Virgin miles dilemma

I'm too cheap to have many air miles, and much too stupid to understand them, even though I've read the small print three or four times. When that didn't help, I emailed Virgin admitting its online explanation had challenged me and found me wanting.
Someone from [email protected] emailed back the very link to what I'd just said had defeated me ..... ho hum ..... PLUS (Thank You God!) a list of phone numbers, including one in the USA, where I'm on holiday.
I rang it yesterday, endured the recorded legalese preamble, only to be cut off before reaching any person.
When that happened for the third time I gave up, overpowered by a sensation that life is too short for miles .....
Yet all I'm seeking is the answer to what seems to me a simple question:
I've 11075 Virgin Miles pure and simple.
I believe my ticket class is N.
I'll be using the return half of my ticket from MIA to LHR on VS6 in May.
Do my Virgin Miles qualify me for an upgrade from Economy to Premium Economy on my return flight to LHR on VS6 in May?
(a) If yes, how and when do I request the upgrade?
(b) If no, how and when should I set about buying an upgrade, and how much is it likely to be?

ISTBC, but given that you're on an N you would first have to pay to get into a qualifying fare bracket before you can use miles to UG to PE. You need 20,000 miles to UG a rtn ticket, so one leg ought to then be 10,000 miles. I'd imagine this method wouldn't be cheap as upgradeable tickets seem to be quite expensive when I've been looking for them.

[Nottingham Nick]

Agree with David - in fact had typed a long reply, then lost it. [:(!]

Bear in mind that N is the lowest of the Y buckets, so I would guess that it is a fair whack to change to a bucket that allows a mileage upgrade.

If you don't manage anything by phone, it may be an idea to arrive at the airport early. If Y is oversold, they may be more receptive and have special upgrade offers but I wouldn't bank on it.

Nick

Thanks for the info & advice David & Nick.
I'm curious N has such a low status - when I bought the ticket, direct from Virgin online, it was the only economy fare available as far as I could see, and not that cheap, about 370; I realise it's hardly relevant, but friends who booked & travelled later paid 307 online.
I feel that in an ideal world there'd be more transparency, about airline tickets, as well as about much else!

[Nottingham Nick]

To defend VS slightly there, the website has made it clear online for a couple of years or longer now, which bucket you are buying your ticket in. So I think they are completely transparent there.

Recent improvements have meant you can select your booking class when booking online.

With regards to the discrepancies in price for your ticket compared your friends - maybe they booked during a sale period,(or a better sale period) compared to when you booked?

Nick

quote:Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
To defend VS slightly there, the website has made it clear online for a couple of years or longer now, which bucket you are buying your ticket in. So I think they are completely transparent there.
You've completely lost me there; I feel more like kicking the bucket, but will look out for it in future!

quote:Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
With regards to the discrepancies in price for your ticket compared your friends - maybe they booked during a sale period,(or a better sale period) compared to when you booked?

Nick

You're absolutely correct; I booked during a sale, they booked during a better sale!

quote:Originally posted by icarus2009

I feel that in an ideal world there'd be more transparency, about airline tickets, as well as about much else!



You are toying with the dark arts of yield and revenue management that secret sects in airline head offices boil up in their cauldrons! How many metaphors can I get in a sentence I wonder! It has many people on this site confused - but I am with Nick, at least VS tell you and you can, with a little Googling or even better looking here, easily find out what you have.

[Nottingham Nick]

quote:Originally posted by icarus2009
You've completely lost me there;

It is one of those situations that looks more complicated than it actually is. There are three basic fare classes on a Virgin flight. Economy, PE and UC - it is possible to buy several different types of ticket for each class. The fare types (buckets) vary in price tremendously - in a nutshell - the more flexible they are, the more they cost.

The Virgin website tends to offer the cheapest bucket available in each class - unless you elect to buy a flexible fare.

All the different fare buckets for Virgin are explained here.

Nick

Thanks Stephen & Nick, you've made me aware of hitherto unsuspected & undreamed of ticketing mysteries!
AL

Interestingly, I spotted today that you can book fares in L, B, Y, S, W and D directly on the virgin website at http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/fr ... lights.jsp

[Nottingham Nick]

quote:Originally posted by crispin
Interestingly, I spotted today that you can book fares in L, B, Y, S, W and D directly on the virgin website

Thanks for that crispin - Neil spotted it a while back and it is discussed here.

quote:Originally posted by icarus2009
Thanks Stephen & Nick, you've made me aware of hitherto unsuspected & undreamed of ticketing mysteries!
AL


Thanks dude, slinks works for me!

Glad you're now edukated about VS fare codes ... it's still all about the dosh though!