[jsn55]

Coming over the pond to ask opinions and request information on the viability of VS. We fly SFO-LHR in Upper Class, and am sitting on about 135K Flying Club miles. My first wish, of course, would be that all goes well with my favorite international airline. I want to book a couple of UC seats “soon” with my miles and cash. I don’t want the miles to disappear. Are there any ideas of how I can protect them over the next few months? I thought I’d book an award tix right now and exchange it once the dates are solid, but the surcharges are more than $2K. (What does the UK do with all that money??) But that may be the only thing available … your ideas, opinions and thoughts would be most welcome.

[Slayeronwings]

Hey,
Hope you’re well.
You can buy or transfer a minimum of 1000 miles before the miles expiry date. This should keep them active for 3 years. Only thing is god knows who is going to keep that airline alive after the pandemic as we Brits dont want to pay for it with our taxes. Would rather they be used on our health service and small companies that are find it hard to survive.

[christopheL]

@slayeronwings
What you are willing to pay for with your taxes apart from yourself ?
Can you imagine what will happen to all VS employees ?
Can you imagine what will happen to 12000 BA staff because BA management is happy to use the pandemic to fire 12000 staff so that they can save there salaries?
You want the money that could save this jobs to go to your health service but are you sure you were keen with paying taxes for your health service before the pandemic ?
What are taxes for ???

[jsn55]

[postquote quote=997323][/postquote]
Is there a message here?

8 users thanked author for this post.

AllOverTheGaff, ImissConcorde, SimonS1, FaroFlyer, Slayeronwings, GivingupBA, Johnnyg, capetonianm

[capetonianm]

I am glad it’s not just me that struggled with that.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Slayeronwings

[christopheL]

Excuse my French. I know I am not a member of your Club. What is sad is that you just play with it.

[JonathanCohen09]

Hi ChristopheL,

Forgive me, I have been a contributor to this forum for many years now so I am not sure what you mean by your last post about not being a member of “Your Club”?

I was not really clear what you were trying to say in your post about taxes which I believe is what other people were saying. Also not sure what you mean when you say it is sad that we just play with it?

From my part, I have always been happy to pay my taxes towards the NHS especially as I have needed to use their services on a regular basis due to a heart condition.

With regards to using our tax money to pay airlines to help them survive, I am one of those who would like to see them get some help in order to save jobs that will otherwise cost my taxes to pay for the benefits that 10,000 Virgin Employees and 12,000 BA employees would be entitled to claim. They should however be given the money as loans that need to be repaid not as grants as that would not be a good use of my tax money.

This is a really good forum with a lot of very nice contributors who add real value to my travel experiences with the help and advice they have given me and I hope they have benefited from some of my posts too?

Stay safe everyone.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Mathias_K, traveldoc1

[ontherunhome]

[postquote quote=998212][/postquote]

The big problem in this country is everyone knows to what they are entitled, but do not understand their responsibilities. We all like to take, but not as many give.
Paying tax is a moral responsibility, as we all want the benefits of our tax £, an NHS free at the point of delivery, for those entitled, security, welfare when needed etc.
We can see in the USA how the for profit health system has worked, and the stress laid off employees are under, as their work = health insurance.Not saying our system is perfect either.
In the UK company directors and the self emplyed who have complained, “what about me?”, when they have reduced tax bills, via dividends etc.( legally but Morally?)
APD is a tax, it’s aim I believe was environmental, now its is a tax, nothing else. I would like to see it banded, so regional, quieter airports it is low or zero, whilst busy airports pay more.

[AMcWhirter]

[quote quote=998214]APD is a tax, it’s aim I believe was environmental, now its is a tax, nothing else.[/quote]

I hear what you say. But it’s duty not tax.

That is why airline can get away with either not refunding APD or else they deduct a fee for making the refund.

HMRC told me years ago that APD’s tax point is when the aircraft leaves the ground. “Until such time APD cannot be considered as tax” that is what I was told.

[capetonianm]

The big problem in this country is everyone knows to what they are entitled, but do not understand their responsibilities. We all like to take, but not as many give.

The classic and perfect example of that is so-called ‘Gypsies’ (which they are not, just parasites) who move from place to place leaching off the system and leaving their filth and squalor behind. They want all the benefits of society, electricity, health care, security, but without paying for it.

When there were about 50 caravans infesting the common near where I live, a local vigilante group warned them to move on and then went in to take action. Within minutes the gypsies had called the police, whom they refer to as ‘pigs’ and worse, had called for police protection.

All decent people believe in fair taxation as an obligation to the society we live in and the benefits it provides, the problem is defining what is ‘fair’.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Terence, BugAdvisor

[AMcWhirter]

Breaking: Tom has just posted a piece re VS. Big changes expected.

Virgin Atlantic to axe 3,000 jobs and quit Gatwick

1 user thanked author for this post.

jsn55

[AlanOrton1]

3,000 jobs in the UK is about 30% of their workforce, so a slightly higher percentage number than BA.
Will be interesting if this garners the same levels of ‘publicity’ as BA.
Their PR release is somewhat slicker than BA’s clunky / ham fisted effort. At the end of the day, though, they are still discarding a substantial percentage of their workforce.
The BBC is reporting they are also applying for emergency loans from the government as well….

[canucklad]

Hi Hueyjudy,
a daft piece of advice , but here goes …..
Have you contacted Virgin and stated your concerns and wishes … Potentially they might just hit refresh as a gesture of customer goodwill.
Sure they’ll be delighted to hear from a valued customer who wishes to stay loyal and return on board soon .
Don’t ask, you don’t get

[jsn55]

Don’t think I was clear … I’m not worried about my miles expiring, I’m worried about VS going out of biz. This news about Gatwick is much appreciated. It signals that VS is taking steps to avoid insolvency, but the horror of 3K jobs lost is just that, horrible.

[Roa1]

During the height of the Global economic crisis in 2009, Richard Branson, warned his arch-rival that British Airways could collapse,.. “he was standing by ready to take on their routes and runway slots at Heathrow and waiting for its demise”. His statement had probably spooked investors and knocked 9% of the BA’s share price, and BA was the biggest faller in the FTSE 100, slipping by 8.65% to 124.6p.

What a hypocrite who once branded that failing airlines must be allowed to go bust, and now cap in hand asking the taxpayers to save his unprofitable airline, with just 36 planes in 2020! In 2002, it was reported that taxpayers shelled out up to £500 million pounds to bail out the West Coast Rail (owned by Virgin and Stagecoach). Then in 2018, Branson was forced to defend a bailout of Virgin Trains East Coast.

Now the big question, should public funds be used to rescue loss making Airlines before creditors decide to pull strings and commence enforcement action against their assets?

3 users thanked author for this post.

Terence, alainboy56, Montysaurus

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