Tier Points and Partner Flights

Hi-

I normally fly LHR-SFO-LHR and have been using Virgin recently. My question involves tier point credit for partner flights in the USA, specifically how points are earned for connecting flights:

For partner airlines, I notice that tier points in Economy are issued only for flights >2000 Miles. If I fly from Boston to San Francisco, for example, on a partner airline there are typically no direct flights available. I assume if I fly Bos->Newark->SFO, where one leg is 2000, I get 1 tier point for the >2000 leg. But what if I fly BOS->Houston->SFO for my connection, where neither leg is >2000 miles. Do I lose tier points because of my routing, or does Virgin just use the direct-line distance to see if it's >2000 miles?

I hope I explained this clearly!
Thanks

[Nottingham Nick]

Welcome to V-Flyer.

In my experience, but I haven't done it for a couple of years, they take the number of miles for each leg of a flight, and credit each one separately. I stand to be corrected, but I am pretty sure you have to take a single flight > 2000 miles before you get a tier point.

When I flew across the US from BOS to SFO I did it with what was then America West before the merger. Their hubs were PHX and LAS so the BOS - LAS flight was 2381 miles and the PHX - BOS leg was 2300, so I got TPs for both of those legs. For the shorter legs, I got the miles but no TPs.

On that basis, your logic of the BOS - EWR - SFO trip is sound, but your trip via HOU won't get you a TP. Don't know how the merger has affected this though.

Hope this helps.

Nick

This is clearly indicated on the Virgin Flying club Partner Points and Tier Points pages. Flights have to be over 2000 to get a Tier Point.

Hi Nick, thanks for the info - that's what I assumed.

I guess the real test would be to book BOS-EWR-SFO in Business class and see if I get the 1 point for the short flight, and 2 for the long one!

By the way, I was thinking of trying this on US Air, but am put off by the rather ominous warning that "all spending activities on US Air are temporarily on hold". Can I still earn miles/tier points on USAir - is this about to end too?

[Scrooge]

According to this page link you can now earn miles again.

Yes, and I just got an email from Virgin confirming that I can claim Virgin miles and tier points for an upcoming flight with US Air in the US.

However, just to be sure, I called the US Airways ticket line just now and told them I wanted to make a US Airways reservation and would be supplying a Virgin Atlantic frequent flyer number. They informed me that they have no arrangement with Virgin and he couldn't take my Virgin number to get credit.

So how can I get credit for the US Airways flight? (would be an electronic ticket booked through the US Airways web site).

Thanks!

[mcmbenjamin]

Casey:

Simply E-mail them. IIRC you cannot add a non Dividend Miles (US Scarways FFP) online to a booking. I always have emailed them using the form that can be accessed with the link provided and poof my VS FC number magically appears. May help to provide a link to the VS site. Word it nicely and confuse the US Airways folks!

The telephone agents are clueless. Same a DL. E-Mailing works.

[Scrooge]

With US air the quickest and easiest way to get miles etc from them is go to the check in desk, tell them you want to get VS miles, when they tell you they don't partner with VS ( they will) tell them to turn around, a list of partner airlines is on the wall at most US airports.

[mcmbenjamin]

Originally posted by jetwet1
With US air the quickest and easiest way to get miles etc from them is go to the check in desk, tell them you want to get VS miles, when they tell you they don't partner with VS ( they will) tell them to turn around, a list of partner airlines is on the wall at most US airports.

Oh Dave you are right. The writing is on the wall I guess.....

[preiffer]

One issue that I KNOW can cause confusion is the "VS" thing. Starwood hotels often have a problem "finding" Virgin Atlantic (typing "VI" "VR" "VA" etc into the computer) when checking you in.

A simple prod to let them know it's "VS" is sometimes enough for the policy of not partnering with Virgin Atlantic to be turned on its head

Just emailed US Air yesterday (politely, as suggested, and leaving out the part about the telephone people not having a clue!).

Received an equally-polite email back a day later (on a Sunday), saying that my VS number was in and, sure enough, I looked and there it is on my US Airways reservation!

Just an update: I ended up making my USAir BOS-PHL-SFO flight yesterday in first class, and when I asked the ticket agent at the airport if my Virgin FC number was still in the reservation, she said "no". I got them to re-add it (with a nudge to use the "VS" code) - we'll see if it actually works!
Upon reading the fine print in the Virgin partners section today, I noticed that fare class "A" is not listed, even though it's a very common discounted 1st fare class in the US. Has anyone had trouble getting Virgin to credit this type of first class flight? Thanks

I feel your frustration, I've had similar discussions when they say "can't collect points with flying club" - coz that is what is on my card. You just have to be persistant but polite.