No upgrades permitted on Qantas domestic Red e-Deal ?

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Bamjet

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Booked a paid trip PER-MEL-PER on a red e-Deal ticket today for late May. Went to upgrade the flights, and the upgrade section says:

"Upgrade not available Fare type is not eligible"

Checked the help ( Frequent Flyer - Your Account - Your Bookings - Help ) and the website says:

Bookings not eligible for Upgrading​

The following types of bookings are not eligible to be upgraded:
  • Restricted or heavily discounted airfares (for example Red e-Deal fares).

I know that there's restrictions on upgrades for some International fare classes, but this is the first I've seen that red e-Deal domestic is totally excluded from upgrades. Does anyone know when this was introduced?
 
Has it actually been ticketed? (e.g. have you received the eticket invoice?)

Sometimes there is a lag between booking and when you can upgrade.

Could try again later...

I just went back, and now the upgrade button is no longer greyed out on the booking - guessing this was it!

Threw me that it said fare class not eligible, and then the red e-deal text in the help. Glad it's sorted now, will be a little more patient next time :)
 
It is a little strange that that Qantas webpage gives red-eDeal fares as an example of a restricted airfare type that is ineligible to be upgraded. On domestic flights, red-eDeal tickets are eligible to be upgraded. And on international flights, the restricted fare type that can't be upgraded is called "Sale", not red-eDeal.
 
It is a little strange that that Qantas webpage gives red-eDeal fares as an example of a restricted airfare type that is ineligible to be upgraded. On domestic flights, red-eDeal tickets are eligible to be upgraded. And on international flights, the restricted fare type that can't be upgraded is called "Sale", not red-eDeal.

They used to have red-eDeals on international, and would have been at the time they first restricted which fares could upgrade. I'd say that page is just a bit old.
 
Thinking back maybe 8-10 years ago, some domestic Red e-Deals weren't upgradeable, which later changed. I remember being frustrated that I was never flying on an expensive enough ticket to upgrade, and being very happy when it changed. 😂
 
It is a little strange that that Qantas webpage gives red-eDeal fares as an example of a restricted airfare type that is ineligible to be upgraded. On domestic flights, red-eDeal tickets are eligible to be upgraded. And on international flights, the restricted fare type that can't be upgraded is called "Sale", not red-eDeal.

I have looked recently for obvious reasons. But back in 2019 when we could fly, the ineligible fare type would change so that the lowest type was not upgrade eligible. When there were not sale fares then the lowest fare was called red e deal and those could not be upgrade. When there were sale fares - red e deal could be upgraded. basically "sale" was a specific fare type that only appeared when there were sales on
 
It is certainly upgradeable !
Was offered a point upgrade prior to check-in and then received four emails to bid for an upgrade to J between Brisbane and Melbourne the 23/01 and that was on a red deal ticket.
 
It is a little strange that that Qantas webpage gives red-eDeal fares as an example of a restricted airfare type that is ineligible to be upgraded. On domestic flights, red-eDeal tickets are eligible to be upgraded. And on international flights, the restricted fare type that can't be upgraded is called "Sale", not red-eDeal.

I think that might be gone - I'm looking at Sale flights to the US in January and it says in the conditions:

You may request Classic Upgrade Rewards on this fare. However, Classic Upgrade Rewards can only be redeemed on flights that are operated by Qantas with a QF flight number.
For the purposes of redeeming Qantas Points for a Classic Upgrade Reward, this fare is classed as Discount Economy.

Can't see it in the points calculator, but that's in the sale conditions.
 
Pre COVID, International fares booked in N,O or Q class could not be upgraded using points. Don’t know if that is still the case.
 
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While it says that in the sale conditions, it has a big fat red cross next to request points upgrade on the fare selection page.

The legal text of the fare conditions would trump that.
 
It's probably just QF IT causing the red cross.
If that sale fare was E, N, O or Q class, which they typically are, you'll be fighting with conflicting parts of the Qantas terms and conditions:
16.1.4 Classic Upgrade Rewards are not available when travelling on:

(a) Business Class International Classic Flight Reward flights, including Business Class International Classic Flight Reward flights that are combined with flights that are not Classic Flight Reward flights in the same booking;
(b) Discounted Qantas International airfares, including Points Plus Pay - Flights booked in E, N, O and Q class;
 
I just went back, and now the upgrade button is no longer greyed out on the booking - guessing this was it!
MrsC has been using that "trick" for years (pre-Covid had to fly MEL-SYD monthly): make the booking, log out, log back in and upgrade option becomes available (and usually accepts upgrade immediately), She also has been WP for years and seems to be higher up than me on the whatever secret profile QF has on its pax.
 
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