+1.
and with a heavy heart too!

VS Flying Club
 

Just had a look at the VS forum as I'm considering that as a replacement for DC. There seems to be no FAQ there outlinging the Pros and Cons though of VS Flying Club. Does anyone have any knowledge of the main benefits and drawbacks?

Thanks

1. VS is not in Star Alliance, so you only get benefits when flying VS, who don't go to many places and only go there from Heathrow (and Manchester?)
2. No need to go on ....

Thanks. Yes, I was aware of their limited routes but they do have partner airlines too on whom you can redeem miles? No? I am only really interested in C redemptions to Asia mostly Japan...The Tesco earning potential and also the credit card earning seemed to possibly make it worthwhile. Am I still missing something?

From that point of view, probably not. There is a Virgin board called v-flyer which you might want to seek out, v-flyer is the reason the FT VS board is so quiet! The issue for you is whether VS availability to the places in Asia you want to go is good enough to turn you away from BA. BA may have poor Asian availability on many routes, but if you are willing to ignore the Amex 241 voucher you can also redeem on JAL and Cathay. VS would need to be darn good in the availability stakes to beat the combined redemption might of JAL, Cathay and BA, plus the BA 241, plus the fact that (should you need a last minute European redemption) BA can also come through on short-haul redemptions.

Thanks. That's really useful info. I'll have a good look at v flyer. I take your point about BA and the choice of airlines. But I think I could also use my FC miles on NH, no? Also it seems that compared to AVIOS the burn rate is less i.e. 90000 FC miles on NH in C compared to 120000 Avios miles.

Do NOT just look at burn rates; and this applies to ALL FFP comparisons. You cannot compare FFP's unless you combine it with the earn rates.

In short, 120k on one airline FFP may be a lot easier to earn than 90k on another.

Ok, yes point taken. Sorry forgot to add. £2.50 in clubcard vouchers gets 625 FC miles but only 600 Avios miles

1000 Avios next month :cool:

Wow that does sound good. I might be opting for BAEC then! Just have to wait and see if they convert my BMI miles at 1:1 :)

Yes, but it is 1000 for a month only.

I too was considering VS, and approached this thread to ask the very same question.

However, once "Raffles" says something i do tend to listen. I've found it to be a very good stratergy in the past. Is he ever wrong.... ever?? :D

On Tesco points and earning miles/Avios I would agree, but ask him what will win the 3.30 at Newmarket on Friday and then tell me? ;) :D
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... thank goodness this is not the BA board!!

[pedant]
It's actually a little over two months, from 26 January to 31 March.
[/pedant]

They are using 'February' for shorthand.

Aye, i just thought waribai had got the impression it was for ever and ever. :)

To me, the features I'm looking to find in a FF program to replace DC are:
- Easy redemption across *Alliance
- Family plan

Nice-to-haves are:
- 200% multiplier on Business Class earnings
- C+P redemption across *Alliance
- Silver/Gold status bonus on *Alliance flights

I'm based in CPH and easily qualify every year as *Gold on SK, just by crediting all SK flights (only 40 sectors required). Point earnings on SK metal are poor, but frequent "Point-booster" promotions make up for it. For redemption I use SK points to places where SK flies (which is not that many places), since I don't pay YQ on SK.

I've used DC as my secondary program, crediting practically all non-SK flights and all my familys flights (including SK). This has allowed me to pile up enough points to be able to use DC C+P to fly Business class when I'd otherwise have ended up in paid cheap economy.

My status level on DC varies between Silver and Gold depending on activity, but since I have *Gold from SK, it doesn't really matter. And I have to admit I've never flown BMI metal - neither paid or award.

I'm also LH SEN (matched from DC Gold->FB Gold), but up till now I've only used that to credit cheap economy flights on LH/OS/LX/SN, that would not have earned anything in DC.

So basically I'm struggeling to find out where to go. In a few weeks, I'm flying BKK-IST with my family in paid Business Class, and since I can't see any alternatives, I'm leaning towards crediting the flights to DC. At least that way I can still pile them togeth through the Family plan, and try to make use of them before DC closes if the offers to transfer them to the new owners aren't good.

Any suggestions ?