Virgin Atlantic household account

[iandv]

Hi

I understand that unlike BA, Virgin will only allow you to combine your families miles once you are a silver member.

I want to book a redemption flight for my family and need to pool all of the points together in my wife’s and children’s accounts. What are my options, if I call to book over the phone will the agent be able to pool all of our points together? Or do I need to pay the £10 transfer fee for each account to send miles to one single account?

[JohnF]

If they are flying with you on the same flight then I believe they can be pooled. My wife and I have just booked a return flight and to make it happen some of my wife’s points had to be passed to me so I could get a reward seat

[iandv]

Yes we will all be on the same booking / flights. How did you pool the points?

[JenT]

If you phone up to book, the agent will manage how many points come from each account. However, it’s not as simple as complete pooling – each account will need to have enough to pay a fixed portion (i.e. sector) of a flight booking. For example, your account might pay for all the outbound tickets and then each individual account will be debited for its own inbound flight. The agent will make sure it works.

[trader363]

Anyone know what happens if I make silver this year, create a household account, but then drop down to Red a year later?

[iandv]

Thanks I’m not sure how that will work. The total
Cost is 140k miles for 4 of us return. I have 100k miles and my wife and kids have 16k each in their accounts

Will the agent still be able to do this or will I need to pay the £10 fee per account to transfer all miles into my account to cover the total cost?

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

Just phone them ASAP.

You’re running the risk of someone else grabbing these seats!

[iandv]

They told me on live chat I’d have to transfer from my wife’s and kids accounts into mine first and pay the £10 transfer charge x 3

Also got a question. If you book economy redemptions and if you accrue more miles before you fly and there is still reward availability in the premium cabin can you upgrade and is the cost in miles and taxes the same as what it would be if I was making a new redemption booking?

[AL]

Historically, and to this day I believe, they’re (read: Swansea agents) quite happy to allow redemptions from multiple accounts so long as each sector is only paid for by one account. If that isn’t possible, then – yes – the tenner route is the way to go.

Also got a question. If you book economy redemptions and if you accrue more miles before you fly and there is still reward availability in the premium cabin can you upgrade and is the cost in miles and taxes the same as what it would be if I was making a new redemption booking?

Yes. VS only runs three reward buckets: A for Economy, P for Premium and G for Upper. Taxes will be recalculated, but should be the same (or thereabouts) as if you booked them in the first place.

[Rob]

Remember that a HHA does NOT pool miles in VS.

They simply put a diversion on the other account and send future miles to you. EXISTING MILES ARE NOT POOLED.