Bits: Iberia launches 50% ‘buy Avios’ bonus, Delta adding fuel surcharges to Virgin redemptions?

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• TripRep says:

  30 May30 May 05:55

  This was in the email from Iberia with the 50% extra Avios, slightly misleading (unless I’ve missed something)?

  Would you like to take a half-price trip?

  Over the next 4 days, you can!

  As an Iberia Plus member, buy or give Avios from 29 May to 1 June*
  and you will get 50% extra Avios to enjoy however you choose

  How does 50% extra Avios give a 1/2 Price trip?

  • Genghis says:

    30 May30 May 06:55

    Half price (in avios) for one person?

    • TripRep says:

      30 May30 May 07:13

      But wouldn’t the bonus need to be 100% to make the redemption 1/2 price?

      • Genghis says:

        30 May30 May 09:55

        Let’s take an example 15,000 avios LHR-MAD return. If I give those avios to my wife and pay the transfer fee, I would then get 7,500 (50% bonus) and would only have to pay another 7,500 to travel LHR-MAD. Is that right? Still a bit misleading though!

        • Callum says:

          30 May30 May 11:06

          Not exactly as that only works as “buy one get one half price”. Otherwise it’s transfer 10,000 to get 15,000, which only saves you a third.

          Iberia’s English promotions have always had ropey language though so I’m sure it’s not deliberate. I’m surprised they can’t find a native English speaker within IAG to proof read for them!

  • Alex W says:

    30 May30 May 11:22

    I think the author must have had the same maths teacher as Diane Abbott!

• Michael says:

  30 May30 May 06:49

  I can’t help thinking these Avios deals (buy more) are setting us up for a mass inflationary devaluation.

• barnaby100 says:

  30 May30 May 06:49

  Just feel lucky if you get a virgin redemption. Not a single seat seems to have been issued for a block period from 28th March to mid April to Boston (Easter 2018 and beyond). Usually plentiful as we book most years. Never had any issues getting Virgin redemptions (usually 4 x UC) to pretty much anywhere until past few months.

  • Alan says:

    30 May30 May 08:00

    Have you tried Manchester for availability instead? I’m going out via London and back via Manchester on my upcoming Boston trip. Also ended up as slightly lower miles cost.

    • barnaby100 says:

      30 May30 May 20:14

      I flew from manchester at Easter. Never doing it again (might fly back in but not out) . Plus it only goes Wednesday and Saturday for 2018 redemption it seems- so no good for easter really.

      • Alan says:

        30 May30 May 20:38

        Ah OK, shame. Thankfully dates work for me so going out on a Fri from LHR (& get to enjoy the Clubhouse for the first time!), then back on Wed into MAN.

  • thomas says:

    30 May30 May 19:26

    normally i would agree with you re Virgin redemptions.. then surprisingly got 3 seats in Virgin UC for next February.
    Even luxury travel agent was surprised at that..

  • Johnny Tabasco says:

    30 May30 May 22:57

    I’ve found Virgin often temporarily block out date ranges on certain routes, sometimes they even block out a whole month. I’ve seen this with LAX a few times.
    Because of this a couple of times now I’ve changed plans or changed dates and booked something else only to have a look again a few weeks later and suddenly found loads of avalaibilty on my original date choices. Gutted, but it’s their call of course.

    More often than not I get what I’m after though. Key is to have choose a few date options that may work for you. Certainly you should never bank on getting definte dates.

• Jason says:

  30 May30 May 06:52

  I received the same email as did my wife. I transferred Iberia Avios to her, paid the transfer fee and did not receive the 50 percent bonus.

  • Werner says:

    30 May30 May 20:06

    Seems only buying and gifting gives you 50%. Transferring is not included in the promo.

• Boi says:

  30 May30 May 08:01

  Anyone know way to find reward seats on virgin website since it’s change?
  Previously used to be able to see available dates in calendar form even if the one I wanted isn’t available. Now it comes with errors for me

  • the_real_a says:

    30 May30 May 12:58

    Yeah – there needs to be one award seat on the calendar for it to show the grid. Also the calendar does not work on mobile app or the mobile version of the main website (via your phone browser). Need to use your desktop PC.

• James Ward says:

  30 May30 May 08:21

  I disagree with Rob about cresting flights to DL. For me, it’s the best strategy to achieve and retain Skyteam Elite Plus status (= BA Silver), which is more important to me than the value of the redeemed miles (I’ll built up redemmeabke miles in other ways).

  Delta operates a policy of rolling over unused elite qualifying miles at the start of each year. This means that you get a head start each year. For example, I started 2017 with 24,000 EQMs and quickly achieved Silver on my first flight of the year.

  I do agree that their miles are pretty hard to get value from but at least they never expire, unlike, say, AF/KLM Flying Blue which has a very punitive policy.

  I also like the fact you can credit both skyteam AND Virgin to Skymiles.

  All in all, it’s an OK program for my needs.

  • James Ward says:

    30 May30 May 11:09

    Jeez look at all the auto-correct typos in my comment

• Rob says:

  30 May30 May 09:29

  OMAAT is reporting that the Delta Fuel Charge fiasco has been reversed…

  http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2017/05/29/delta-fuel-surcharges-virgin-atlantic/

  • Rob says:

    30 May30 May 09:54

    Yes, it has – but last time something mysteriously appeared on Delta and then quickly went away, it came back permanently a few weeks later.

• Colin MacKinnon says:

  30 May30 May 09:43

  Who should I credit miles too, then?

  I chose Delta for my £1100 LHR-MEL Garuda deal, since I thought I might use them on internal USA flights.

  Then I ended up booking GLA-AMS-LAX-DEN for £1300 cash with Delta (flown by KLM) rather than fly BA GLA-LHR-DEN since I really disliked my F flight there with BA last year.

  I have so far chosen to send miles to Delta too, but should I choose someone else.

  I suppose we are talking just one of two long-haul J a year – so I like Delta miles not expiring.

  Have loads of Avios – thanks Rob – and Virgin, but usually try and collect AA because of their low fees and the ability to book a journey rather than a flight.

  • Rob says:

    30 May30 May 09:53

    You still get full SkyTeam access via Delta so I wouldn’t totally dismiss it. And, of course, there still isn’t a guarantee that fuel surcharges both ways will come to Virgin redemptions. I just want people to avoid crediting miles to Delta for the wrong reasons.

    Ironically, if you asked me if I would swap my Virgin FC balance for an equivlanet Delta balance then I might do it, despite their charges, because I currently have no SkyTeam miles at all, anywhere.

    • James Ward says:

      30 May30 May 13:20

      There can be some OK redemptions for SkyMiles. LAX-SYD/BNE on VA used to have great availability and only ~$100 tax. That seems to have gone away recently though and the price has gone up from the 150,000 return it used to be.

      Last Christmas, I used SkyMiles for intra-S America flights in GOL. Really nice airline and excellent lounges (at São Paulo, certainly). And again, virtually no tax.

      To earn most SkyMiles, it’s best to either (a) book and fly on partner airlines or (b) buy DL tickets but on another carrier’s stock. Both of these options mean you earn based on distance rather than revenue.

  • Alex W says:

    30 May30 May 12:57

    Check out http://www.wheretocredit.com/

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