best use of comp ticket/miles to antigua/barbados

Hi

I have received a free companion ticket from virgin after spending the pre-requisite amount on my Virgin Credit Card. I also have 200K miles in my flying club account. If my wife and I wished to go to Antigua or Barbados in April 05 what would be the best way to get there premium out and upper return or just premium return.
I recall you can buy a discounted premium and use the companion voucher as well but with upper it is only J?
I am happy to spend cash on one of the tickets but just not prepared to pay 3K for J-class return!
Any help, would be gratefully received

As far as I can see, you've got the principles right and there are lots of options, including:

a) 2 reward UC flights at 100,000 each - no miles or tier points and you'd clear your balance

b) 2 reward PE flights @ 62,500 each - again no miles or tier points but leaving you 75,000 miles

c) 2 rewards with PE out and UC return @ 81,250 each - no miles, no tier points, miles left 37,500

d) Buy 2 economy fares in a qualifying class and upgrade to PE (40,000 for the 2 returns), UC (120,000 miles) or one leg of each (80,000 miles) - earn tier points and mileage on the economy fare, balance of miles 160,000, 80,000 or 120,000 respectively (plus miles from this flight)

e) Buy an S Fare premium econonmy and use your companion ticket. Although your S fare could later be upgraded to UC with miles subject to availability you are not supposed to be able to do this with a companion fare. Some post have reported being able to do this at the airport though. You'd get mileage and tier points on your S fare, plus you won't have touched your 200,000 balance. If you want an S fare I'd speak directly to FC as it's hard to tell on the website which fare is being quoted - both W and S can come out as lowest when all the Ks have gone. Asking for flexible should produce the W fare, and the S sits somewhere in between W and K.

And as you say, the only qualifying UC fare is J - in most cases having to buy a J to use a companion ticket is not usually beneficial - unless you want specific dates and all the Z and D fares have gone.

All depends on how much of your miles you're willing to blow and whether miles earning or tier points are important to you.

I'm sure there might be other alternatives and I'm sure some of these have a better economic value that others but my brain is beginning to ache!:) I'll leave it to the rest of the community to suggest other options and to comment on which represent the best value for money/miles.

Regards

Pat

many thanks - take a nurofen!