ANA (NH) Redemptions using VS Flying Club points - thread locked Sept 2022
#197
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 33
Just a few questions regarding booking flights to Tokyo using Virgin air miles. I'm hoping to book 2 tickets (probably business class) from LHR-NRT in October of next year using my Virgin miles. Similar to others, I've been looking as far ahead as I can for next year using the united.com search tool, and there seems to be decent availability in August next year, hopefully this bodes well for October! It does look as though however that availability in business for the direct flight from LHR on ANA is basically non existent, so can I still use my miles to get to Tokyo via a connection, perhaps through Bangkok? I wasn't sure if the miles could only be redeemed on ANA flights only? Also, is availability I see on united.com a fairly accurate representation of what Virgin agents will be able to find for me? Before I call to book in a couple of months I want to know exactly which flights I want to make the whole booking process as smooth as possible. Cheers everyone 👍
#198
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: YVR, KUL
Programs: AC, MH, BA, AF-KL
Posts: 2,907
Just a few questions regarding booking flights to Tokyo using Virgin air miles. I'm hoping to book 2 tickets (probably business class) from LHR-NRT in October of next year using my Virgin miles. Similar to others, I've been looking as far ahead as I can for next year using the united.com search tool, and there seems to be decent availability in August next year, hopefully this bodes well for October! It does look as though however that availability in business for the direct flight from LHR on ANA is basically non existent, so can I still use my miles to get to Tokyo via a connection, perhaps through Bangkok? I wasn't sure if the miles could only be redeemed on ANA flights only? Also, is availability I see on united.com a fairly accurate representation of what Virgin agents will be able to find for me? Before I call to book in a couple of months I want to know exactly which flights I want to make the whole booking process as smooth as possible. Cheers everyone 👍
VS should see the same NH award space as UA - in theory. Sometimes, there's a bit of a discrepancy, but it should be a reasonable indication.
#199
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 33
I see. I envisage this is going to be more difficult than I imagined because as far as I can see, there's no availability at all for the next year for 2 people to fly business class on the non stop ANA route from LHR - NRT. There seems to be much better availability from US airports on the direct routes than flying from London. Being from the UK, will Virgin Atlantic have access to flights say from JFK - NRT? Then my wife and myself could grab a flight to New York and travel on to Tokyo from there.
#201
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 33
I'm not entirely sure; I've just checked LHR to both Tokyo airports and I can't find any non stops for 2 people on ANA in either business or first within the next year. If I'm doing something wrong please advise me, but I can't find anything. Very frustrating.
#202
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: UK
Programs: VS Gold
Posts: 512
Ah okay - to be fair I have done the very same recently and my results were slim, only 2 dates that had J availability for two LHR-HND for the whole year.
#203
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 26
I am so frustrated. I have used United's and ANA's search tool to find 2 award business seats to Tokyo from Europe and I did not find anything at all for the whole of 2018 (until September 18) from ANY European airport! Is this how it is supposed to be? If that's the case, then it's the poorest award seat availability I have ever seen!
Am I doing something wrong?
Am I doing something wrong?
#204
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 33
I am so frustrated. I have used United's and ANA's search tool to find 2 award business seats to Tokyo from Europe and I did not find anything at all for the whole of 2018 (until September 18) from ANY European airport! Is this how it is supposed to be? If that's the case, then it's the poorest award seat availability I have ever seen!
Am I doing something wrong?
Am I doing something wrong?
#205
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sunny AZ
Programs: HH Diamond, Sixt Platinum, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott/SPG Gold .....
Posts: 3,220
How about First seats? When I checked (only a few times month back) it seemed that business was hard to get but first available.
#206
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 33
Incidentally, does anyone know how much taxes are in GBP per person to fly in F from the US to NRT?
#207
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sunny AZ
Programs: HH Diamond, Sixt Platinum, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott/SPG Gold .....
Posts: 3,220
Not sure if this helps but in May 338USD from JFK to HND for 2 people
Using 1.25USD per GBP (it was around that number) it should be GBP135pP not sure if NRT has different taxes than HND but it should give you a ballpark figure
Using 1.25USD per GBP (it was around that number) it should be GBP135pP not sure if NRT has different taxes than HND but it should give you a ballpark figure
#208
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 33
Hoping now to fly LHR-IAD on VS, spend a few days in D.C. then fly on from D.C. to Tokyo. Fingers crossed!
#209
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sunny AZ
Programs: HH Diamond, Sixt Platinum, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott/SPG Gold .....
Posts: 3,220
#210
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 26
Just adding context with some more facts.. I have been checking their website right at the time that they were releasing the seats for next year's 356th day and my oh my, 2 business seats were never made available for that day from any European airport! There was only one business seat available from the beginning! What kind of wrong policy are they following and why doesn't someone advise them?
At least all other major European airlines release by default 2 business class award seats a year in advance. What's wrong with these chaps? I'm just fuming and seriously thinking of giving up and sticking to JAL.
At least all other major European airlines release by default 2 business class award seats a year in advance. What's wrong with these chaps? I'm just fuming and seriously thinking of giving up and sticking to JAL.