Sydney Miles and Redemptions

[RichardMannion]

Update on Tier Points

Hi,

To consolidate the information for you all

In regards to redemption, SYD is being treated as two sectors, LHR-HKG and then HKG-SYD, so:

Reward flights
Both sectors so LHR-SYD:
Economy - 90,000
PE - 112,500
Upper Class - 180,000

HKG-SYD:
Economy - 40,000
Premium - 50,000
Upper - 80,000

Companion:
Economy - 40,000 miles return
Premium - 60,000 miles return
Upper - 130,000 miles return

Tier Points
These have now been finalised and it gets a little complicated. If you are on a non-stop ticket (therfore it shows London Heathrow-Sydney or vice-versa; and it will be one actual flight voucher if its a paper ticket) then you will earn the following:

Y - 6 Tier Points return (3 each way)
W - 10 Tier Points return (5 each way)
J - 16 Tier Points return (8 each way)

If you are stopping over properly in HKG, and therefore not flying onwards that day as per the non-stop then its counted as two sectors and the normal earning applies. Your will have two flight vouchers, one from LHR-HKG and then another from HKG-SYD therefore:

Y - 8 Tier Points return
W - 12 Tier Points return
J - 20 Tier Points return

And yes the stopover tickets will be more money!

Mileage Earning
For Red and Silver members
Economy (V,X,Q,M) - 10,555 miles each way
Economy (L,B or Y) - 13,193 miles each way
Premium Economy (K,S,W) - 15,832 miles each way
Upper Class (Z,D,J)- 21,110 miles each way

For Gold members
Economy (V,X,Q,M) - 13,193 miles each way
Economy (L,B or Y) - 15,832 miles each way
Premium Economy (K,S,W) - 18,471 miles each way
Upper Class (Z,D,J)- 23,748 miles each way

Thing to watch out for is if buying a revenue economy fare and then using miles to upgrade to a higher class, only the top tier tier of fares (Y and B) will be elligble.

Thanks,
Richard

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/fr ... ileage.jsp

[Nottingham Nick]

Thanks Richard,

Now I KNOW I will never have enough for 3 X return to SYD[:I]

Nick

Hmmm... if VS continue with the 346 (I have an unabiding hatred of the 346), and SQ stick at 150K miles for redemption, if I ever did LHR-SYD rather than a RTW I'd be sorely tempted to go SQ. They should really have brought the redemption into line with SQ, surely?

BC

Hi,

I agree with you BlackCat, it might have made more sense to align the VS and SQ mile awards to SYD ( of course the extra benefit of the suite might be worth it)

I have not done SQ yet ( might next year for SIN-KUL)

Regards

TBS

quote:Originally posted by The_Banking_Scot
I have not done SQ yet ( might next year for SIN-KUL)

IMHO SQ has the most attentive service of any airline in J, and the new J2000-style seats are OK (better than J2000). Plus 747s rather than those damn Airbuses!

BC

The award levels are inline with the rest of the VS route network.You could argue that JFK for 80k is not the value of LAX/SFO but in reality they are both good value compared to say BA.
The TPs indicated levels look fair to me.

Still haven't tried the UCS, but the SQ Spacebed, upstairs on one of their Megatop 744s, with excellent IFE and service is a very, very good product.

Would depend on the pricing but if SQ were doing the same route as VS then they wouldn't have to much cheaper for me to select them over VS....and still get the miles and TPs.

VSlf

I agree with VSlf's comment on the SQ spacebeds upstairs on a 744 Megatop. However, I recall that the last time I went to Australia 2 years ago, the run from Singapore was on a 777? with old style SQ business class seats and these were not very good. I do not know what seats are currently used on the leg down to SYD.

cheers
GO

From the September edition of I-fly:

quote:We're pleased to advise that with immediate effect flying club members travelling to Sydney can upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy using flying club miles and can book companions tickets if they are booked in Y or B classes.

As far as I can see from the T&Cs and the Spend miles section of the website there is nothing to indicate there will be a different rate for the miles upgrade (20,000 normally), nor for an economy companion ticket (also 20,000 normally)[8D] - although earlier posts would indicate this is being treated as 2 legs and therefore it is more likely to be 40,000 miles for either upgrade or companion ticket.

Does seem to rule out miles upgrades to UC though[:(]

[RichardMannion]

SYD is being classed as two sectors/legs so it will be double the companion and upgrade rates. So 40,000 in total to upgrade a roundtrip from London to Sydney.

Other item to note is that it only applies to Y and B fare classes, and not L like the other routes.

THanks,
Richard

So if you fly UC and split the journey you end up with the same number of miles but an extra 4 tier points - that doesn't seem fair.

Ade99

quote: So if you fly UC and split the journey you end up with the same number of miles but an extra 4 tier points - that doesn't seem fair.

I don't really see how "fairness" comes into it - if you're stopping over, it's 2 separate flight numbers on different days, but those tickets will cost more money. So, it's just like 2 separate VS flights to any destination.

If you're not stopping over, you get more TPs than a normal VS flight anyway

Cheers

Michael

quote:Originally posted by mcuth
I don't really see how "fairness" comes into it - if you're stopping over, it's 2 separate flight numbers on different days, but those tickets will cost more money. So, it's just like 2 separate VS flights to any destination.

But, the odds seem to be stacked in VS' favour though...

Regardless of whether you break your journey or not, it's classed as two flight sectors for upgrade/reward/companion purposes, yet if you are paying for the trip (and don't split the journey), you get short-changed on tier points.

How are other airlines on the SYD route (such as BA/QF) treating their continuation flights?

I'm guessing if you fly with SQ and connect in SIN, regardless of whether you stopover in SIN or not, it's classed as two sectors for both redemption and earning.

Also, as I recall, if I were to fly JNB-LHR-SFO on VS, that would count as two sectors for both earning and redemption, even if I don't break my journey.

Sharp practice by VS here [V].

Cheers,
Mike

SQ LHR-SYD-LHR earns 20 tp in J and 28 in F [:(!]

BC

Mike

quote:Regardless of whether you break your journey or not, it's classed as two flight sectors for upgrade/reward/companion purposes

I agree, that bit's not right - if you're doing the LHR>SYD>LHR with no stopover, it should be classed as 1 sector, after all, it's one flight number all the way through and you don't get to step off the plane.

quote:yet if you are paying for the trip (and don't split the journey), you get short-changed on tier points.

Maybe in comparison to other carriers, yes - but if you don't split the journey, it's one flight (albeit with a "no alighting" 90min stop in HKG) and cheaper than doing the stopover in HKG. The TP earning opportunity for the "direct" flight is better than, say VS0035/36 (with a "no alighting" stop in Bridgetown). Yes, I know the routes aren't comparable in themselves and VS should give more TPs for LHR>SYD>LHR direct than a "normal" direct flight, it's just an illustration.

quote:Also, as I recall, if I were to fly JNB-LHR-SFO on VS, that would count as two sectors for both earning and redemption, even if I don't break my journey.

Indeed, but then again there's no direct flight JNB>SFO>JNB (with or without a "no alighting" stop) is there? I think that's what's making the difference here.

On this subject, I thought VS weren't allowed to offer stopover flights as yet, just the direct ones?

Cheers

Michael

16 tps is very mean[:(!] SQ will get my business unless I use the gold companion reward;)