Back to Backs on VS

I need to book two PE returns to NY (9-13 Sept and 1-4 Oct). Obviously this is prime territory for a Back to Back arrangment -

First Ticket - Ex-LHR - Out on 9th Sept - Return on 4th Oct
Second Ticket - Ex NYC - Out on 13th Sept - Return on 1st Oct

Two midweek returns would cost around £1.6k each, whereas the second ticket with a back to back is only around £600, thereby saving about £1k.

I remember a thread a while ago that mentioned that VS have no problems with such arrangements - does anybody have any recent experience of this or information on VS latest stance?

FM

[Decker]

I must admit I've only ever done this with a a mixed VS/BA combo to ensure that automated systems don't pick it up.

If you missed your FC number off one of the two bookings & paid with a different credit card, would this help? It would be harder for the VS system to pair the bookings up & you could still claim the miles & TP's retrospectively? Just a thought.

Thanks
James

They do not appear to care. I have on a number of occasions booked return tickets which I have not planned to use the return leg and have made that clear when I booked.

[Decker]

This is not that - It is booking overlaps to avoid the saturday night clause.

Surely the question is "how clever is the VS booking system here?" - i.e. will it pick up on two seperate return tickets on the same FC number that are not flown in sequence & if they are not, cancel the lot?

In the past, I have had a reward booking on AA & plans subsequently changed. This meant that I ended up flying on the same outbound AA flight to ORD, but on a revenue ticket (in J too) - but then wanted to use my onward connection from ORD to DEN on the T (reward) ticket. As I had not checked into the first leg of the itinerary on the reward ticket, they cancelled the rest of the booking while I was over the Atlantic en-route to ORD - including both return sectors. All this despite the fact that the boarding cards for both outward sectors had been issued by AA at MAN.

James

As far as I'm aware, you are not breaking any conditions of the fare rules.

You effectively have two seperate itineraries, one which is LHR-NYC, and the other which is NYC-LHR which happens to be 'nested' on dates within the first booking. I can't see how the rule about "using tickets in sequence" can apply here, as they will be seperate tickets, seperate PNRs, seperate ticket numbers.

As an example, assume I'm already in the US for a month, and some sort of emergency means that I have to return home for a few days, and then go back to the US. There is nothing to stop me buying a new ex-US return ticket and using that to repatriate myself to the UK and return to the US.

All I can think is that you will have to provide evidence of return travel from the US when you make the second ex-UK leg, as they won't be on the same PNR. You'll probably get a raised eyebrow both from the screener at LHR and the CBP officer at NYC, but as long as you have evidence of a return flight, that shouldn't be a problem. This means making sure you have got both booking confirmations on you at all times.

If you feel particularly paranoid, you might a) book the tickets through different channels (e.g one direct with VS, one with Expedia), b) miss your FC number off one of the bookings, c) use a different method of payment.

Mike

Just as an update to this.

I ended up booking three Ex-JFK return tickets inside the original Ex-LHR ticket - extending the return date of the Ex-LHR ticket each time. Saved a not inconsiderable amount. Was always asked to display the return ticket at LHR but never caused any issues on the US side.

Thanks for all the advice - especially Mike who, I think, was spot on.

One peculiarity I had on the last trip, although I am not sure if it was connected, was that I had two Ex-JFK flights showing on my on-line itinerary - an 'outward' one on the Wednesday and another 'outward' on the Friday - both Ex-JFK.

FM