Wyleeguy79

I have researched this question a fair amount on google and travel sites like this one and I wanted to see if anyone had more advice to offer...

I am trying to book two roundtrip upper class flights with Points from LAX to LHR for about a 10 night trip at the end of September of 2017. It looks like VA is now opening their calendar at 334 days. However, it of course does not look like they fully open their award seating? Or are they really selling out this fast on reward seats? I have not been able to find much more than speculation on other sites.

At this point I feel like I just need to look at the site several times a day in the hope something will open up for me.

Anyone have advice/Hope finding certainty of being able to do this?

Silver Fox

This. They can open up anytime and there is no pattern to it.

craigthemif

There is no real pattern. VS does not promise to open a certain number of award spaces on every single flight/cabin.

Moreover, you should book as one-ways whenever you see award space. If you wait for the return to open up, someone else might grab the outbound flight.

CommanderB

LAX is a popular route, so don't be surprised that award seats go like hot cakes on that route.

Alternatives to try -

LHR > SFO (then a Delta connection, usually cheap)
MAN > SFO
LGW > LAS

blindman

I was researching this route (albeit LHR-LAX) for August\September and I found the following.

Mid week:- (M-Thurs)
There seemed to be ONE UC and one Y seat released about 14:00 ish UK time ( so about now at the 344 days out point

Then the day after there were more Y seats (by which time the UC seat had gone.

Weekend did not see any UC.

At this time -Tuesday 11th at 14:00 UK time I see 2 PE seats outbound (LAX-LHR) and only Y seats inbound.

May be a stretch but would SEA-LHR suit?

Loads of UC availability M-Th with usually 2 UC on Sat and Sunday.

So as others have said.

Check daily, look for one way if the return is not out yet and if you see one grab it

Nottingham Nick

Just to add to what others have said- if one seat does appear and you decide to grab it. In my experience it is sometimes replaced immediately by another one, so if you want two - make sure you re-check immediately after booking.


Nick

mycity68

The only issue I've found with booking two separate reward seat flights are the cost of the taxes, has anyone ever had Virgin combine a return leg booked later onto an outbound leg therefore saving the taxes? I've tried it but the agents say it's not allowed.

Silver Fox

No. And they are right.

craigthemif

It's not taxes, it's surcharges.

ex-US has a higher surcharge than ex-UK, therefore for a UK-based member booking 2 1-ways comes out a bit more expensive. If it was the other way around, I'm sure you'd see regular articles in the Daily Mail complaining about rip-off Britain!

Personally, I would just chalk it up to the cost of nabbing Upper Class award seats, but I understand people trying to figure out ways around it.

You could always risk booking a return for the same or next day as your outbound leg, and then changing the date of the return once availability opens up for the date you really want. Problem is that might never happen...

Tim_T

Yep, I hit this as well recently. I did both bookings online (out and return) as they were released. Over the next few weeks I had a nagging feeling that I had overpaid. I checked with a dummy booking and then noticed that I had paid about £500 more for the three pairs of single tickets rather than three return. I phoned and was told it was not possible to combine. I ended up cancelling my single return leg and booking it again but adding it onto my outbound for a different date, having checked that the other date was available first. Even with the £50 per ticket cancellation fee, I got back £390. I wont make that mistake again.

Wyleeguy79

Thx for the tips. I was able to book my return UC to SFO.

Now to book the Departure UC before the price goes up in January.