That's what I thought so I am certainly not complaining, and I am not going to put up the details of the flights just in case Virgin staff peruse these boards (which they damn well might!). Anyway, this card is an absolute no brainer for anyone flying with a partner (e.g. couples). The flyer has a $1.5k monthly limit for $1 to 1 velocity point conversion.
I'd also be interested if anyone has purchased the High Flyer card?
I did consider the High Flyer with the extra insurances and 1.25 point per dollar (with no points capping), but I have a Platinum charge amex so I charge most purchases to that (therefore $1.5k is perfect for a monthly VISA card spend). Amex also includes all the extra insurances, so the only benefit of going for the HIGH flyer card is 1.25 points per dollar. So I figured if I maintained my $1500 spend per month, that is $18,000 which means an extra 4500 points. Given I value points are roughly 1 cent per point, 4500 points represents about a $45 value to me. No where near the extra $150 ($249 annual fee) required.
Completely agree with everything you've said. For someone who flies regularly with a partner and spends in the region of $10,000 - $25,000 per year on VISA the Flyer card for me is FANTASTIC. Both me and my partner have 1, we both got 20K sign-on points for $99 annual fee and between us now
eight(!) 2-4-1 flights per year. Last year we would have saved a good $400 each on the flights so its a no-brainer. This would be an excellent card for a retired couple who visit kids/grandkids interstate several times a year - they wouldn't have to fly Virgin any other time of the year but if they both had the card they could travel together 4 times a year for half price. The sign-on bonus would probably give them enough points for a free 5th trip.
I also did the maths as my best mate has the High Flyer card because he says the 1.25 pp$ makes it worth it. I put through around $20,000 a year on this card (usually sit just around the cap each month), so the 5,000 or so extra points Id get each year are not worth the $150 extra fee. I've tried to tell him this (he would only put $10K max through his card each year as he's a student) but he doesn't understand, nor is interested in the logic of it (doesn't play the game like us here!).
It's not a perfect card by any means- the website is easily the worst website I have EVER dealt with and I avoid it like the plague. It's also very annoying having to spend 20+ minutes on the phone to book each of these flights as it can't be done online. It does make me laugh that you can log onto velocity, see how many 2-4-1 flights you have left in your account, book normal redemptions using points but can't book your 2-4-1 redemptions online! And charging a credit card surcharge when you are booking a flight on your
virgin credit card is one of the most ridiculous things I have heard of - even LCC's dont do this!
I know they relaxed the fare rules for the 2-4-1 flight a LOT last year - it used to be only the absolute cheapest sale fares you could get 2-4-1 (i.e. everyday fares were not available, even when booked 6 months out meaning their might be 1 7am flight available each day and that was it) but I understand you can now book at least any available Saver fare and they will give you the other one for free. I haven't booked one of these for a while (used them all up last year and now clicking over onto year 2 so get them all again) - have they relaxed them more?
Can you only buy saver fares? I would seriously consider 2-4-1 J class if they were available as they wouldn't be much more than a flexi ticket if they were half price (or maybe even less). I paid $800 to fly MEL-CNS-MEL on a last-minute school holiday Flexi last year. If I could get 2-4-1 J on that route for, say, $1400 I would seriously consider it!
