COpltASgldPHX

Good to know there are now refundable fares on VX, however it still isn't as good as Y or F on AS:

I have searched their fares several times since they began operating but haven't flown them yet. I wondered what their logic was for not offering refunds on their most expensive fares. It's hard to believe that processing a refund would cost them that much more than giving you a "store credit." But then again, Branson is a billionaire and I am not so I guess he knows best.

As for the experience with the agent, often times "s/he was rude" translates into "s/he didn't give me what I wanted" which in this case was the waiver of a change fee. Personally I don't see paying a fee to change a ticket as nickle-and-diming. Why not be happy that one of the fees was waived? I guess for some the glass is always half-empty.

Seattlenerd

Had you simply cancelled both tickets, reused both ticket credits yourself as an MVPG for two separate future flights in your name (which AS rules clearly allow if you paid for them both originally), and rebooked new tickets on the modified itinerary for both you and your wife, you wouldn't be out $50 -- if the $50 means so much.

I find the MVPG fee rules are very good and a heck of a lot better than Delta or Virgin for very frequent fliers, though both Delta and Virgin have decent coach products (VX far better than Delta). But if you want to throw out five years as an MVPG over this, it's your call.

lax.sea.jnu

if I cancel a ticket as an MVP and reissue as an MVPG will there be no reissue fee?

COpltASgldPHX

Status at the time the change is made, not when the ticket was issued, determines if there is a change fee.

lax.sea.jnu

also, if you are an MVPG member and you have an AS50 in the bank, can you redeposit the miles and use the cash for another ticket w/o a fee or no? i'm wondering this as I will qualify for gold after 11/19.

COpltASgldPHX

Yes, as long as no part of the ticket has been flown you would be able to "split" an AS50 by re-depositing the miles and then using the dollar value of the ticket as a credit.

If the flight that puts you over the MVPG threshold is on 11/19 just be aware that your status will be updated on the Sunday after the miles from that flight post.

missydarlin

This is not correct.

If you have a nonrefundable ticket, then you will lose the $$ value of the ticket if you redeposit the miles.

Seattlenerd

One way to think about it is once the AS50 is applied to a ticket, it travels with the ticket, no matter what happens, as part of its value.

I just had a similar situation where a ticket bought for my son with an AS50 couldn't be used. I cancelled it and plan to reuse it on another trip myself (as an MVPG, and I paid for it so it was "under my control," so there's no change fee if I reuse it for myself). But I have to use the AS50 discount when I rebook for myself since it's now part of the ticket value.

dgwright99

OK, well a new twist on this old thread - hoping for some (more) advice on this topic.

I picked up 4xBA C award for next summer in the recent BA award sale; even with the surcharge ripoff, it was still a good deal. However, I was unable to get a return to LAX on the date I wanted, but LHR-SEA had plent of availability, so I went with that in the hope of switching to LHR-LAX as they open up more award space nearer the time. My backup plan is to use my $50 companion fare and MVPG UGs certs to get the 4 of us back to SAN in F for minimal $$$.

So, what I'm trying to figure out is whether I may be able to use my MVPG status to make 2 deep discount + 2 $50 companion tickets full refundable with no penalties. Or is the best I am likely to be able to do 3x dep discount plus 1x$50 ?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

COpltASgldPHX

If you have only 1 $50 companion cert you can only buy 1 $50 (+tx etc) ticket.

I think you are confusing the MVPG benefit of free changes with refundability. If you buy, as you worded it, a deep discount fare it will be non-refundable. The fact that you are MVPG doesn't change this.

dgwright99

I have 2x$50 cert.

I am aware that it's not literally refundable, but for an MVPG any ticket for themselves, or, as discussed above for themselves plus a companion, is for practical purposes equivalent to being refundable, as you can cancel the rez and reuse the fare paid on a future rez without penalty.

COpltASgldPHX

Gotcha. Well, technically, the waiver of the change fee on a purchased ticket would only apply to you (unless all 4 in your party are MVPG) unless you do as was described up-thread and change the unused tickets to your name to re-use for yourself.

beckoa

Oh... so I can change the name of someones ticket to my own... for free (As an MVPG...) and then cxl for free.... and reuse the ticket credit myself for free... gotcha! (Would have saved a friend of mine $100 earlier this Sept... didn't really realize this...)

Thanks!

Seattlenerd

But ONLY if you originally purchased the ticket for the other person. Technically, that ticket is "under your control."

In other words, you can't change the name to yours for free if you're an MVPG if you didn't buy the original ticket, no matter whose name is on it.

But if you did buy it, you can change it your name from the other person's, cancel, and reuse the credit on a flight for yourself (not the other person; if you try that, the change fee kicks in). Or you can simply cancel the other person's ticket that you originally bought and use the dollar credit to reissue a ticket in your name for another flight later. I do the latter. I think it doesn't make a difference when the name change occurs in the process.

Where this gets munged up a bit is if you cancel a companion ticket. If YOU reuse it, you only get the $50 + taxes + fees, not the value of the fare that was discounted to $50. So in those cases, it's best to take the change fee for the companion and have them reuse the companion ticket with you on another flight.

This is all kind of like fizzbin (if you recall "A Piece of the Action" on the original Star Trek).

COpltASgldPHX

OMG, you really ARE a nerd!!!

Have you ever been dealt a "Royal Fizzbin?"