VS Award Availability Using CO Miles
 

CO 1E has now got me jonesing to burn some OnePass miles for a roundtrip in VS UpperClass. I was curious if signing up for a Flying Club account, then searching VS' website for reward availability is the best method for determining (short of calling CO) when and whether reward inventory exists. Is VS like QF, where if you find standard award inventory via the QF website, odds are you'll get it through CO?

I can't really compare availability on the QF tool vs. what is available via OnePass with availability on the VS tool vs. what is available via OnePass because I haven't really used the QF tool. But, I have done a fair amount of redemption of CO miles on VS and can say that in my experience, if the VS calendar shows UC availability on a certain date, that date also has been available using OnePass miles. I also had an experience where VS showed no availability on a certain date but when I called OnePass, the agent was able to book that date at the standard level.

Is FS FC really worth it? If so, I would try for a West Coast departure so as to maximize my VS experience.

Can one get the limo service at LHR/LGW on miles?

I should think so. Why spend 100K on a standard BF award to Europe, when you could have a fully-flat bed and access to the Clubhouse on VS for the same amount of miles. I don't believe rewards get you the limo transfer. However, you would be entitled to onboard perks such as in-flight massage. Undoubtedly, I will be looking for a LAX-LHR itin, as this maximizes time in the air (meaning I can enjoy a good meal, and get a full night's sleep on the overnight flight).

Why are VS UC awards no longer showing up when searching for reward travel online (there used to be decent availablility, then no VS awards at all, and now only scattered Y availability)? COInsider, is a fix in the works?

no limo for reward travel. actually no limo for paid UC unless its full fare.

i dont see how anyone would burn 100k CO miles on CO BF if they can get VS UC. there's no comparison. the seats, entertainment, clubs and on board services are incredible. food service in flight goes to CO however.

i found using VS search, after signing up, was quite helpful. i wouldnt even call CO unless VS was showing at least 2 seats. i had booked far out, but then needed to change departure airports closer to dept. date.

checked VS everyday and was able to find what i needed one week before dept.

Yes, unequivocally.

All these statements are accurate. CO BF food definitely is better than VS UC. In addition, some frequent VS travelers report spotty (i.e., not as attentive as CO) service in Upper Class, but the service I have experienced on VS generally has been very good.

Some people hate using LHR, but when one considers the Fast Track immigration and security, ease of Upper Class checkin, and VS Clubhouse, it becomes a no-brainer, IMO.

Where does one find out what the mileage requirements are for VS awards? Continental.com is so vague as to be utterly unhelpful, particularly with respect to this verbiage:
"Not all rewards are valid on all airlines. Mileage amounts shown are minimum requirements. Actual mileage amount may vary based on travel dates, booking class of service and operating airline"

Plus, does CO consider Virgin Upper Class as "Business" or "First/BusinessFirst"?

I'd specifically be interested in US - Europe, US - Africa and Europe - Africa awards, if anyone knows!

CO will charge 100K for the VS UC award. From the East Coast, the award for UC will cost 90K if booked via VS so transfer and book thru them if you have AMEX points avail. From the West Coast and Florida, the UC award is 100K if booked thru VS or CO. Be prepared for $300+ in taxes on a UC award thanks to the recently doubled UK air duty.

The service on VS UC smokes CO BF and then you have the massage therapist to LHR, the arrival Clubhouse and the real bar on the plane. I think its best enjoyed on a 747 as opposed to the A340s but either way it's an experience you have to try at least once.

And for the other posters statement.... were VS awards ever bookable at CO.com?

Thanks, that's helpful. Anyone know about UC to Africa, from either US or Europe?

Yup, I'm aware of the service as I just returned from a JFK-LHR r/t for work. Unfortunately there's only one daily 747 flight and the times didn't work for me, so I had to settle for the 346. The lounges are fantastic (LHR clubhouse is even better than Cathay's much heralded First Class lounges in HKG, IMHO), on-board service was good, on-board food was OK (but lounge food was great, I didn't even eat much onboard), bar is cool, flat beds are fantastic, seats are mediocre, IFE is very good. But actually my favorite part was the drive-thru check-in at LHR as part of the limo service included in the fare. I didn't have to touch my suitcase from the moment I handed it off to the driver at my hotel in London. Unfortunately, I imagine it's not possible to take advantage of that benefit on a CO award (but if you go the Amex-to-Flying Club route, you can redeem extra points for the limo service).

Still waiting for OnePass miles to post, the outbound was more than a week ago...

VS follows normal BF booking classes when using CO miles from the US london. if its 100k CO miles to fly BF it will be 100k CO miles to fly VS UC. CO considers BF FC as does it consider UC FC. some other VS rewards are a bit higher.

the debate is still open as to if you can actually use your CO miles to book further travel to africa or asia on VS flights in UC. in theory and based on co.com you can, but im not sure if its been succesfully done.


US to africa, VS is more
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US...18C8F80F188E95

US to asia, VS is the same as BF
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US...18C8F80F188E95

US to europe, VS is at BF level, biz is 80k and DL is 90K (see seperate "DL to EU" link on co.com)
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US...18C8F80F188E95

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!

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....:confused:

Just a data point for the OP, I was able to book SFO-LHR roundtrip on co.com about 2-3 years ago, as CO codeshares. Like others have said, they do show up on co.com from time to time, but if you have specific dates, it doesn't hurt to call CO even if co.com or vs.com shows no availability.

And the lounges/clubhouse at both SFO and LHR are quite nice. LHR's clubhouse also has a salon, where you can get hair cuts and mani/pedis, in addition to massages. Great food as well at both SFO and LHR clubhouse.

I also took advantage of the inflight massage, but the FA/masseuse was really weak on the pressure. I think its more "worth it" if you're going for a manicure using the inflight "salon".

And yes, definitely book either LAX/SFO-LHR if you can.

I once tried to book a VS reward using co.com, but I kept getting error messages after having hit the purchase button. After that, I found it more efficient just to find reward availability on the VS site and call CO to book. It's good to hear, however, that others have had success booking VS rewards on co.com - perhaps I'll give it a try next time I book a VS reward ticket.

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).

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.

Well, it's a heck of a lot closer to a first class product than BusinessFirst.

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

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.

AF business class is 100k.

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.

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.

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?

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!) :rolleyes:

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! :D

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.

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.

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 :eek: