ANA (NH) Redemptions using VS Flying Club points - thread locked Sept 2022
Oct 10, 2018, 9:16 am
#451
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 118
booked two first class tickets to Tokyo on ANA through Virgin Atlantic.
I booked a flight, but have now decided I wanted to spend a few more days. I booked IAH-NRT, HND-JFK.
Can I change my return flight to HND-IAD on a different date?
I booked a flight, but have now decided I wanted to spend a few more days. I booked IAH-NRT, HND-JFK.
Can I change my return flight to HND-IAD on a different date?
Oct 10, 2018, 10:56 am
#452
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 322
In my experience I have found that agents search correctly, but the VS availability shows more than what ANA actually gives out to their partners. VS availability matches ANA availability, which unfortunately is not always bookable by VS. I make sure it shows up on United before calling and don't even bother letting them request something that shows up as available when I know it's not going to return a confirmation.
Oct 10, 2018, 1:10 pm
#453
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: Hyatt Glb, MR Plat
Posts: 2,577
Once tickets for a Reward Booking are issued, no name changes are allowed. If for any reason a flight Reward is cancelled by the Member outside 24 hours of departure, 100% of the Miles will be re-credited to the Member’s account. A cancellation fee of £30 for changes to flights originating in the UK, US$50 for changes to flights originating in the US or local currency equivalent of US$50 for changes to flights originating in any other region will apply.
Oct 11, 2018, 10:32 pm
#454
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 33
Not sure if I’m posting this in the right place, but my wife and myself got home from Japan the other day after flying with ANA via our flying club miles (business out, F return). For any of you that have a flight in either class coming up, you’re in for an absolute treat. Absolutely superb experience on both legs. The seat, the food, the drinks, the service, wow. We went to Japan for 16 days for our 10th anniversary and when the hostess on our outbound found out that was our reason for travelling, she made us a bunch of origami figures, wrote us a card and wrote ‘Happy 10th anniversary’ in chocolate on the edge of our dessert plates. Unbelievable!
Oct 12, 2018, 6:07 pm
#455
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 16
Hallo, the forum keeps thinking I'm trying to post a URL until 5 posts and won't let me reply, but I've got no URLs >< Let me try to summarize my previous post... I'm looking to pop my award flight cherry on an upcoming trip to Japan, but have some questions for using Virgin flying club miles on ANA.
1) Looking at United for availability, there are "Saver" and "Everyday" awards. From what I've read in this thread, I gather I can only book with flying club miles if there is "Saver" availability?
2) I assume the letters listed in the fare details denote the fare class, but they are not matching what I've looked up online. For example, first class should be fare "F", but instead the details show it as "First (O)". What's that mean?
3) Do flying club redemptions on ANA include all stopovers? For example, is a flight originating in SFO with a stopover in IAH before moving onto NRT covered by the single 110,000 point first class redemption from US West?
4) Regarding redemption values and if stopovers are included, would the redemption rate be 110,000 for the SFO originating flight? Or would it somehow become 120,000 because the flight to Japan departs from IAH?
And for Nathandelabrum, based on Virgin Atlantic's flying club award page for ANA, it mentions that one way awards are not available. I assume this means that going to and coming back must be booked in the same class. Can I ask how you were able to book Business on the way to Japan, and First coming back? Also in your opinion, if Business starts at 90,000 and First at 110,000, do you think the extra miles for first class is worth the extra spend, or is Business perfectly amazing in its own right?
1) Looking at United for availability, there are "Saver" and "Everyday" awards. From what I've read in this thread, I gather I can only book with flying club miles if there is "Saver" availability?
2) I assume the letters listed in the fare details denote the fare class, but they are not matching what I've looked up online. For example, first class should be fare "F", but instead the details show it as "First (O)". What's that mean?
3) Do flying club redemptions on ANA include all stopovers? For example, is a flight originating in SFO with a stopover in IAH before moving onto NRT covered by the single 110,000 point first class redemption from US West?
4) Regarding redemption values and if stopovers are included, would the redemption rate be 110,000 for the SFO originating flight? Or would it somehow become 120,000 because the flight to Japan departs from IAH?
And for Nathandelabrum, based on Virgin Atlantic's flying club award page for ANA, it mentions that one way awards are not available. I assume this means that going to and coming back must be booked in the same class. Can I ask how you were able to book Business on the way to Japan, and First coming back? Also in your opinion, if Business starts at 90,000 and First at 110,000, do you think the extra miles for first class is worth the extra spend, or is Business perfectly amazing in its own right?
Oct 12, 2018, 9:27 pm
#456
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 322
1) Saver awards only
2) O is the internal code for First class awards for the carrier
3) No, they actually mention this on their site. Stopovers are charged separately from the ANA redemption
4) Per above you would have to book another award, ANA doesn't fly SFO-IAH, but you could go SFO-NRT-IAH on an open-jaw RT award
2) O is the internal code for First class awards for the carrier
3) No, they actually mention this on their site. Stopovers are charged separately from the ANA redemption
4) Per above you would have to book another award, ANA doesn't fly SFO-IAH, but you could go SFO-NRT-IAH on an open-jaw RT award
Oct 12, 2018, 10:31 pm
#457
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 16
edit: i just saw this info on the Virgin/ANA partner site as well.
From searching on United's site, I wasn't able to find any SFO - NRT routes and I noticed almost all of the available flights were heading out from IAH. The closest I did see from SFO was SFO - IAH - NRT (granted this was on the United flight, so SFO to IAH would be on United economy, while IAH to NRT would be on ANA operated first). I don't have any particular need to head to IAH other than to fly to Japan, so in that case I may need to work out a more favorable positioning flight.
Are there any other sites that I can reliably find award seats on, which I could then call up Virgin to book on ANA? I'm guessing not all of the available flights seen on the ANA site proper would be available to all partners.
Thanks for the response! Looking forward to this trip! It'll be my first flying anything higher than premium economy!
edit2: Another question: Would I be able to book a flight that is departing from a different airport than the one I flew into? Like If I flew IAH -> NRT, would I be able to then fly out from HND -> IAH?
And another: referencing Nathandelabrum's post above, is it possible to book a business flight to Japan and a First class back from Japan, or vice versa? Would that fall under the "round trip" only redemption, and how would the points cost be calculated? I assume it would be half the cost of business flying there (47500) + half the cost of first flying back (60000)?
From searching on United's site, I wasn't able to find any SFO - NRT routes and I noticed almost all of the available flights were heading out from IAH. The closest I did see from SFO was SFO - IAH - NRT (granted this was on the United flight, so SFO to IAH would be on United economy, while IAH to NRT would be on ANA operated first). I don't have any particular need to head to IAH other than to fly to Japan, so in that case I may need to work out a more favorable positioning flight.
Are there any other sites that I can reliably find award seats on, which I could then call up Virgin to book on ANA? I'm guessing not all of the available flights seen on the ANA site proper would be available to all partners.
Thanks for the response! Looking forward to this trip! It'll be my first flying anything higher than premium economy!
edit2: Another question: Would I be able to book a flight that is departing from a different airport than the one I flew into? Like If I flew IAH -> NRT, would I be able to then fly out from HND -> IAH?
And another: referencing Nathandelabrum's post above, is it possible to book a business flight to Japan and a First class back from Japan, or vice versa? Would that fall under the "round trip" only redemption, and how would the points cost be calculated? I assume it would be half the cost of business flying there (47500) + half the cost of first flying back (60000)?
Last edited by manfurismojive; Oct 12, 2018 at 11:15 pm
Oct 12, 2018, 11:02 pm
#458
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Southern California
Posts: 391
You seem not to understand the award flights showing up on United. you need to find flights on ANA only and those would be direct from a US departure point for ANA, connections shown on United are not valid for virgin miles for this award.
This has been covered in this thread several times, give it a read.
This has been covered in this thread several times, give it a read.
Oct 13, 2018, 12:21 am
#460
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 16
@lovetotravel
Thanks, that's what I figured as well since searching on United is just a reference for availability. New to this so I haven't ticked all the boxes when searching for stuff yet haha.
@hyperzulu
Nothing from SJC from what I found (those results from United headed to IAH first anyway), but I did just find a LAX outgoing that might work much more favorably for us! I'm looking to fly First on at least one of the legs, so I guess it goes back to my question of whether it's possible to book two different classes going to and from? I do see business availability on the way back to SJC on our expected return date, which would be awesome if possible since we are in the Bay Area.
Thanks, that's what I figured as well since searching on United is just a reference for availability. New to this so I haven't ticked all the boxes when searching for stuff yet haha.
@hyperzulu
Nothing from SJC from what I found (those results from United headed to IAH first anyway), but I did just find a LAX outgoing that might work much more favorably for us! I'm looking to fly First on at least one of the legs, so I guess it goes back to my question of whether it's possible to book two different classes going to and from? I do see business availability on the way back to SJC on our expected return date, which would be awesome if possible since we are in the Bay Area.
Oct 13, 2018, 12:27 am
#461
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 322
Originally Posted by manfurismojive;30310039[MENTION=721815
hyperzulu[/MENTION]
Nothing from SJC from what I found (those results from United headed to IAH first anyway), but I did just find a LAX outgoing that might work much more favorably for us! I'm looking to fly First on at least one of the legs, so I guess it goes back to my question of whether it's possible to book two different classes going to and from? I do see business availability on the way back to SJC on our expected return date, which would be awesome if possible since we are in the Bay Area.
Nothing from SJC from what I found (those results from United headed to IAH first anyway), but I did just find a LAX outgoing that might work much more favorably for us! I'm looking to fly First on at least one of the legs, so I guess it goes back to my question of whether it's possible to book two different classes going to and from? I do see business availability on the way back to SJC on our expected return date, which would be awesome if possible since we are in the Bay Area.
Oct 13, 2018, 3:35 am
#462
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 33
@lovetotravel
Thanks, that's what I figured as well since searching on United is just a reference for availability. New to this so I haven't ticked all the boxes when searching for stuff yet haha.
@hyperzulu
Nothing from SJC from what I found (those results from United headed to IAH first anyway), but I did just find a LAX outgoing that might work much more favorably for us! I'm looking to fly First on at least one of the legs, so I guess it goes back to my question of whether it's possible to book two different classes going to and from? I do see business availability on the way back to SJC on our expected return date, which would be awesome if possible since we are in the Bay Area.
Thanks, that's what I figured as well since searching on United is just a reference for availability. New to this so I haven't ticked all the boxes when searching for stuff yet haha.
@hyperzulu
Nothing from SJC from what I found (those results from United headed to IAH first anyway), but I did just find a LAX outgoing that might work much more favorably for us! I'm looking to fly First on at least one of the legs, so I guess it goes back to my question of whether it's possible to book two different classes going to and from? I do see business availability on the way back to SJC on our expected return date, which would be awesome if possible since we are in the Bay Area.
Oct 13, 2018, 3:46 am
#463
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 16
So I called in and just booked the flights. I was able to get First leaving from LAX and Business coming back to SJC. The miles cost per leg is confirmed to be half of what the chart is showing now, which is 110,000 for round trip First, and 90,000 for round trip Business from US West. So for my flight, it ended up being 100,000 miles per person. Process was easy and painless! Somehow I'd held the perception that looking for availability and booking flights was a huge pita, but as long as availability has been double checked before hand, the booking process was super smooth! Super excited to fly now, but it's nearly a year out!
Oct 13, 2018, 4:09 am
#464
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 33
And for Nathandelabrum, based on Virgin Atlantic's flying club award page for ANA, it mentions that one way awards are not available. I assume this means that going to and coming back must be booked in the same class. Can I ask how you were able to book Business on the way to Japan, and First coming back? Also in your opinion, if Business starts at 90,000 and First at 110,000, do you think the extra miles for first class is worth the extra spend, or is Business perfectly amazing in its own right?
It really is an insane deal, especially because if you can get a decently priced flight/use points to fly to the US and then fly to Japan from there, the taxes are peanuts to fly to Japan from the US. When we booked it was about £58 each in taxes TOTAL 😳.
Experience wise, I thought the food was comparable in both classes. But the drinks (the booze) on first class were a step above. I had 4 glasses of Krug and 2 glasses of 21 year old hibiki - not available in business. Score! The seat/bed in first is a little more comfortable. Although both are excellent. So if you end up combining classes, my advice would be to try and fly back in first so you can get a really good nights sleep. I’m 6 foot 5” and I’ve never been so comfortable on a plane; slept for 7 hours straight (although the booze probably helped 😉
.
Oct 13, 2018, 4:13 am
#465
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 33
So I called in and just booked the flights. I was able to get First leaving from LAX and Business coming back to SJC. The miles cost per leg is confirmed to be half of what the chart is showing now, which is 110,000 for round trip First, and 90,000 for round trip Business from US West. So for my flight, it ended up being 100,000 miles per person. Process was easy and painless! Somehow I'd held the perception that looking for availability and booking flights was a huge pita, but as long as availability has been double checked before hand, the booking process was super smooth! Super excited to fly now, but it's nearly a year out!