Upgrade using VS miles, credit to DL? Possible?
Feb 10, 2019, 5:15 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,287
Upgrade using VS miles, credit to DL? Possible?
Hi!
I'm looking to book, and then upgrade one leg of a Virgin Atlantic booking (VS code, metal, stock ticket) using VS miles (transferred from Amex). But I want to credit the flights (well, the underlying economy class ticket's miles) to my DL account. Is this doable? Is there a risk that the flights post with a redemption fare bucket, rather than the underlying economy fare? Or could the flights post to the wrong account?
Any insights appreciated! Thanks.
I'm looking to book, and then upgrade one leg of a Virgin Atlantic booking (VS code, metal, stock ticket) using VS miles (transferred from Amex). But I want to credit the flights (well, the underlying economy class ticket's miles) to my DL account. Is this doable? Is there a risk that the flights post with a redemption fare bucket, rather than the underlying economy fare? Or could the flights post to the wrong account?
Any insights appreciated! Thanks.
Feb 10, 2019, 9:32 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: DL DM, HH Gold
Posts: 96
Super straightforward. Just add your Skymiles # at booking or via the app or call in. The miles post at the Y rate, I have had to submit for milage credit a couple times, but I just reference my original fare class and that I upgraded with miles and they get it resolved. More details below.
I am based in the UK but regularly fly to the US for work, and you are describing precisely what I do. My corporate travel policy is Y only but I have good leeway in determining the carrier and routing.
You can use the VS website to look at reward availability, but expertflyer is easier if you're doing this regularly.
I find the VS flight I want with reward availability and then book via my travel system. As soon as the ticket is issues I call VS and tell them I want to update with flying club miles. ~12K each way for PE(P) or 45K for UC(G). I generally try to do PE westbound and UC eastbound but UC is tougher to find (so be more flexible).
Amex and Chase points transfer instantly so I don't generally transfer until I'm on the phone with them.
Hope this helps.
I am based in the UK but regularly fly to the US for work, and you are describing precisely what I do. My corporate travel policy is Y only but I have good leeway in determining the carrier and routing.
You can use the VS website to look at reward availability, but expertflyer is easier if you're doing this regularly.
I find the VS flight I want with reward availability and then book via my travel system. As soon as the ticket is issues I call VS and tell them I want to update with flying club miles. ~12K each way for PE(P) or 45K for UC(G). I generally try to do PE westbound and UC eastbound but UC is tougher to find (so be more flexible).
Amex and Chase points transfer instantly so I don't generally transfer until I'm on the phone with them.
Hope this helps.
Feb 10, 2019, 3:26 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,287
Super straightforward. Just add your Skymiles # at booking or via the app or call in. The miles post at the Y rate, I have had to submit for milage credit a couple times, but I just reference my original fare class and that I upgraded with miles and they get it resolved. More details below.
I am based in the UK but regularly fly to the US for work, and you are describing precisely what I do. My corporate travel policy is Y only but I have good leeway in determining the carrier and routing.
You can use the VS website to look at reward availability, but expertflyer is easier if you're doing this regularly.
I find the VS flight I want with reward availability and then book via my travel system. As soon as the ticket is issues I call VS and tell them I want to update with flying club miles. ~12K each way for PE(P) or 45K for UC(G). I generally try to do PE westbound and UC eastbound but UC is tougher to find (so be more flexible).
Amex and Chase points transfer instantly so I don't generally transfer until I'm on the phone with them.
Hope this helps.
I am based in the UK but regularly fly to the US for work, and you are describing precisely what I do. My corporate travel policy is Y only but I have good leeway in determining the carrier and routing.
You can use the VS website to look at reward availability, but expertflyer is easier if you're doing this regularly.
I find the VS flight I want with reward availability and then book via my travel system. As soon as the ticket is issues I call VS and tell them I want to update with flying club miles. ~12K each way for PE(P) or 45K for UC(G). I generally try to do PE westbound and UC eastbound but UC is tougher to find (so be more flexible).
Amex and Chase points transfer instantly so I don't generally transfer until I'm on the phone with them.
Hope this helps.
The only snag is that I did the booking and upgrade in a single transaction, so I won't have a receipt with the underlying fare, but hopefully the fare basis is stored somewhere and so it shouldn't be impossible to deduce. And that's only a concern if it doesn't credit in the first place. Hopefully I'm not being paranoid!
Your travel situation sounds exactly like mine - pretty much always in Y - so this is a nice treat!
Feb 10, 2019, 3:49 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-PLT, QF-GLD, DL-GM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
Posts: 8,245
You aren't being paranoid; situations like this can cause problems with miles posting. I don't think there is any risk that it 'accidentally' posts to VS, but there is a definite risk that it posts to DL as an award flight with 0 miles. Then you have to sort that out with DL. I have had to do this multiple times on Virgin Australia.
It definitely helps if you have some documentation to prove your original fare class. So try to get your hands on that, if you can.
It definitely helps if you have some documentation to prove your original fare class. So try to get your hands on that, if you can.
Feb 10, 2019, 4:05 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,287
You aren't being paranoid; situations like this can cause problems with miles posting. I don't think there is any risk that it 'accidentally' posts to VS, but there is a definite risk that it posts to DL as an award flight with 0 miles. Then you have to sort that out with DL. I have had to do this multiple times on Virgin Australia.
It definitely helps if you have some documentation to prove your original fare class. So try to get your hands on that, if you can.
It definitely helps if you have some documentation to prove your original fare class. So try to get your hands on that, if you can.
Feb 10, 2019, 6:11 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,287
I hope it doesn't come to that - tried to use their webchat to get a detailed receipt, but when I asked if the fare basis codes would be on it, he didn't have a clue what I was talking about (and I didn't even get on asking about the fare construction....)
Last edited by cauchy; Feb 10, 2019 at 7:21 pm