Virgin Atlantic cuts redemption prices and scraps change fees at Virgin Flying Club

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• Mikeact says:

  6 Mar6 March 18:21

  Any news re BA Awards in respect of changes, cancellations etc ?

  • Rob says:

    6 Mar6 March 19:22

    No

    • Jim says:

      6 Mar6 March 21:18

      Hi Rob, I’ve noted a few queries such as this; are you making enquires, via your contacts, in this respect? Rgds

      • Rob says:

        6 Mar6 March 22:32

        I spent all morning working with the Financial Times for a piece on this. BA has no policy and has more to worry about at the moment. If you’re not flying you won’t be needing that status in a hurry anyway.

        • John says:

          7 Mar7 March 00:22

          I have a Lloyds Upgrade Voucher due to expire in the summer – I would be very interested to learn whether BA will be willing to extend it in the circumstance – and also whether changes/cancellations will be free (not £35 etc) as they suggest cash fares are. Thanks

        • Lady London says:

          7 Mar7 March 17:46

          @John a comment yesterday that apparently BA is not waiving fees on award changes / refunds.

• AndyGWP says:

  6 Mar6 March 18:44

  What’s the quickest (immediate?), cheapest way to get 13k Virgin Flying club miles

  Is it directly from Virgin (for £195)?

  (I have no Membership Rewards to use either)

  • Will says:

    6 Mar6 March 18:55

    £20.8 of clubcard vouchers?

    Not instant but usually very quick

    • Lady London says:

      6 Mar6 March 20:49

      £20 ?

      • Will says:

        6 Mar6 March 21:35

        Sorry, £52. Brain freeze on Friday.

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    6 Mar6 March 19:22

    Amex MR immediate but maybe dependant if you have set up transfer details prior to redemption.

    • ChrisC says:

      6 Mar6 March 20:02

      except

      “I have no Membership Rewards to use either”

      The only instant way is to buy them

      If boking by phone the agent will wait whilst you buy them. If on line the last time I looked it allowed you to buy miles during the booking process.

      • Shoestring says:

        6 Mar6 March 20:08

        well I never knew that! moment

        [Want to treat someone?
        You don’t have to be the one flying to benefit from our Miles Plus Money discounts. You can also use your miles towards somebody else’s flight, or to reduce the cost of a family ticket.]

• Erico1875 says:

  6 Mar6 March 18:51

  WTF !!!
  for the last 7 weeks Ive been searching availability to get back from India end if Easter hols, 18/19 April. Econ Cash OWs were around £600pp. Not a reward seat from any city . On Sunday, I ended up booking from Kuwait as that was the only reward availability available ME and Asia and cash tickets from Goa to Kuwait with OMan Air.
  Now as of today, BA have dumped half a plane load of reward flights those dates out of Bengaluru

  • Haz says:

    6 Mar6 March 22:24

    Get over it!

• Nige says:

  6 Mar6 March 19:11

  Eagerly awaiting two upperclass seats to open up for the return of my vegas trip in August. Currently in PE on the way back, chances of that happening??? Slim to none Me thinks.

  • Mark says:

    7 Mar7 March 11:52

    You don’t state you ideal return date or qty required, but I have just checked and their is availability back from Vegas.

    Hope you get in quick!

• manoj brahmbhatt says:

  6 Mar6 March 19:32

  O/T
  Qatar have announced that they will either let you rebook at no cost (other than fare difference) or give a travel voucher for the fare cost, to be used within the next 12 months, for all CL flights booked up until the end of June.

  LST

• Freddy says:

  6 Mar6 March 19:33

  Must try harder

• Richard says:

  6 Mar6 March 20:56

  OT, but virus refund related. We have a Mediterranean Disney cruise booked in May. They have just emailed to offer full refund in Disney cruise credit to be used up to 15 months from original sail date. And that option remains open until 1 day before original cruise date. I’m impressed with that, but the cynic in me says this will reduce any cash compo if they cancel later (3 ports are in Italy).

  Flights are RFS and pre cruise hotel is points so we have an option until 1 day before to see what changes.

  • Shoestring says:

    6 Mar6 March 21:00

    cruise ships were labelled ‘human petri dishes’ (for Coronavirus) today! 🙂

    don’t let that deter you from a great holiday

    • Richard says:

      6 Mar6 March 21:13

      Hahaha, I’m hoping if we still go in May then it will be nice and quiet!

      • Fenny says:

        6 Mar6 March 21:19

        And you’ll probably get an extra 2 weeks at home when you come back!

        I want to know whether I can self-isolate on my allotment. I rarely see anyone up there and never get closer than about 20ft when I do.

        • Lady London says:

          7 Mar7 March 17:47

          Can I come?

      • Spursdebs says:

        7 Mar7 March 08:21

        I’ve got a cruise to Norway in May to replace the cruise around Japan that got cancelled. I just hope this one isn’t cancelled. As for self isolating I’m stuck indoors all the time any way makes no difference to me.

        • Mikeact says:

          9 Mar9 March 01:27

          Except when Spurs are at home.

• Odin says:

  6 Mar6 March 21:48

  Have a word shoestring! “This is war’: Doctor leading search for coronavirus vaccine says it’s the most frightening disease he’s ever encountered as second British victim is confirmed and number of UK cases rises to 164”

  • Shoestring says:

    6 Mar6 March 21:56

    yesterday a 75YO woman and now an 88YO man

    why is 2 deaths so far any more frightening than the many thousands who die every year (in UK) from sepsis, influenza, pneumonia etc?

    these weak, old people don’t live forever and something will come along to carry them off, if it’s not one of the common 3 I mentioned it might be coronavirus, infection after falls etc

    • Spursdebs says:

      6 Mar6 March 22:41

      I’m in a high risk group and I agree with you Harry. I don’t understand the panic especially amongst young, fit and healthy people.

      • Callum says:

        7 Mar7 March 08:33

        And what panic are you referring to exactly? I’ve not seen a single person panic…

        Unless you’re defining panic as a general preference not to catch a highly contagious virus that has killed 3,500 and counting?

        • Spursdebs says:

          7 Mar7 March 09:19

          You’ve not met my sister in law then.

        • Shoestring says:

          7 Mar7 March 09:39

          Or my wife. She’s otherwise brainy but hopeless in the face of health matters, she was terrible about going to Thailand during SARS 🙂

          Now she’s flying home every other weekend to see her mum in hospital and panicking at both the idea of getting Coronavirus at the airport etc or abroad – *AND* panicking at the idea of not flying and not seeing her mum. It’s a right laugh at home.

          Yesterday I sat her down to listen to the UK’s most eminent expert on Coronavirus rationally assessing the (fairly minimal for most of us) risks – https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000fx1h go to 02:10 – and she did calm down, worth a listen if you are starting to worry unduly

        • Secret Squirrel says:

          7 Mar7 March 11:41

          You’ve not seen the empty toilet roll shelves in my local Morrison’s then, that’s panic people!

    • Doug M says:

      6 Mar6 March 23:05

      Indeed. How many deaths will result from the upcoming Hand Sanitizer and Toilet Roll wars.

      • Spursdebs says:

        7 Mar7 March 07:54

        I suppose if it means more people are washing their hands and not being such dirty sods it will be something I guess!

        • Secret Squirrel says:

          7 Mar7 March 08:12

          The latest KFC advert on TV is very controversial. 😁 Centres around people licking their fingers with enjoyment, I wonder how many people wash their hands before eating, after handling filthy bank notes, hands on counters etc.

        • Spursdebs says:

          7 Mar7 March 08:29

          People in general are slobs, my days are spent in disposable gloves cleaning up something unpleasant I’m always washing something my house always smells of bleach or disinfectant. Always amazes me the amount of Drs who don’t wash their hands before touching you.

        • Lady London says:

          7 Mar7 March 16:31

          +1 on dirty docs. At least in UK.

          So @Shoestring you seem to be saying coronavirus carrying off the old and weak is kind of a “nature’s market correction” ?

        • Shoestring says:

          7 Mar7 March 16:44

          I’m not saying that – there was a Scottish MP who said that yesterday and was roundly condemned – a Scotch one if I remember correctly

        • Shoestring says:

          7 Mar7 March 16:46

          Former Scottish government worker claims a coronavirus pandemic ‘would be quite useful’ in killing off NHS bed blockers in the wake of the first UK death
          Professor June Andrews admitted to MSPs that her comments sounded ‘horrific’
          But insisted they were an honest assessment of consequences of a pandemic
          She blamed politicians for not properly funding hospitals with higher tax rates
          https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8082899/Doctor-says-pandemic-quite-useful-killing-bed-blockers.html

        • Lady London says:

          7 Mar7 March 17:51

          Nearly as not-a-good-thing-to-say-although-perfectly-correct as Edwina Currie’s comment about salmonella being endemic in UK chicken farms that got her sacked.

        • Shoestring says:

          7 Mar7 March 18:00

          yep it’s in that ‘I might think that as it’s the rational response but not good to say it’ area

    • M S says:

      7 Mar7 March 08:19

      I don’t think you or many others are aware how serious this is. Petals you don’t have friends in Asia, Italy or Iran. Or perhaps you don’t have relatives and friends who are vulnerable. But an epidemic which overwhelms the NHS will affect more than just them.

      • M S says:

        7 Mar7 March 08:22

        *Perhaps

      • Spursdebs says:

        7 Mar7 March 08:33

        Just told you I’m high risk, I’m more scared of catching a common cold, but I’m a stoic woman who deals with life’s dramas as they happen, and I’ve got more than my share of those on a daily basis. Some people are scared of their own shadows.

        • M S says:

          7 Mar7 March 09:44

          I wasn’t referring to you. I just don’t think people should be selfish or complacent about this situation.

        • Spursdebs says:

          7 Mar7 March 12:05

          You expect to much from people. If you think those that are already selfish and self absorbed are going to be less during a virus outbreak you are going to be disappointed.

      • Lady London says:

        7 Mar7 March 16:32

        * Exactly.

    • M S says:

      7 Mar7 March 22:08

      https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-italy-doctors-intensive-care-deaths-a9384356.html

      Like I said…

      If people can’t be altruistic, perhaps they can be careful for their own sake.

    • Ming the Merciless says:

      7 Mar7 March 23:00

      Twice as deadly as Michael Barrymore’s swimming pool.

    • Mikeact says:

      9 Mar9 March 01:32

      Any chance you might know a way of telling me when I’m likely to pop off ? I remember looking at the ‘Death Clock’ app years ago when they were in their infancy……and I’m still here.
      Somebody told me that for every hour you run, adds half hour to your life…but, work that one out.

  • Don says:

    6 Mar6 March 23:10

    Could you reference the Doctor please? I’d like to read this comments

    • Shoestring says:

      6 Mar6 March 23:13

      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8082855/PM-pledges-extra-46m-coronavirus-vaccine-research.html

      • letBAgonesbe says:

        7 Mar7 March 07:29

        Please stop reading the Daily Mail.

        • Shoestring says:

          7 Mar7 March 08:42

          it’s got good Money pages, often better coverage of aspects relating to pensions (for instance) better than you get in the broadsheets

        • Shoestring says:

          7 Mar7 March 09:12

          check it out yourself, particularly see the Steve Webb back catalogue of articles
          https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/pensions/index.html

        • Lady London says:

          7 Mar7 March 16:34

          Daily Mail is excellent on Saturdays. By far the best TV magazine. A paid focus group I did had 4/8 if us saying this was our favourite source.

        • Lady London says:

          7 Mar7 March 17:56

          Daily Mail is a bit like The Sun.

          Nobody admits to reading it (and certainly not for page Three in the case of The Sun).

          And yet every day, for years, it’s the first of the free newspapers in Waitroses of which there’s no copies left. With greater starting levels of stock as well.

        • Shoestring says:

          7 Mar7 March 18:04

          and Raffles puts in the occasional appearance

        • Rob says:

          7 Mar7 March 20:20

          Two this week.

          1st one got 250,000 page views so I will take that free PR thank you very much.

        • Lady London says:

          7 Mar7 March 18:14

          *which of course raises the tone immeasurably 🙂

        • Shoestring says:

          7 Mar7 March 18:16

          anybody dissing the DM should first check out Steve Webb back catalogue of Pension articles
          https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/pensions/index.html

        • Charlieface says:

          7 Mar7 March 20:03

          Once you’ve looked at the quite good Money Mail, turn to the rest of the celeb/gossip/complainers articles and carry on dissing

        • bazza says:

          8 Mar8 March 23:07

          please stop telling people what to do….
          #brexitforever!!!

      • Shoestring says:

        7 Mar7 March 18:19

        Steve was *the minister* and knows what he is talking about

        when we are in the pub together, having, a jar, I say: Steve, or should I say Minister, would you like another pint?

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