able to rack up the points, and tiers and get the benefits of being a regular flyer.

What are your tips and advice? About this trip in general or about collecting miles and how I can get the most out of it?

WOW really long post...if you're still reading you deserve a medal! :-: :-:

UKtravelbear

Welcome

The other way to collect miles is to get one of the miles earning credit cards and then use them for all the spending you can - even using it to buy you lunch time sandwiches!

They often offer sign up bonuses related to spending a certain amount within a couple of months and/or double spend miles during a certain period.

Examples include the VS MBNA white and black cards or proper AMEX where you collect points and then transfer them over to VS (or several other airline programmes).

I'm not going to say which is best but at least check the options out.


You could also look at how much it would cost to buythose 30k VS miles through flying club and factor that into your calculations on how much the flight would then cost and compare that to the normal cheapest fare (where you'd earn miles and TPs)

The main issue with reward flights (and upgrades as they come from the same allocation) is that they can sometimes be hard to find unless you are flexible on dates and there is no pattern as to when they are released so you would need to check regularly and then pounce when you see them.


You might also want to pop over to V-flyer and read some of the posts there for help and advice

craigthemif

You can get 15k+ VS miles from 5 stays at Hilton hotels before 30 November. If you don't need hotels, just find a really cheap Hilton near where you live and do mattress runs if necessary... Weekend rates with the discount code PR11PN can be quite cheap...

Tesco, Tesco, Tesco... I get loads of VS miles via bonus clubcard points, etc.

Virgin Miles Booster. Basically when you fly VS on a cash fare, you can buy additional miles at a really attractive price. (wait for a bonus, then buy retroactively for your recent flight (within 6 months I believe))

Get the American Express Gold card. 20,000 MR points for spending 2k within 3 months. No fee in first year. Transfer MR points to VS Flying Club 1:1...

Check out my blog or Raffles' for ideas, bonus offer news, etc....

LaikaSpacedog

Are you looking at the non-flexible economy prices on the website? If you give FC a call, they can quote you on the cost of an M class ticket (currently the lowest fare code in economy that you can upgrade to UC). The prices on those I usually find to be quite reasonable. Right now the website frustratingly only gives prices on the most expensive flexible tickets. If TP and miles earning are your goals, then I think the upgradeable fares are better value rather than a full miles redemption for taxes only.

I use the VS black cards (Amex and Visa) for extra points earning--if you do sign up for them, do it when there's a promotion on. When I signed up I got 25,000 miles for making a minimum spend within 3 months (the card does have a fee, but to me it was worth it as the miles were worth much more than the fee). You also get a big miles bonus when you purchase tickets directly with Virgin (4 miles per Ł1 spent!)

The shopping portal on the Virgin website, Shops Away, is also great for accruing extra miles. I check every time I shop in case I can earn additional miles that way.

Then, as others have already said, Tesco, hotel partners, car rental partners and miles booster can also be really useful ways of building up your account. I also use e-rewards; it's a little time consuming but it's garnered me at extra 6,000 miles over the last 6-8 months without too much effort.

Happy travels

Kaycee85

Thanks for the replies

You're totally right in saying that upgrades are probably more beneficial than paying for flight all out.
Here's a question...if I do an upgrade with points, will I get air miles and TP for the original flight that I booked? I didn't get any miles obviously when I flew on miles alone.

Credit card is a good shout, although I'd rather not have a card at all, with all the good intentions of paying off things as I spend, that isn't likely to actually happen, I'm weak when it comes to shoes and shows haha

I've joined Hilton honours, might actually be worth a shout when I am in San Francisco, the hotel there looks really nice and I go to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Cardiff a lot for different reasons so Hilton (what about best western, are they not as good for miles?) is looking like a good shout.

Tesco is also a brilliant idea, I get loads of points there and can start getting them transferred over

Thanks so much, some really great tips and advice :-:

UKtravelbear

Yes you will get the miles and TPs for the base cash fare BUT you will need to phone VS up after the flights to get them credited. Their IT system can't cope with doing it automatically.


I don't know about Best western - have a look at the partners section on the VS FC web pages.


BTW for the sake pf accuracy (or pedantry!) the biggest element of the 'taxes' on reward flights is not a tax at all but the VS 100% imposed and retained so called 'carrier imposed surcharge' aka 'fuel surcharge'