Points upgrade MEL-DPS am I doing it wrong?

[lobo76]

Hi all - Platinum for years just dropped to gold - I've tried to use the upgrade with points option MEL-DPS a few times now with no success - often I'll see there is only 1 free business class seat or none at all so I figure maybe they held out for a cash upgrade offer but this time there were 3 empty seats on the flight and I'm wondering is there something I need to be doing different? Do I need to ask about it at checkin? Can anyone share their experiences/tips?

 

[trooper]

I wasn't aware QF "filled up" any/all Business class seats by upgrading?

 

[ChrisMars]

Hi all - Platinum for years just dropped to gold - I've tried to use the upgrade with points option MEL-DPS a few times now with no success - often I'll see there is only 1 free business class seat or none at all so I figure maybe they held out for a cash upgrade offer but this time there were 3 empty seats on the flight and I'm wondering is there something I need to be doing different? Do I need to ask about it at checkin? Can anyone share their experiences/tips?

I imagine you registered for airport / on the gate upgrade when you registered for the reward upgrade?

 

[muppet]

OP is using VA points

I wasn't aware QF "filled up" any/all Business class seats by upgrading?

Does VA have that “at airport / at the gate” option?

I imagine you registered for airport / on the gate upgrade when you registered for the reward upgrade?

To the OP, no personal experience but I recall quite a few on this forum who have reported having requested/waitlisted upgrades and their VA flight goes out with seats empty in business… I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong.

 

[trooper]

OP is using VA points

Whoops!

 

[ChrisMars]

Whoops!

+1

 

[lovestotravel]

VA would rather sell the seat for cash upgrades

 

[Beer_budget]

VA's wording is "upgrade to any eligible seat", not any available. My understanding of that is that upgrades are only to available rewards seats, not any empty seat. That would seem to align with your experience.

What I would note about that is that the upgrade (where available) is always going to be worse value than just booking the J seat on points in the first place.

 

[lobo76]

VA would rather sell the seat for cash upgrades

Of course which is why when there was only 1 seat I coluld kind of understand not giving it up on the off chance someone upgrades for cash at checkin - but 3 seats?

Why even give the points upgrade option on the velocity site?

 

[lobo76]

VA's wording is "upgrade to any eligible seat", not any available. My understanding of that is that upgrades are only to available rewards seats, not any empty seat. That would seem to align with your experience.

What I would note about that is that the upgrade (where available) is always going to be worse value than just booking the J seat on points in the first place.

Well the points upgrade is fixed at 24k points (which is actually really good value)