Question regarding mixed PE fares

I'm considering booking a transatlantic flight in PE on Virgin, but the 'no refunds/changes' policy worries me. I notice that if I book a K class ticket, there are no refunds/exchanges permitted, and if I book in S class (about $700 more!), I can do changes/refunds for a penalty. What if I book one leg in S and the other in K. Can I makes changes (paying a fee) on the leg booked in S? The sentence about the 'more restrictive fare' seems to indicate that I can't!

Thanks

[Scrooge]

You should be able to make a change on the S leg, but only that leg...well thats not true..in the end you can change any flight you want, just a matter of moving the fair up to a changeable fare class

Originally posted by casey0999
I notice that if I book a K class ticket, there are no refunds/exchanges permitted

I quite often book K class and ISTBC but they are changeable (e.g. date) for a small fee - 50-100GBP. They are of course not refundable.

I would also point out that the K fare I bought up states:

From VS K Class - Conditions

Please note. If the fare conditions differ for your outbound and inbound journey, the most restrictive condition applies.

Best to phone and check.

FM

[HighFlyer]

Originally posted by FamilyMan

From VS K Class - Conditions

Please note. If the fare conditions differ for your outbound and inbound journey, the most restrictive condition applies.

That is certainly my understanding of split fares, that the whole ticket takes on the conditions/restrictions of the lowest fare basis, so a K in this instance with limited changes possible at a £50 admin fee. I am sure Juliet can clarify further, so dont take my word on it.

Thanks,
Sarah

[Scrooge]

Well there you go, I stand corrected, again proving that I don't know everything and also what a valuable toll this site can be.

Can I tag another question regarding PE to this thread?

I'm looking to go to SFO next year, and I now have enough miles to upgrade from Econ to PE (yay! - very excited about doing it!) I've read the FAQ's on here and I understand that I need a specific non-restrictive fare class to enable this kind of upgrade. Usually I just book online at virgin-atlantic.com which automatically gives me the lowest fare code. How do I find the cost of these appropriate Economy fares, and where can I book them?

Regards,

Steve

[Scrooge]

Easiest way is to just call the FC, trying to book an upgradeable fare class online is next to impossible.

Also keep an eye out for sales as a restricted PE fare ca at times be cheaper than a non restricted Y fare.

[Neil]

Steve - the best thing to do is give FC a call. It is not easy to get specific fares on the VS site. An L fare will be the cheapest you will need to be able to use miles for upgrading, and of course there will need to be reward availability in PE (U Class) on the same date.

FC will be able to give you all this info and more far quicker and easier than you spending ages on the web.

Neil

Thanks guys! Thats what I needed to know. FC it is then!

Steve

FamilyMan and HighFlyer - Thanks for responding! Here's what the web site shows for K fare conditions (note, no changes, that's what worries me), but perhaps reality is different:

Outbound

Minimum stay is Saturday night
Maximum stay is 01 month
Advance purchase conditions of 21 days apply
Changes and refunds are not permitted at any time.

Inbound

Minimum stay is Saturday night
Maximum stay is 01 month
Advance purchase conditions of 21 days apply
Changes and refunds are not permitted at any time.

Please note. If the fare conditions differ for your outbound and inbound journey, the most restrictive condition applies.

Fare not guaranteed until payment is made and accepted.

Thanks,
Casey

That's interesting - obviously not all K class tickets have the same restrictions - must vary depending on destination and/or dates - where/when are you intending to fly?

Possibly Richard (his lordship) can give some additional information.

FM

[HighFlyer]

Dont forget that there can be several different types of K fare, all with individual purchase restrictions and requirements, a simple example being the 'standard' K fare that is available all year round and then a 'special' K fare that appears for the sale period, etc. There can be multiple K fare basis on sale at any one time. You'd need to look at the full fare basis (i.e; KLXAP7) as opposed to 'K' to see what rules apply - but a quick call to FC *should* tell you all you need to know.

Casey - call FC and get them to take a look. Most K-AP type fares allow changes before departure for a £50 admin fee.

Thanks,
Sarah

Yes, thanks, will check with FC. I have gotten caught by this in the past, however, so my inclination is just to book on a US-based airline (United) for the next flight. In case anyone at Virgin is reading this, you may not be unaware that a flight booked in just about any fare class on a US airline (United at least), even those listed as non-refundable, can be canceled and the value (less $200 for international flights) is held and applied toward a future flight. Makes me think twice about spending $1300 for a Virgin 'discounted PE' ticket when there's a chance that my business schedule will change. I write this in the hopes that Virgin will become more competitive in this area, as I would otherwise prefer to fly them.