Virgin Traveller Club: Elegibility, usage, and other questions.

[Broken Viking]

Hail all!
I only recently found out about the Virgin Traveller Club (VTC) via another thread in this sub-forum, and - After taking a look at the linked minisite - It's given me a few ideas for obtaining what might be considered a First Class season ticket (Weekends only) for the entire VWC network. 8)

Now, the idea of the Virgin Traveller scheme is actually quite an attractive one to me at the moment (If I've got my maths right, it offers 104 days "free" travel for little more than the cost of a fortnights FC ALR!) but before I start thinking about things wholesale and considering getting hold of a membership, there are a few things that I'd like to ask the more knowlegable amongst us.

• Elegibility (Best tickets to use for obtaining benefit):
  The VTC website says that the requirement to obtain VTC membership is 8x FC returns or 16x FC singles (Or an equatable combination of both) over a three month period. Each return needs to be at least £70,- in value, and each single need to be at least £35,-. Basically, the requirement for VTC membership appears to be £560,- of FC tickets across a three month period.
  I've had a very brief look in Avantix for the cheapest elegible fares and havn't come up with any returns less than £150 so far, so I'm wondering if anyone knows of any qualifying FC return fares (Preferably walk-up or other non-limited types) that are fairly close to the published £70,- minimum?
  .
• Elegibility (Ticket prices used to determine elegibility):
  Following recent discussions with staff at my local council and others, it's possible that I might actually qualify for a Disabled Person's Railcard, and I'm going to see about applying for one of these soon. If I do manage to qualify for and obtain a DPR (Which is valid on FC fares, unlike my current YPR) would the minimum fare required for each ticket decrease accordingly to about £46.20, or would it still stay at £70,- for the purposes of determining VTC elegibility?
  .
• Free travel benefit (Limitations on use):
  If I managed to obtain a VTC membership which would offer me complimentary FC travel at weekends for a year, I would probabally want to make heavy use of it for some serious WCML Pendo bashing. However, is there any kind of restriction or other "cap" on the number of free journeys that can be taken in a year on a VTC membership?
  Given that it's a complimentary benefit offered by VWC, I would imagine that there might be some small print somewhere about a fair-use policy or something along those lines.
  .
• VTC membership (Maintenance and retention of membership):
  I'll be honest from the start that my current idea is to clock up the requisite FC fares to obtain my VWC membership (And it's benefits) and then simply travel for the following 9-12 months at weekends on the VTC benefit alone, although I might also buy an FC ticket and use the benefits on any other journeys that I have to take during weekdays.
  What kind of line might Virgin take on such use of VTC membership? From what I can see at the moment, VTC membership doesn't appear to prevent such use of benefits...But then again, I havn't been able to find a full set of T&Cs.
  .
• First Class travel itself (FC use by an "odd" being, and NRCoC protection):
  As ye all well know, I'm one of those people who tend to live on the more ferocious and Metal side of life...And this is frequently evident when I travel long distances, especially as I normally wear a BAL-SAGOTH shirt of some description and more pointy things than one might find in a very large nail factory! Now I've already tested the FC waters once in the past when I bought a weekend first upgrade to buy myself a seat on a fairly full service*...But as I'd probabally be travelling in FC frequently under VTC membership - Despite my rather extreme preference in dress - Would my right to travel in FC still be protected under the NRCoC, given that my appearance might make the average FC passenger feel somewhat uncomfortable?
  
  * - I had to laugh when a few FC passengers further down the carriage asked the Guard to inform me that I was sitting in the "wrong" part of the train, and he returned to them a few moments later having proven that I did hold a suitable FC ticket!

Finally, what is considered a "weekend" for complimentary travel under the VTC programme? Is it just Saturday and Sunday alone, or do they include bits of Friday and possibly Monday into the bargain?
Also, are the £35/£70 minimum values listed on the VTC site current and up-to-date?

Farewell for now, and many thanks in advance for any advice!
>> Death <<

 

[WhichRailWay]

.[*]Free travel benefit (Limitations on use):
If I managed to obtain a VTC membership which would offer me complimentary FC travel at weekends for a year, I would probabally want to make heavy use of it for some serious WCML Pendo bashing. However, is there any kind of restriction or other "cap" on the number of free journeys that can be taken in a year on a VTC membership?
Given that it's a complimentary benefit offered by VWC, I would imagine that there might be some small print somewhere about a fair-use policy or something along those lines.

I've not seen any restriction, I don't think they're bothered since they release a set amount of seats that they know will be empty otherwise.

Despite my rather extreme preference in dress - Would my right to travel in FC still be protected under the NRCoC, given that my appearance might make the average FC passenger feel somewhat uncomfortable?

I say the wackier the better. If people are arrogant enough to feel uncomfortable then they have the problem. So long as you're not making a nuisance of yourself with thrash metal playing full volume out of your earphones and jumping up and down on the tables you'll be fine.

Is it just Saturday and Sunday alone, or do they include bits of Friday and possibly Monday into the bargain?

It's from Friday to noon on Monday.

 

[First class]

The cheapest way of doing this is getting the 8 x FORs from Penrith to Preston priced at exactly £70.

Total cost of membership would be £560.

Any time on a Friday and up until 12:00 on Mondays. Bookings can be made up to 18:00 the day before departure, if you collect your tickets from a FastTicket machine.

Also, your idea of getting it for cheaper with the DSB railcard won't work. All tickets, (discounted or not) must cost £35 sgl or £70 rtn.

 

[rail-britain]

Terms are here :
http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/traveller/terms-conditions/

http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/traveller/qualify-for-traveller/
"All your journeys have been made on a Virgin Trains route"
I wonder if First Class tickets like Stirling - Carlisle would qualify, where a seat reservation for Glasgow - Carlisle on VT is included

 

[Railjet]

I say the wackier the better. If people are arrogant enough to feel uncomfortable then they have the problem. So long as you're not making a nuisance of yourself with thrash metal playing full volume out of your earphones and jumping up and down on the tables you'll be fine.

Too true! Far too much snobbery - still - in this country as it is.
Dress as you want, Death, and look down on all those snobs who don't believe you should be travelling 1st class, and have to slum it in standard.

 

[tony_mac]

I assume that you have seen this...

Travel on Fridays must include an overnight stay. Travel in both directions must be completed during the same weekend and only one complimentary ticket per weekend can be booked.

 

[GodAtum]

[*]First Class travel itself (FC use by an "odd" being, and NRCoC protection):
As ye all well know, I'm one of those people who tend to live on the more ferocious and Metal side of life...And this is frequently evident when I travel long distances, especially as I normally wear a BAL-SAGOTH shirt of some description and more pointy things than one might find in a very large nail factory! Now I've already tested the FC waters once in the past when I bought a weekend first upgrade to buy myself a seat on a fairly full service*...But as I'd probabally be travelling in FC frequently under VTC membership - Despite my rather extreme preference in dress - Would my right to travel in FC still be protected under the NRCoC, given that my appearance might make the average FC passenger feel somewhat uncomfortable?

* - I had to laugh when a few FC passengers further down the carriage asked the Guard to inform me that I was sitting in the "wrong" part of the train, and he returned to them a few moments later having proven that I did hold a suitable FC ticket! [/list]

I went 1st class during the morning rush hour wearing jeans and trainers

 

[Mr Spock]

I have never worried about dressing up in first class, anyway its only one or two other passengers that look at you funny as Virgin do not bother how you dress.

Its the same on Virgin Atlantic where I have seen people in teeshirts, shorts and flip flops travelling in Upper Class without a second glance.

 

[GodAtum]

Its the same on Virgin Atlantic where I have seen people in teeshirts, shorts and flip flops travelling in Upper Class without a second glance.

Yeah I was one of them! It's not how you dress, it's that you can afford it

 

[cyclebytrain]

The closest I've ever come to being criticised for dress code with Virgin was a very hot day last summer when I'd just ridden halfway across London and my glasses broke so I had to wear my prescription dark wraps to (roughly) see where I was going. I was (very) politely reminded that there were showers in the main lounge if I wanted to use them! (Which was useful as I hadn't realised that they were open all day)