This is the main V-Flyer Forum for general discussion of everything related to flying with Virgin-branded travel companies.
#158232 by virgin is the best
01 Feb 2007, 18:35
The product is J and W is very good. The only thing thats needs improved maybe is the J kit apart from that everything else in pretty good.
#158234 by preiffer
01 Feb 2007, 18:41
Originally posted by virgin is the best
The product is J and W is very good. The only thing thats needs improved maybe is the J kit apart from that everything else in pretty good.
Have to disagree a bit there.

The seat needs a LOT more thought for future designs. (I mean, when it's in seat mode, as opposed to a bed)
#158342 by 2Tinks
02 Feb 2007, 09:39
Originally posted by preiffer
Originally posted by 2Tinks
I'm sure my parents only paid £199 to move from Y to W with us last May. [:?]
That will have been at check-in though - this is specifically around "on-board" upgrades.


Yes, I understand that. What I don't understand, is why would anyone pay £300 on board, if they were offered an upgrade for £199 and didn't do it?

I had a guy across from me that was bragging about his 'cheap upgrade' to W. I was sat there listening to him (wasn't hard, he felt the need to shout it several times!) wondering why the heck I bothered collecting miles, when he probably got a better deal. Then you get the likes of Virgin Holidays offering £50 upgrades and it makes the whole FC a farce.

Why don't they look after their frequent flyers first? Rather than doing cash upgrades, offer any seats to FC members at check-in and ask them if they want to upgrade!

I'd also have to disagree that 'the product is very good'. It's far from it lately. I used to fly VS through choice, now it's through necessity.
#158344 by pjh
02 Feb 2007, 09:52
Originally posted by 2Tinks
Then you get the likes of Virgin Holidays offering £50 upgrades and it makes the whole FC a farce.


? I'll have to look out for that offer. The last time I upgraded to W with VH it cost me, per seat, the difference between N & Y plus the published £250.

Paul
#158345 by MarkJ
02 Feb 2007, 09:54
Originally posted by 2Tinks

Why don't they look after their frequent flyers first? Rather than doing cash upgrades, offer any seats to FC members at check-in and ask them if they want to upgrade!



Whilst there do not appear to be any "hard and fast" rules regarding upgrades I believe that the experience of those on the forum shows that VS does tend to upgrade FC members - its happened to me 4 or 5 times and Im sure that if I was not in the FC then it would not have been the case!
#158346 by Neil
02 Feb 2007, 09:57
Originally posted by pjh
Originally posted by 2Tinks
Then you get the likes of Virgin Holidays offering £50 upgrades and it makes the whole FC a farce.


? I'll have to look out for that offer. The last time I upgraded to W with VH it cost me, per seat, the difference between N & Y then £250.

Paul


They sometimes have special deals, we got one last year when we went to NYC. Cost me £390 to upgrade to PE on the outbound but only £90 to upgrade on the return thanks to the offer! Cracking deals when they do them.

Neil
#158350 by jaguarpig
02 Feb 2007, 10:52
They sometimes have special deals, we got one last year when we went to NYC. Cost me £390 to upgrade to PE on the outbound but only £90 to upgrade on the return thanks to the offer! Cracking deals when they do them.


So £480 to upgrade the return trip from Y-W,sounds a lot to me. I purchased WT+ to SFO for £520.33 inc taxes in the last BA sale.
#158351 by Neil
02 Feb 2007, 10:56
Originally posted by jaguarpig
They sometimes have special deals, we got one last year when we went to NYC. Cost me £390 to upgrade to PE on the outbound but only £90 to upgrade on the return thanks to the offer! Cracking deals when they do them.


So £480 to upgrade the return trip from Y-W,sounds a lot to me. I purchased WT+ to SFO for £520.33 inc taxes in the last BA sale.


That was for 2 people, so £240 each, which wasn't bad at the time. It was October 2005 when I made the original VH booking!
#158352 by jaguarpig
02 Feb 2007, 11:17
For 2 people very good[:I]
#158353 by pjh
02 Feb 2007, 11:38
Originally posted by Attitude23

They sometimes have special deals, we got one last year when we went to NYC. Cost me £390 to upgrade to PE on the outbound but only £90 to upgrade on the return thanks to the offer! Cracking deals when they do them.

Neil


Neil

You did the upgrade *after* you made the original booking ?

I should obviously be more active in searching these things out, but I suspect being tied to the school holidays will limit their availablity (tending to zero, I fear).

Paul
#158354 by Neil
02 Feb 2007, 11:47
Paul - yes I did both upgrades after I had made the original booking. Decided (thanks to my 1st post on VF[y]) to upgrade our outbound and then a month or so later VH did the 50pp upgrade, which was found through the DIBB forum, so upgraded our return too.

IIRC the initial offer from VH was on the MCO route for May & June flights and then they extended it to all routes for flights before the end of May, I know some people were not able to get the PE offer because of flight dates etc.

Neil
#158359 by MarkJ
02 Feb 2007, 12:37
Just upgraded from PE to UC for our return from ANU. Did this on the VH "manage your booking" site.

When I made the original booking there was no UC available for the return leg and VH wanted ( after a call to VS) £900 per person to upgrade[V]

So I waited and kept checking the VH manage your booking site as it shows what upgrades and options are available - and then today - "hurrah" obviously VS have released seom more UC to VH and whoosh! Im in and booked at the brochure price along with FVC discount!:D
#158412 by pjh
02 Feb 2007, 20:58
Originally posted by MarkJ

So I waited and kept checking the VH manage your booking site as it shows what upgrades and options are available - and then today - "hurrah" obviously VS have released seom more UC to VH and whoosh! Im in and booked at the brochure price along with FVC discount!:D


Sorry to be cheeky, but what is the brochure price for this UG ? All I've ever seen are E->PE prices..

Thx

Paul
#158416 by stoneman
02 Feb 2007, 21:32
Originally posted by MarkJ
Originally posted by 2Tinks

Why don't they look after their frequent flyers first? Rather than doing cash upgrades, offer any seats to FC members at check-in and ask them if they want to upgrade!



Whilst there do not appear to be any "hard and fast" rules regarding upgrades I believe that the experience of those on the forum shows that VS does tend to upgrade FC members - its happened to me 4 or 5 times and Im sure that if I was not in the FC then it would not have been the case!

I doubt that you were upgraded because you were a flying club Red member. There would , I assume , be lots of silver, and a few Gold's aboard as well, which would have been upgraded before you.
#158417 by stoneman
02 Feb 2007, 21:35
Originally posted by virgin is the best
If we serve W or Y food in J we do plate it all up.
If someone chooses to pay this amount of money for an onboard upgrade its their choice. Before any sale is made the customer is made fully aware of what they are and are not entitled to. Its their choice we don't force them to upgrade.

It may seem a little on the steep side but if people are happy to pay it which they are they why change the price. Like I said its another service we can offer our customers onbaord. If you perfer we could just say sorry no we can't upgrade. Would you turn away money if you were a business??? I don't think you would.

Take a chill pill;)
#158432 by ade99
03 Feb 2007, 01:24
I'm not too sure if it is a bit too steep. On our return with the parents from MCO in Oct at the end of the half term there were two seats left in upper and mum and dad were upstairs. I'd aleady asked at DTD check-in and she was the least helpful person I've ver met.

Then we tried at the airport and showed our gold cards and were told that we would be put on the waiting list and called from the lounge.

Nothing happened and just before pushback with the doors closed there were still two seats empty, spoke to a lovely senior and said how I was a little dissapointed as we were willing to use miles or even pay and within five minutes the FSM and the senior were back apologising and letting me and the bf know that mum and dad were being helped downstairs with the luggage as we spoke!!! Which really annoyed the Sharon and Wayne and their three kids who realised we got it for nothing.

There was a great conversation between them and the crew while I was asleep them asking how my folks got moved downstairs without having to pay anything and the FSM and senior both (who incidently raided the crew trolley for Sharon's cheese sandwich as nothing on the menu would possibly suite them) when the FSM simply replied that Dr Richardson and Dr Hutchison are gold members, always flew the MCO route and were the most senior FC member on the flight - still didn't stop us getting some evils from them but some extra special treatment from the crew went down very well including a bucks fizz with the bacon butty in the morning (well I did habe to sleep all day as I was on nights when we got back)

It's times like this that a smaller airline and the little extras make you want to fly them as much as possible. [y]
#158446 by 2Tinks
03 Feb 2007, 11:47
Originally posted by stoneman

I doubt that you were upgraded because you were a flying club Red member. There would , I assume , be lots of silver, and a few Gold's aboard as well, which would have been upgraded before you.


Me? I'm not red, i'm silver, as is DH. [:(] I don't expect freebies, it would just be nice when there are empty seats to be asked if we want to use miles. At the moment we've got 450k between us and can't do anything with them. We travel at peak times and if we want to use them the proper way through the FC, we're not getting the availability. Too many members, not enough reward seats. Not surprising really if they're cash grabbing onboard.
#158448 by VS045
03 Feb 2007, 12:02
Me? I'm not red, i'm silver, as is DH


I think stonemen was referring to Mark:)

VS.
#158451 by 2Tinks
03 Feb 2007, 12:32
Originally posted by VS045
Me? I'm not red, i'm silver, as is DH


I think stonemen was referring to Mark:)

VS.


Oh sorry! [:I] So there seems to be no system of upgrading FC members before anyone else, he was just picked at random?
#158452 by RichardMannion
03 Feb 2007, 12:41
No, Golds will always come first. Assuming that their FQTV #'s are actually in their PNR.

Thanks,
Richard

P.S Ade, I think I know whom you met at DTD, as Sarah and I encountered an entire group of people that were downright useless. If you are Gold or travelling in UC, don't use DTD.
#158468 by selector
03 Feb 2007, 19:04
No, Golds will always come first. Assuming that their FQTV #'s are actually in their PNR.

Thanks,
Richard

P.S Ade, I think I know whom you met at DTD, as Sarah and I encountered an entire group of people that were downright useless. If you are Gold or travelling in UC, don't use DTD.


Sorry what's DTD mean?
#158477 by David
03 Feb 2007, 19:39
Downtown Disney

David
#158478 by Mavrick
03 Feb 2007, 19:39
selector, DTD means Down town Disney.:)
#158479 by stoneman
03 Feb 2007, 19:40
Originally posted by selector
No, Golds will always come first. Assuming that their FQTV #'s are actually in their PNR.

Thanks,
Richard

P.S Ade, I think I know whom you met at DTD, as Sarah and I encountered an entire group of people that were downright useless. If you are Gold or travelling in UC, don't use DTD.


Sorry what's DTD mean?

Downtown Disney [y]
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