Community
Wiki Posts
Search

VS Award Availability Using CO Miles

 
Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 21, 2007 | 5:43 pm
  #16  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
1M
40 Countries Visited
All eyes on you!
25 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,887
Originally Posted by dlen111
Interesting. That's a pretty good deal for BF/Business class US-Africa at only 120K miles (I'm specifically thinking about South Africa). Presumably you'd do KL or AF from Europe to S. Africa (though AF doesn't seem to fly to CPT...)
Compared to VS at 180K miles, which is basically 2x 90K (and more in line with what you're actually getting -- 2 long-hauls in each direction).
ijgordon is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2007 | 5:51 pm
  #17  
All eyes on you!
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: OAK
Programs: AS MVPG 100k
Posts: 3,762
Originally Posted by theblakefish
Hey studiospotter, actually, VS UC awards are available on CO.com, you jsut have to find flights that have availability. They don't show up on flights that either don't have any seats available to CO pax and/or are completely sold out...or are expected to sell out, IMHO. For example, LAX-LHR is a hot ticket, and I imagine that they don't release empty seats until almost the end. As you might be able to see, UC is almost always available from JFK, MCO, and MIA...sometimes!
This is not my experience. I have booked VS UC award tix using CO miles twice. Both times award availability was showing up on the VS website, but not on the CO website. Both times I called OP, and the award seats were available on the dates/flights showing on the VS site - even though the agent said "oh that doesn't mean anything" when I mentioned that they were showing available on VS.

Very well worth the 100k miles IMHO, but I view VS UC as an excellent business class product, not to be confused with a first class product.
dgwright99 is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2007 | 8:30 pm
  #18  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
1M
40 Countries Visited
All eyes on you!
25 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,887
Originally Posted by dgwright99
Very well worth the 100k miles IMHO, but I view VS UC as an excellent business class product, not to be confused with a first class product.
Well, it's a heck of a lot closer to a first class product than BusinessFirst.
ijgordon is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2007 | 11:01 pm
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 3,169
Originally Posted by theblakefish
So, now that we have cleared up the value of VS UC, is the VS Business product (or upper economy...whatever) wirth the value? For VS Biz point totals, you can get WBC on KLM....
not exactly. check the link from US to EU again...

business class is 80K. that Biz on NWA, KL, AF and other EU carriers.

BF or F (which is what VS UC is also considered on this route) is 100K. this in theory is VS UC, CO BF and AF FC (but ive heard you can no longer get AF FC, but am not sure).

as stated before, but not linked (there's a seperate link for CO reward on DL US to EU), DL's CO reward for DL BE is 90K.

out of all the options i would choose in this order. VS, CO (100K), NWA, AF (80K), DL (90k) and then KL (80k).

I would take the 80K level
dlen111 is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2007 | 11:15 pm
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 3,169
Originally Posted by ijgordon
Interesting. That's a pretty good deal for BF/Business class US-Africa at only 120K miles (I'm specifically thinking about South Africa). Presumably you'd do KL or AF from Europe to S. Africa (though AF doesn't seem to fly to CPT...)
Compared to VS at 180K miles, which is basically 2x 90K (and more in line with what you're actually getting -- 2 long-hauls in each direction).
i didnt even realize that until i saw it. its quite a good deal. msy-iah/ewr-cdg/ams-cpt/jhb for 120k up front is great.

i think i may look into that as opposed to my southamerican trip planned this december.
dlen111 is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2007 | 11:15 pm
  #21  
All eyes on you!
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: OAK
Programs: AS MVPG 100k
Posts: 3,762
Originally Posted by dlen111
not exactly. check the link from US to EU again...
business class is 80K. that Biz on NWA, KL, AF and other EU carriers.
AF business class is 100k.

Originally Posted by dlen111
BF or F (which is what VS UC is also considered on this route) is 100K. this in theory is VS UC, CO BF and AF FC (but ive heard you can no longer get AF FC, but am not sure).
VS UC awards book as BF on the CO flt # - hence the award level.

You cannot get AF first as an award - I tried last fall. Asked here and told that was correct - Business only, at 100k miles. Still, they had availability at a week's notice so I wasn't too unhappy.
dgwright99 is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2007 | 12:17 am
  #22  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 3,169
i wasnt to sure on the AF rewards. i was pretty sure FC was no longer available, but i DID think you could book an all J AF fare as the 80K level as long as it did not involve a CO BF segment or FC on another carrier. again, though, i have no personal experience on that.

anyway, back to topic. VS is great and id book it if i could. and you have to call CO to use CO miles to book VS flights.
dlen111 is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2007 | 9:21 am
  #23  
10 Countries Visited
20 Countries Visited
30 Countries Visited
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY Metro
Programs: SPG Titanium, United Premier 1K
Posts: 1,615
So for people living on the East Coast - can you book a flight from the West Coast to LHR to maximize your UC experience? i.e go from EWR-SFO-LHR (with CO to SFO and Virgin to LHR) or will they laugh even if you suggest that?
PrivatePilot is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2007 | 9:43 am
  #24  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PEK
Programs: Alas, the Gravy Train Hath Ended...just happy to be an OW Sapphire and a ST Ivory...whatever
Posts: 4,389
I think that a CO BF/ AF J combo will be 100k. AF J is 50k/per on a standard reward.

As for "backtracking on a reward ticket," it is totally permissible. The OP agents totally understand maximizing the FC/BF experience! ^ I flew CO/AF from IAH-LAX-CDG on a reward once (in Y, I don't know why....I was much younger and "hey man, I'm on a plane!! YEE-HA!)

I did IAH-PHX-EWR-SXM last year with the IAH-PHX-EWR as a redeye to save $ on a hotel in EWR (due to the early departure of the EWR-SXM segment). No problemo!
theblakefish is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2007 | 9:52 am
  #25  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DCA
Programs: Kommissar Giga-Posting Direktor, PWP; Fasano Nouveau Aristocrat; CO Platinum; BD Gold; MR Gold
Posts: 18,733
Originally Posted by PrivatePilot
So for people living on the East Coast - can you book a flight from the West Coast to LHR to maximize your UC experience? i.e go from EWR-SFO-LHR (with CO to SFO and Virgin to LHR) or will they laugh even if you suggest that?
The problem is actually finding standard F reward space on the domestic transcon segments - it can be more difficult than finding VS UC reward space at times.
CO 1E is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2007 | 10:21 am
  #26  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
10 Countries Visited
20 Countries Visited
30 Countries Visited
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,684
Question: I just went online to determine mileage BOSLHR and it's over $300 in taxes and fees? Am I missing something?

Thanks,
Mike
mikeef is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2007 | 10:24 am
  #27  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DCA
Programs: Kommissar Giga-Posting Direktor, PWP; Fasano Nouveau Aristocrat; CO Platinum; BD Gold; MR Gold
Posts: 18,733
Originally Posted by mikeef
Question: I just went online to determine mileage BOSLHR and it's over $300 in taxes and fees? Am I missing something?

Thanks,
Mike
The UK just doubled its air transportation taxes on business class travel.
CO 1E is offline  
Old Feb 22, 2007 | 11:21 am
  #28  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
10 Countries Visited20 Countries Visited30 Countries Visited20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Originally Posted by CO 1E
The UK just doubled its air transportation taxes on business class travel.
They doubled it on Coach travel, too.

it is now 80 GBP to depart in J/F and 40GBP to depart in Y. That's ~$160/$80 just to leave the country
sbm12 is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.