Buying Miles

Just remember that miles seats are capacity controlled and strictly subject to availability.

Buying miles is great news for those who are a few miles short, when the system says a seat IS available and you 'just don't have quite enough miles'

I've done this on AA for years when the miles in the bank are low and a trip with the significant other is required ... good scheme Virgin though it is still a little pricey compared to AA.

Just think, you have 65000 miles and you want a companion miles only fare in UC to NYC ... for a little over £300 it's yours. That's where it gets useful ... and when you've just over committed and need an upgrade. All depending on availability however!

Originally posted by preiffer
I was referring to a 100k seat, Paul (as opposed to an East Coast option).

One of those (to SFO, for instance) goes for a MINIMUM of £2,285 + tax (and that's off-season in November).

Not sure I'd classify £725 as a few quid (IF you weren't worried about collecting miles, that is)

But the miles are the important thing:), otherwise we wouldn't be discussing the pro's of buying them. If you had to buy those 27000 odd miles you would gain by flying Z to SFO that would cost you £420, so we actually get down to a difference of about £300

And to be honest, yes I would call this a few quid.

I am not knocking the idea, but to be honest I don't often see the exact flights I want available. I rather use my miles to upgrade if G is available and if not go for Z.

I am sure I will be topping up my account at some point with bought miles, but I will definately be using it more to gift my folks with miles to help them along.

Paul

[Bazz]

Originally posted by Jonathan
upto 25K in one year

I suppose you and someone else could gift each other (to get upto 100K (75k in gifts and 25 self purchase)

It would take four friends to collaborate or two friends could do it in three years I suppose.

I thought it said that 1 friend could send another 75k per year (25k per transaction), so just 1 friend should be enough.

Paul

[Bazz]

You can only buy a max of 25K in one calendar year either for your own use or to gift all or part.

Hmm, I guess that this scheme is marginally cheaper than Virgin Wines, since the cheapest box you can now get is the £39.99 budget reds. OK, so for £15 extra you get 12 bottles of wine and 1000 miles if it's your first order (750 if subsequent). But Even at £15 more than the straight buying scheme, I think I'd hesitate having tried some of the wines [:$] I don't consider myself some connoisseur of fine wine, but some of that stuff was pretty borderline. I was just glad I had a house party to get shot of some of it

I guess you could always use the wine for something else - cooking, paint stripper,loo cleaner as a petrol replacement.

Ive had Virgin wines too and I know just what you mean[n]

[Bazz]

Jacq, don't forget that VW have a policy which states "if you don't like the wine you don't pay" not that I have tested it

Damn! I didn't know that...hence many moments like "Eeeeuuugh, this tastes like filth. Oh well, the bottle's open now, might as well finish it!" [:I]

Originally posted by GatorBaiter
Damn! I didn't know that...hence many moments like "Eeeeuuugh, this tastes like filth. Oh well, the bottle's open now, might as well finish it!" [:I]

Yeah but if its true what Bazz says then you can: - say it tastes like filth, finish it AND then not pay for it coz your not satisfied - and in adition get your miles - sounds like a deal to me?[^]

ahem, want 1000 points for free? get a VA credit card, go to virgin games, lodge £1000 (or £500 if you have the fee card) and then transfer it back again.... 1000 free points [:I]

The wine isn't too bad. I've had some white wine that was just foul but some lovely reds. Occasionally you need to try a few different ones to find something to your tastes (assuming of course they don't stop doing certain ones after you find you like them).

Originally posted by Bazz
You can only buy a max of 25K in one calendar year either for your own use or to gift all or part.

That isn't quite what it says though (and this may be just a wording issue), but to quote

Got too many friends? Don't worry, you can 'gift' as many other members as you like, to a maximum of 25,000 miles per transaction in increments of 1,000 miles. Just bear in mind that the maximum that any one member can receive as a gift in any calendar year is 75,000 miles.

So it doesn't actually say that you can only send 25k per member per year, I would interpret this as I can send a friend 3 x 25k per year if I wish.

Paul

I quite like the wine, though I'm not a big wine drinker. Plus I've found it a great thing when my friends based in england have a special occasion, I can send them some.

As for buying the miles, I supposed it will come in handy when I may need a spare 1000 for my next flight!

Originally posted by p17blo

Originally posted by Bazz
You can only buy a max of 25K in one calendar year either for your own use or to gift all or part.

That isn't quite what it says though (and this may be just a wording issue), but to quote

Got too many friends? Don't worry, you can 'gift' as many other members as you like, to a maximum of 25,000 miles per transaction in increments of 1,000 miles. Just bear in mind that the maximum that any one member can receive as a gift in any calendar year is 75,000 miles.

So it doesn't actually say that you can only send 25k per member per year, I would interpret this as I can send a friend 3 x 25k per year if I wish.

Paul

Think you can buy 25000 miles for yourself, but give 75000 over a minimum of 3 transactions to a friend.
If that were true, all you have to do is give the cash to someone you know + what you buy and 100,000 miles for £1400? (4 x £350 was it?)

Added:
Just looked at the T&Cs and:

1. A member can purchase a total of 25,000 miles each calendar year, in increments of 1000 miles, for their own account and/or for the accounts of another member/other members. There is no limit to the number of members you can purchase for so long as the total number of miles purchased per person does not exceed 25,000 in each calendar year.
2. A member may receive a total of 75,000 gift miles into their own account each calendar year. This may or may not be in addition to any miles (up to a limit of 25,000 miles) purchased by themselves. The maximum that any one member can receive, in any one transaction as a gift, is 25,000

Not sure if it's saying that if you gift someone 25000 miles, then you can't buy any yourself as you've hit the yearly limit. i.e your purchases for yourself and for others cannot exceed 25,000 combined.

[preiffer]

Originally posted by xenole
Not sure if it's saying that if you gift someone 25000 miles, then you can't buy any yourself as you've hit the yearly limit. i.e your purchases for yourself and for others cannot exceed 25,000 combined.

Yes, it's explicit about exactly that issue.

1. A member can purchase a total of 25,000 miles each calendar year, in increments of 1000 miles, for their own account and/or for the accounts of another member/other members. There is no limit to the number of members you can purchase for so long as the total number of miles purchased per person does not exceed 25,000 in each calendar year.

Your own AND gifted miles "allowance" COMBINED cannot exceeed 25k per calendar year. It's quite clear in that.

[Bazz]

Originally posted by p17blo
...So it doesn't actually say that you can only send 25k per member per year, I would interpret this as I can send a friend 3 x 25k per year if I wish.

Paul

For this to be true you would need to be able to gift miles you had accrued through travel and other means and I do not believe this is what is meant? If you can only purchase 25k per year then you can only gift a max of 25k.

I go with preiffer on the interpretation of the T&Cs

Yes, I would agree that the T&Cs make it a lot clearer.

Paul

Has anyone done this yet? Can you purchase 25k then buy 25k for someone else?

[Bazz]

Nope! Max purchase is 25k for yourself or to gift.

Can 3 people buy you 75k in total and then you buy someone 25k?

[preiffer]

Originally posted by gbremner
Can 3 people buy you 75k in total and then you buy someone 25k?

Yup.

I received the following email from Virgin FC. Seems that you can buy maximum of 25k for yourself each calendar year and you can also buy a maximum of 75k for other FC members as long as you do not buy more than 25k for each person. Therefore in theory you can buy 25k for yourself and then if you give 3 other FC members money you can get them to buy you 25k each which means you can end up buying 100k miles per calendar year for a total of £1560. Not bad.

It's better to give AND receive

In a spirit of philanthropy (which doesn't mean we collect stamps), we've just added a new way for you to top up your account balance to reach that alluring reward. Buy Miles enables you to buy up to 25,000 miles in any calendar year in increments of 1,000 miles.

You can show off your generous nature too, by giving the gift of miles. You can purchase up to 75,000 Gift Miles a year, also in increments of 1,000, to give to other Flying Club members who truly deserve them.

Just a few thoughts on buying miles.

25000 costs £390 yet redeeming 25000 on a virgin wines voucher gives you £100 of wine?? and 20000 on virgin holidays equates to £100 voucher.

Ok I can see its a good idea if you are a few miles short on an UC booking but apart from that buying miles seems to make no sence at all??