Upgrading requires availability in both cabins?

[Mick S]

Tried to use my upgrade voucher to move up from Premium to Upper. Called twice, different times – same answer.
There is availability in Upper, but nothing in Premium. This means the flight cannot be priced as there is no availability to base it on.

Is this correct, or I have just been unlucky with both people I’ve spoken to?

[NorthernLass]

Are you talking about upgrading a PE flight you have already booked, or asking for the whole thing to be done in one go?

If the latter, I can see the logic to VS only being able to upgrade an existing PE booking.

If you’re trying to upgrade an existing PE booking, they only need to know the difference in surcharges.

[Sean Mc]

Are you trying to upgrade a cash fare or booking upper for the points of premium. Last time i called to do the latter – they were trying to book and upgrade cash fare.

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

According to HfP’s own VS ‘university’ article (https://www.headforpoints.com/2023/08/26/how-to-use-virgin-atlantic-credit-card-voucher/) this is true for cash upgrade bookings but NOT for reward point ones:

You can upgrade both cash and redemption tickets.

Once again, there are a few ground rules:

– there needs to be reward availability in the class you want to upgrade to
– there does not (for a reward booking) need to be reward availability in the class you are upgrading from
– you need to pay any additional taxes and fees for the upgraded cabins compared to the one you booked

So, if you were trying to do this with a cash booking then the agents were right. If for a rewards booking they are wrong!

[Mick S]

this is a fresh booking, using points (not cash) and then an upgrade voucher to move from Premium to Upper.

Without a premium rewards seat being available they are unable to calculate the points required. This is my first experience with Virgin Atlantic using points – its making BA seem professional 🙂

[ChasP]

I have made 3 bookings in UC with vouchers where no PE seats were available I paid the PE points + the UC fees
The point is all PE seats on a route require the same points while cash fares can and do vary a lot – between £600 and £2000 on one route I was looking at
So its not unreasonable to allow it for reward bookings but not for cash when no PE seats left

Virgin call staff are somewhat ‘variable’ so HUACA (hang up and call again)

[Mick S]

just called again – 3rd time lucky. Apparently lots of new starters on the phone 🙁

Thanks all for the replies, and confirming what i thought was correct.

[Sean Mc]

Glad it worked – I now tell them i want to book upper and then say to apply the upgrade voucher to pay lower virgin points.

[AL]

The rule of thumb, if you’re given a non-answer, is to call back during UK hours and get Swansea. On the off chance you are scrambling for availability (e.g. to the Maldives), book it to keep it, feel free to ask here and then call back and they can re-calculate.

[AL]

As an aside, if you’re doing a multi-cabin hop (e.g. Y to J, which BA doesn’t support), then you do need P and G availability – it isn’t sufficient to just have G.