Urrrgghhh reward flight frustration!!!

I really don't understand how Virgin get away with releasing outbound G class yet no inbound! Had exactly the same problem last year but persisted and managed to get 2 LGW-MCO's. It looks like this year lady luck is not helping me out though [:(!]

I doubt it is a case of them not being released. It is more likely they have been taken already, by someone else who happens to be flying to the UK on the same dates as you want (whether it be their return our outbound leg). Alternatively it maybe that the return leg loadings are such that it does not make sence for VS to release G's.

Originally posted by sailor99
I doubt it is a case of them not being released. It is more likely they have been taken already, by someone else who happens to be flying to the UK on the same dates as you want (whether it be their return our outbound leg). Alternatively it maybe that the return leg loadings are such that it does not make sence for VS to release G's.

You make some very valid points, however you have overlooked the conspiracy Virgin are plotting against Nemmie [:w]

[RichardMannion]

We had this issue too last Ocotober, ended up coming back via MAN (and then using 10k for a limo reward), and boy did they lose out on the limo reward as we were at the absolute limit for radius.

Annoyingly the flight was empty, and so too were the other flights to LGW in UC.

Thanks,
Richard

Richard, presumably the people-who-know-and-do at reward management would keep details of how they allocate/timing/distribute/monitor the reward seat profile very quiet, and be reluctant to share the info with us?

I guess it's intimately linked with load management and fare management, and therefore corporate 'secrets'...

[RichardMannion]

On the whole yes.

Thanks,
Richard

Was speaking to someone at VS today and it looks like that towards the end of next year we may have more of a chance of getting those reward seats as VS are planning to cut back on the Y seats and double the J seats on the LGW fleet!!!

Originally posted by ade99
Was speaking to someone at VS today and it looks like that towards the end of next year we may have more of a chance of getting those reward seats as VS are planning to cut back on the Y seats and double the J seats on the LGW fleet!!!

Really? - be interested to hear more about that - LGW/MAN/b&S aircraft have recently tended to have more PE seats as these are usually full - there was never the demand for UC that there was on more business oriented flights.

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by MarkJ

Originally posted by ade99
Was speaking to someone at VS today and it looks like that towards the end of next year we may have more of a chance of getting those reward seats as VS are planning to cut back on the Y seats and double the J seats on the LGW fleet!!!

Really? - be interested to hear more about that - LGW/MAN/b&S aircraft have recently tended to have more PE seats as these are usually full - there was never the demand for UC that there was on more business oriented flights.

Say what !....that would be the reason that UC is full on just about BnS every flight.

[RichardMannion]

Dave, that is normally staff upgrades filling the J cabin!

There were 10 on our outbound last year....

Originally posted by RichardMannion
There were 10 on our outbound last year....

When I used to get SAU to Upper on a staff ticket, I would make damn sure no-one else in Upper would find that out. Rule one was always to keep a low profile.
Although I may have given the game away by my frequent visits to the flight deck, including take-off and landing! [8D]

OK, not bang on this thread's original topic but on the subject of "rewards" I've just been pleasantly surprised! Steve & I have been looking to utilise our AMEX T-U rewards and have just checked availability to NY either side of 4th July. The sheer number of flight possibilities offered up is huge - four pages worth of T's! Then when I check out U's for the same dates there are still a fair few options, OK not as many but still a good selection [y]

By the way, has the "must stay a Saturday" rule been abolished? The reason I ask is that va.com is also offering up T's for 36K miles return on dates that don't include a Saturday night stay in USA?

[RichardMannion]

I don't recall a must stay Saturday rule for reward flights for a long time.

Thanks,
Richard

Isn't what VS are doing with reward seats exactly what a lot of US carriers did before 9/11? ie a lot of Black Out dates! Now VS don't promote theirs as black out dates rather limited or no availability but it amounts to the same thing. They did use to be very fare with their reward seats and I would like to see a return to 2 G's min per flight re-instated (And that is every flight, every day) - Perhaps then they would have to stop slashing redemption in other classes to get people to spend their miles.

Paul

Originally posted by MarkJ

Originally posted by ade99
Was speaking to someone at VS today and it looks like that towards the end of next year we may have more of a chance of getting those reward seats as VS are planning to cut back on the Y seats and double the J seats on the LGW fleet!!!

Really? - be interested to hear more about that - LGW/MAN/b&S aircraft have recently tended to have more PE seats as these are usually full - there was never the demand for UC that there was on more business oriented flights.

I was quite surprised but they are apparently intending on keeping W around 50 and just cutting back on Y seats, especially when you think about the routes VS go direct against BA with their much larger club section.

Having said that this is one of those 'definite long term things' so as we've seen before anything could happen between now and next year!

[RichardMannion]

Originally posted by p17blo
Isn't what VS are doing with reward seats exactly what a lot of US carriers did before 9/11? ie a lot of Black Out dates! Now VS don't promote theirs as black out dates rather limited or no availability but it amounts to the same thing. They did use to be very fare with their reward seats and I would like to see a return to 2 G's min per flight re-instated (And that is every flight, every day) - Perhaps then they would have to stop slashing redemption in other classes to get people to spend their miles.

Paul

Yes it is frustrating, but I can see why they would do it. There are many routes where they have no issue at all in filling Upper seats, even at full J fares. So why would they turn down potential revenue?

It is a hard balancing act to follow, I've seen both extremes now in regards to reward inventory. Since DL were removed, I have seen it become a lot better.

Thanks,
Richard

The answer to a lack of reward flight availability lies with the accounting profession!
I understand at the moment that airlines do not have to account as a liability on their balance sheets all those miles issued and unredeemed. However, all that would change if the accountants got their act together.
Taking a hypothetical example let's say that a £1,000 ticket comes with miles that have a putative 'value' of £100. Say the accounting convention changes so that now the airline only recognises £900 as income at the time of the flight and has to recognise the remaining £100 only when the miles are redeemed.
This way the seat generates income for the airline of £900 whether it is a cash purchase or a miles redemption. Under such circumstances it would then not matter if a plane flew with all its seats filled with reward redemptions (yes, a little far-fetched, I know) because the airline would still be booking £900 as income for every one of those seats.

It's just such a hard pill to swallow when they released numerous outbounds in Januaryand not 1 on any date in January at all to come home. Yes i know there are a lot of other option's which i am unfortunately having to look into but when you can fly any time in January what-so-ever, give me a date and we'll go and you STILL cannot get a return G i do have to think to myself, as a LGW-MCO regular, would I be better off earning miles elsewhere?

I think i'm just gonna bite the bullet and book Economy out with an immediate upgrade to Upper (there are G class availible going out) and then book a Z back. Not the most economical way to spend miles but at least it some saving on a return Z class. Anyone have any thoughts?

Originally posted by Nemmie
I think i'm just gonna bite the bullet and book Economy out with an immediate upgrade to Upper (there are G class availible going out) and then book a Z back. Not the most economical way to spend miles but at least it some saving on a return Z class. Anyone have any thoughts?

If it were me, I would head over to LHR for Miami, and book a return CDC for another 20,000 miles to get you to/from Orlando. That way you'd get the LHR clubhouse too, and not to have to worry about driving when you get there. They have reward availablity for 2 G returns on 21,22,28,29 January, and outbounds on the 1-3 and 8-10th.

Regards
Pat

Thanks Pat and this would def be something i will consider for our October trip however we are only going for a week and i don't want to add on an 8 hour return trip to Miami. But thanks again for the suggestion.

How about take the MCO outbound and come back from MIA or do you park at LGW? At least that way you only have one 4 hour trip (or you could go for an internal flight and interline?)