Z Class fare opposed to miles

I rung up Silver helpline yesterday to try to book LHR-MCO next October from PE to UCS using miles. Needless to say these reward seats had already been allocated and what was available did not really suit my dates to travel.

What the lady suggested was to take advantage of some good Z class fares going at the moment and save my miles (I will then have enough for a return UCS to USA using miles alone).

The price was £1432 pp. including tax etc. for return Z to MCO as opposed to £1133 for PE seats (+ 40k miles)for the upgrade. For £300 extra it seemed a good deal to save miles, get dates I wanted and get full reward miles/tier points on a Z fare.

Seem good to you?

[mcmbenjamin]

Ianflies: You will earn 200 per cent of miles and 5 tier points per sector. All Upper Class fare earn 200 per cent and 5 tier expect G (award and upgraded tickets) and flight to Sydney that earn 200 per cent and 8 tier points if you do not stopover in HKG.

Koz Koz

[Pete]

Ian, for a 300 quid difference, that's a good deal.

Consider a normal airport-upgrade from PE to Upper is 600 quid each way; so you're saving 900 pounds on the return deal.

Pete

Originally posted by pixuk
Ian, for a 300 quid difference, that's a good deal.

Consider a normal airport-upgrade from PE to Upper is 600 quid each way; so you're saving 900 pounds on the return deal.

Pete

Thanks Pete - seemed a good deal, so snapped it up, and still have miles in tact.

Regards.

I always use the following basis to see if I should use my miles or note. A good conversion factor for my miles anything better that £1 for 1 mile is worth taking (and by better I mean if using my miles will I save more that £1 for each mile I use, or if not using miles, will I gain more than 1 mile for each extra £ I spend). You are paying £300 and gaining (well not loosing) 40k miles. This is just about better than 1:1 basis for the miles to money. But, and this is where you will gain on this deal, you will also earn a further 16k odd miles for flying in a rev seat.
So you could say that £300 has gained you 56k miles, which is nearly 2 miles for £1. Add to this by purchasing the seats with a 2 mile per £1 Virgin credit card and the whole deal essentially nets you 118k miles (assuming you buy 2 seats). (Maths check as I think I may be wrong on this as it sounds to good to be true - 40k saving for each seat not upgrading with miles, 16k for each return z fare, plus 6k on the VS CC - Sound right??)

Just as a comment to add to this basis, I often book 1 mileage or mileage upgrade seat along with 1 z class when Mrs B and I fly together. This often works pretty well as I earn the miles back (or at least some of them) I have used on the other seat, and as Mrs B doesn't need the Tier Points it works well for us.

Paul

[Scrooge]

ok..here's the way I look at it..it cost's me approx. $1600 to get 80k miles needed for a reward ticket,so if the price of the ticket is less than that I grab,if the price of buying a ticket in Y or W + the cost of the miles is less I go that way.

Seeing as I only do 1 or 2 trans atlantics a year I couldn't careless about TP's and I earn enough miles through the year to cover the mileage cost.

Originally posted by jetwet1
ok..here's the way I look at it..it cost's me approx. $1600 to get 80k miles needed for a reward ticket,so if the price of the ticket is less than that I grab,if the price of buying a ticket in Y or W + the cost of the miles is less I go that way.

Seeing as I only do 1 or 2 trans atlantics a year I couldn't careless about TP's and I earn enough miles through the year to cover the mileage cost.

There is value in the TP's, they let you book reward flights much easier for popular destinations.

But I am intrigued, how do you buy 80k miles for 1600 USD, I can do it for 2k. (priv message me if you want to keep it secret) .

I will go for miles if you I pay up to 2 cents a mile and I want to get around 10 cents a mile when I spend them.

cheers
sky

[Scrooge]

it's easy for me,I make a reservation at AVis for an off airport rental,so while one of my cars is being detailed I have a rental car,keep it for a couple of hours then return it.

It all come's down to where you live and the local rates,I have an Avis place 5 mins down the road from where I live and across the parking lot from the detail place.

I rent a sub compact each week for about $21 inc,get 1000 miles for it,plus a domestic companion ticketafter 31 rentals a year,plus a 2 cat upgrade anytime I rent,so all in all it works out.

I understand there is value in TP's,but it comes down to if you fly with the airline regulary,I don't,so with me it comes down to will VS give me the reward flight/upgrade..if they do I fly with them,if not it comes down to cost,if VS are close i'll go with them,if not then it's BA,though I do want to try Maxjet.

Originally posted by jetwet1
it's easy for me,I make a reservation at AVis for an off airport rental,so while one of my cars is being detailed I have a rental car,keep it for a couple of hours then return it.

It all come's down to where you live and the local rates,I have an Avis place 5 mins down the road from where I live and across the parking lot from the detail place.

I rent a sub compact each week for about $21 inc,get 1000 miles for it,plus a domestic companion ticketafter 31 rentals a year,plus a 2 cat upgrade anytime I rent,so all in all it works out.

I understand there is value in TP's,but it comes down to if you fly with the airline regulary,I don't,so with me it comes down to will VS give me the reward flight/upgrade..if they do I fly with them,if not it comes down to cost,if VS are close i'll go with them,if not then it's BA,though I do want to try Maxjet.

So for every 80 rentals you have a UC ticket, impressive .

How do you get the domestic companion and 2 cat upgrade? Now that I have my SSN I can get a driving license and start exploring the bay area.

cheers
sky

[Scrooge]

Become a member of avis prefered Here

If you have a Amex Plat card you can get straight into the Prefered Select,if not then once you have.

After 31 rentals in a rolling 12 month period you will get a 2 cat upgrade + companion ticket.

One traveler must be 21 and the cert recipient. Fares must be at least $349 between 9/15 and 1/15 and $379 between 1/16 and 9/14. Must have a Sat night and 14 day advance purchase. No open jaws, stopovers, etc. Must be booked through something called API. Valid through 11/30/06 in the lower 48.

Bad stuff:

1. Tax not included on the companion ticket. Not refundable and non changeable.

2. Something about "most major airports" only and your preferred airline and routing may not be available.

There is no contact number for API so I will just have to send this in and wait "21" days for the Activation Certificate to find out more.

So not that good a deal,what I do like is that with Avis once you cross that mark they note your account a HVR,high volume renter,means you get a little more leeway on upgrades etc,also you can put in your account profile that you do not want certain cars,for whatever reason AVis seems to think that a Chevy Classic is a good upgrade...um no it's a POS,i've noted in my account that I never want one,now when we travel we book intermediate and get full size or premium cars,last trip down to SAN we ended up in a fully loaded Toyota Camry for $26 inc a day..no idea why we got a Camry but im not complaining.