EY Upgrade Auction

[cssaus]

Yes they see your VA status and it shows on your bp.

The only hassle is getting your points & SC's credited in a timely fashion. Be prepared to battle with VA to have EY credit your account!

 

[Jack_OC]

The only hassle is getting your points & SC's credited in a timely fashion. Be prepared to battle with VA to have EY credit your account!

Funnily enough, I have never had any problem getting EY flights to credit to Velocity, as long as the flights were on both EY metal and EY codes. The only time I have had trouble is when flying on an EY code on VA metal, or vice versa.

 

[koco]

My thanks to the Etihad rep for the direct link to the upgrade auction. I've previously always waited for the email.

And to everyone else, I notice the prices are no longer particularly attractive. For my forthcoming flights, to upgrade from Economy to Business:

Sydney to Abu Dhabi - starting bid is $1860
Abu Dhabi to Dublin - starting bid is $870

Dublin to Abu Dhabi - starting bid is $870
Abu Dhabi to Sydney - starting bid is $1575 (note the difference from the outgoing flight)

Total cost would be $5175 which, when combined with the economy class fare, is getting rather close to the price of a Business Class ticket in the first place.

I realise the cost may vary depending on the original fare class, but I expect the total arithmetic reaches roughly the same conclusion.

I think I can upgrade one of the shorter legs with points, possibly also the second short leg on the way back once the points from the outward journey credit to my account. But the long legs are going to have to be Economy unless an upgrade purchased at the airport is cheaper.

IP

They do seem quite steep for an upgrade (especially SYD-AUH)

For some of my upcoming flights I have also been given the chance to bid for an upgrade from Y to J.
Abu Dhabi - Belgrade at $275 minimum bid
Belgrade - Abu Dhabi at $545 minimum bid

My other Australia-Abu Dhabi flights however have a minimum bid of at least $1500. I am quite tempted to make a bid for the AUH-BEG leg considering it's a 6 hour flight.

 

[IrishPete]

They do seem quite steep for an upgrade (especially SYD-AUH)

For some of my upcoming flights I have also been given the chance to bid for an upgrade from Y to J.
Abu Dhabi - Belgrade at $275 minimum bid
Belgrade - Abu Dhabi at $545 minimum bid

My other Australia-Abu Dhabi flights however have a minimum bid of at least $1500. I am quite tempted to make a bid for the AUH-BEG leg considering it's a 6 hour flight.

Yes, Abu Dhabi to Belgrade seems like good value.

 

[Nizar]

Guys does a paid J flight need to be in a certain fare class to be eligible to participate in an upgrade auction ?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Guys does a paid J flight need to be in a certain fare class to be eligible to participate in an upgrade auction ?

Anything except Z class is eligible

 

[RAM]

They do seem quite steep for an upgrade (especially SYD-AUH)

For some of my upcoming flights I have also been given the chance to bid for an upgrade from Y to J.
Abu Dhabi - Belgrade at $275 minimum bid
Belgrade - Abu Dhabi at $545 minimum bid

My other Australia-Abu Dhabi flights however have a minimum bid of at least $1500. I am quite tempted to make a bid for the AUH-BEG leg considering it's a 6 hour flight.

I'd bid for the AUH-BEG leg to get you hooked and start you on bulk VFF points accumulation for a Eur rtn flight in J for the future.

Nothing puts prices up like success. Australians (and others) have discovered that J with EY can be something special.

When I upgraded at the airport (so ABSOLUTE guarantee not chance) it cost USD 750 SYD/AUH. Yes it was 6 or 7 years back now but it is a useful data point.

The AUD was buying over 1.06 USD at the time but EY had their 'rate' which was 0.99 (worst exchange rate, made Travelex look good).

Given it is around a 14 hour flight - I figured at $50 / hour it was worth it. My wife and one child agreed. Two children didn't.

The next year I offered to do it again but this time the kids had to pay 10% of the upgrade cost (a certain grandmother had increased their 'Xmas money' accordingly).

Two said no and one was wavering. Cost one year on had gone up to USD850.

So, for only a 'chance' of upgrade and paying virtually the same (or more) as a well-timed J purchase but not getting lounge access nor chauffeur to/from airport = 'Q style enhancement to me'.

 

[Nizar]

I'd bid for the AUH-BEG leg to get you hooked and start you on bulk VFF points accumulation for a Eur rtn flight in J for the future.

Nothing puts prices up like success. Australians (and others) have discovered that J with EY can be something special.

When I upgraded at the airport (so ABSOLUTE guarantee not chance) it cost USD 750 SYD/AUH. Yes it was 6 or 7 years back now but it is a useful data point.

The AUD was buying over 1.06 USD at the time but EY had their 'rate' which was 0.99 (worst exchange rate, made Travelex look good).

Given it is around a 14 hour flight - I figured at $50 / hour it was worth it. My wife and one child agreed. Two children didn't.

The next year I offered to do it again but this time the kids had to pay 10% of the upgrade cost (a certain grandmother had increased their 'Xmas money' accordingly).

Two said no and one was wavering. Cost one year on had gone up to USD850.

So, for only a 'chance' of upgrade and paying virtually the same (or more) as a well-timed J purchase but not getting lounge access nor chauffeur to/from airport = 'Q style enhancement to me'.

So upgrade auction gets no lounge access ?
Hmmmmm.

Do EY do cash upgrades at check-in ? Would this allow lounge access ?

I'd want to upgrade from J to F AUH-MEL not just for the Apartments but because I want to try the new F lounge at AUH too.

 

[koco]

So upgrade auction gets no lounge access ?
Hmmmmm.

Do EY do cash upgrades at check-in ? Would this allow lounge access ?

I'd want to upgrade from J to F AUH-MEL not just for the Apartments but because I want to try the new F lounge at AUH too.

According to the website a select upgrade from J to F would give you access to the Etihad First Class lounges and the chauffeur services. Etihad Select Upgrade

 

[RAM]

So upgrade auction gets no lounge access ?
Hmmmmm.

Do EY do cash upgrades at check-in ? Would this allow lounge access ?

I'd want to upgrade from J to F AUH-MEL not just for the Apartments but because I want to try the new F lounge at AUH too.

We got no lounge access when we did the cash upgrade at check-in. And certainly we could not get access in AUH when we arrived.

 

[NZflygirl]

I'm thinking of bidding for an upgrade to J both directions but if successful on first leg can I remove the return leg bid?? I actually want to try Y with them also.

 

[Kangarucci]

I think that it is possible as long as there is a week or so before the 2nd leg. We did an upgrade bid from business to first class and was notified by email 2 days before the flight but the payment was taken 3 days before. I found out that our bid was successful first by the credit card deduction.
We didn't find EY economy very comfortable or the service that great, business was very good and first was great!

 

[NZflygirl]

I think that it is possible as long as there is a week or so before the 2nd leg. We did an upgrade bid from business to first class and was notified by email 2 days before the flight but the payment was taken 3 days before. I found out that our bid was successful first by the credit card deduction.
We didn't find EY economy very comfortable or the service that great, business was very good and first was great!

Great!!

I just have this thing in my head that I want to try all the classes (barring the residence) on the 787 and A380 but will hardly fly EY so the upgrade auction gives me a great chance to try various classes each trip as on other airlines you generally have to upgrade the entire ticket! Anyway, will try things out in November

 

[littlebluebook]

I'm looking at upgrade options and the minimum bid for business is $740 for MEl_AUH 19th July. Do you think they'd accept the absolute minimum, or should I go higher? I notice there is only a few seats left in business class to book anyway, so thought it was a long shot. I'm looking in to it, because my friend and i booked seperately and even though our bookings got linked, we missed out on seats together and there is no two seats together anymore!
Thanks for the advice.

 

[Kangarucci]

For AUH to MEL, Business to First, I placed a bid for a tad more than the minimum, maybe $50-$100 more. It was accepted but closer to the time, before being successful, there were at least 5 seats available.

 

[RAM]

I'm looking at upgrade options and the minimum bid for business is $740 for MEl_AUH 19th July. Do you think they'd accept the absolute minimum, or should I go higher? I notice there is only a few seats left in business class to book anyway, so thought it was a long shot. I'm looking in to it, because my friend and i booked seperately and even though our bookings got linked, we missed out on seats together and there is no two seats together anymore!
Thanks for the advice.

That is a great price if you can get it - a fraction of the 'pay-at-airport upgrade price'.

It comes down to what you are willing to add to the cost of your fare. Personally I think the product is great.

But it comes down to economics - what else could you do with the money on your holiday? If heading further than AUH - get ready for the shock of moving back to Y - although a couple of last minute steak sandwiches as you approach AUH has been known to ease the pain.