Help me work out most efficient use of VA vouchers

[Jipster]

Hi everyone, I’m having a real conundrum with working out how best to use my VA Vouchers. I have three and am prepared to use two, if necessary and cost efficient.

I have enough points and earning potential for more that I’m happy to use some of them.

It’s my friends 40th and I’m planning on gifting him a return flight in Upper Class. I will also be flying on the same flights, obviously. I’m a red member so no tier status so any 2-for-1 points redemption costs an extra 50% points (upper points as I understand it).

I’m ignoring economy costs for purposes of calculations…

Premium economy cash £579 p/p, points £316 taxes + 36k points (would require 2 x vouchers to upgrade)

Upper cash p/p = £1130, points £364 taxes + 56k points (would require 1 x voucher 2 for 1)

I would welcome all input… Noting the 50% extra points required for having no tier and two tickets are required, not one.

What would you do?

Thanks in advance!

• This topic was modified 55 years, 3 months ago by .

[Sean Mc]

A clarifying question:

Is an economy redemption (points) 36k +£316 taxes and fees?
Is a PE redemption (points) 56k +£364 taxes and fees?
How much is a pure upper in points and taxes and fees?

[Jipster]

Hi Sean….

Is an economy redemption (points) 36k +£316 taxes and fees? No my comments above refer to Premium economy only. I’ve ignored Economy.

Is a PE redemption (points) 56k +£364 taxes and fees? No that’s upper. As I understand it, if I used a 2 for 1 it would be £364×2 taxes + 84k points (as it attracts a 1.5x multiplier)

How much is a pure upper in points and taxes and fees? For one, 56k + £364, for two is 84k + £728

Hooe that clarifies!

[Sean Mc]

So Assuming you can get 2 upper redemptions and would pay £1130 cash (and valuing virgin points at 1p) .. (I will note that the quoted fees for upper at £364 do look low – but i primarily look at NA where they are much higher)

then booking Upper(on points and using 1 voucher as 2/1.5) costs £840 (value of points) + £728 taxes and fees – so voucher is saving £692 versus cash price.

paying cash for PE and upgrading (2 vouchers) costs £1,158 +£360 (value of points) + £316 extra taxes and fees – so 2 voucher are saving £426 or £213 each.

As option 1 (assuming you can get 2 redemptions) has a lower cash outlay and uses 1 voucher – that is the way I’d go.

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

@Jipster Do you have any other airline status that you may be able to leverage for a match with Virgin? As an example, I recently used my Shangri La Hotels Jade status (a legacy status received from Amex Plat card) to get Silver KrisFlyer status. I was then able to status match with VS at Silver level and so my vouchers do become 2-4-1. Virgin status match terms can be found here: https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/us/en/flying-club/members/status-match.html
Good luck & hope you and your friend have a great trip!

[YC]

Good tip on status match but T&Cs say you need to have a future revenue flight booked with Virgin to match which complicates how you make the voucher a 2-4-1

[Jipster]

Thanks for the responses…. No status matches to speak of no.

@Sean…can you clarify if I buy a single cash only ticket and then redeem a single voucher as a two for one (I. E. No points redemption) on upper, I will still need to give them 18k points too? I’m not sure that’s the case?

Hence… My confusion! Any change HFP can run a ‘simulation’ article on this as the VA Vouchers have so many different options.

I’ll be due another voucher in June so I’m not bothered about using 2 necessarily.

[Sean Mc]

If you buy an upper ticket for cash then using a 2 for 1.5 you still have to pay half miles and taxes. This would “cost” £280 for the points and £364 taxes so a saving of £486 v cash for using the ticket.

I cannot see any benefit for 2 tickets in using 2 vouchers.

[Sean Mc]

Or based on the numbers you quoted you could book 2 upper redemptions individually for 36k (cost of premium) + £364 (upper taxes) + voucher each. This is equivalent to £724 per ticket – so voucher saves £406 each. So if “voucher rich” then this is another option, which whilst not the most efficient use of vouchers uses overall slightly less points (saves 8000 points versus booking a 1 and a half). You are therefore swapping a voucher for 8000 points. .

• This reply was modified 55 years, 3 months ago by .

[MattB]

Guernsey Globetrotter wrote:

@Jipster Do you have any other airline status that you may be able to leverage for a match with Virgin? As an example, I recently used my Shangri La Hotels Jade status (a legacy status received from Amex Plat card) to get Silver KrisFlyer status. I was then able to status match with VS at Silver level and so my vouchers do become 2-4-1. Virgin status match terms can be found here: https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/us/en/flying-club/members/status-match.html
Good luck & hope you and your friend have a great trip!

That’s interesting to know. Looking on that page you linked it says you need to show an upcoming revenue flight to match, so would that work if you were just making a reward booking?

[Thegasman]

Previous status match allowed reward booking if matching from selected other airlines (including BA). Current version requires future cash booking. That’s still better than usual where you also have to demonstrate a regular pattern of flights on routes Virgin fly.

[toddy]

Is it just me or have Virgin made this unnecessarily complex?

I’m trying to book 2 Upper class tickets from London to New York and I’m currently comparing 6 options:

1) Cash
2) Points
3) Premium on points, using 2 vouchers to upgrade
4) 2-4-1 on points, using 1 voucher
5) Premium with cash, using 2 vouchers to upgrade
6) 2-4-1 with cash, using 1 voucher

I need a lie down!

[Reney]

toddy wrote:

Is it just me or have Virgin made this unnecessarily complex?

I’m trying to book 2 Upper class tickets from London to New York and I’m currently comparing 6 options:

1) Cash
2) Points
3) Premium on points, using 2 vouchers to upgrade
4) 2-4-1 on points, using 1 voucher
5) Premium with cash, using 2 vouchers to upgrade
6) 2-4-1 with cash, using 1 voucher

I need a lie down!

lol, this is nicely set out, options are good when you are not cash/points/vouchers rich. (1), (5) and (6) is almost never an option for me. (2) won’t make sense if you have a voucher. For me it is really (3) or (4) and that decision depends on whether I am points or voucher rich at that point in time.

[Whatsthepoint]

I had the same situation and in the end was advised that the best option was option 3 for a trip to Orlando in October. Total cost – £1373 plus 95k points to upgrade from Premium to Upper for 2 people. I am hoping this was the best use. The Virgin Flying Club website is definitely not as helpful re redemptions as BA IMHO.

[toddy]

I went option 3 when I booked a couple of days ago.

I worked out that each voucher saved me 60k points (going option 4 was a 52.5k saving from memory). Having 4 vouchers also made my decision easier!

[MattB]

How long do the virgin vouchers last for these days?

[Gary]

MattB wrote:

How long do the virgin vouchers last for these days?

2 years.

For Flying Club red, option 3 provides greater saving if you have enough vouchers. If flying club silver/gold, option 4 would be a better deal.