VS awards on CO
 

A bit bummed on the apparent loss of VS UC awards to LHR. Went last year to London before Xmas using CO miles.

Taking a quick look that option seems to have disappeared, they are now on a CO 767 (at least on my favorite morning flight). I am sure that the CO is very nice - however the VS flight was GREAT - plus that Clubhouse on the way back.

Does anyone know if the VS UC option is gone?

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8830/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

The option should still exist. There is also the CO flights and they may not list the VS flight in the search, especially if there is no availability, but I do not believe that the CO/VS partnership has changed in any way, including availability of UC rewards.

They're not, I still see them. Try any dates for JFK-LHR. Maybe the flight you're trying to book isn't codeshared ?

Big discussion on Virgin rewards here.

I hope CO keeps VS as a partner, even after the alliance switch. UC is a class act.

I just snagged two VS Upper Class rewards using CO Onepass miles. There is different inventory between VS Flying Club and the seats that they make available for CO. Typically VS will offer their FTs more availibilty.

VS partnered with HP prior to the HP-US merger. The VS partnership survived the merger. ^ Hopefully that is a good sign.

Also, VS's other FF partnerships include a few *A members....so I would think (and hope) that they keep the VS/ CO partnership alive.

The fact that CO now flies into LHR cannot help though.


So, to me, it's a bit of a toss up....

On another note, I just got a marketing email from VS Flying Club touting how FC has so many partners....

it seems tha the only choice left in UC is the late JFK flight

i would think that the new EWR-LHR service made VS mad and the cut back availability.

too bad as the VS service is way ahead of CO - guess I will have to wait until 2009 or so for the new seats

Don't Believe Co.Com
 

I just used OnePass for an UC Ticket from JFK/LHR. Online the Standard Reward was showing zero UC inventory for any VS flights out of NYC. I called CO and inquired if there were any available flights. I was able to pick any VS flight at the Standard OnePass Mileage, even though Co.Com was showing zilch.

Jim

For the most part this has been fixed, but there is still an issue with changing reward flights online.

I've seen lots of NYC-LON options on VS for an August trip I'm working on. Daytime and evening flights from JFK, 747 flights connecting via MCO, and more.

Be careful of these, very easy to get stuck with an old on-board product. VS forum should have more details.

You can always check award availability on Virgin's website, just sign up for an account. I've never encountered a situation where you could book via FlyingClub but not OnePass, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen.

I believe that when VS availability drops to two or below that CO can have trouble accessing the seats.

You're likely to get the old product MCO-LHR or MCO-MAN, and it would be a pain in the ... to connect there from NYC (no airside transfer, disney crowds, 1000 mile detour). But if you're looking for a standard reward to europe from the south or southeast, it's a good gateway flight for availability. Last year I flew MSY-MCO-MAN-CDG in july at standard mileage rates.