UpgradeMe pricing and success

[AIRwin]

So do you click upgrade to get offer?

You can either click on the "Bid for an Upgrade" link in the email or access the offer from the website (using your last name and PNR):
UpgradeMe Premium Bid | Virgin Australia

 

[Princess Fiona]

Hmmm, conspiracy theories tonight. I had an upgrade bid in for a BNE-MEL flight on Sat. Would have done a points upgrade but none available. Thought that a bit odd as the J cabin was wide open, no seats allocated. Checked again tonight and the option for a points upgrade was there. Great news. I got all the way to the confirmation screen and it then locked me out "your booking cannot be changed online". No points deducted but my carefully selected row 3 seat was gone
Literally seconds later the "your upgrade bid has been successful" email hit my inbox. My emails are automatically downloaded. I guess VA would rather have my money than my points but I find it hard to think it's a coincidence that the minute I tried to points upgrade the cash option was triggered. Has anyone else had this happen to them ?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Has anyone else had this happen to them ?

No, but it does sound a bit suss! In their defence (if you can call it that) the VA IT is really, really annoying at times and I lean towards it just being a cough system rather than anything intuitive in VAs favour. I've copped similar messages when trying certain tactics and happily, those messages led me to a way of basically paying no CC fees, whilst having all sectors on separate PNRs for flexibility! The VA system does tend to make us "lateral" thinkers!

 

[PLANT]

How much in $$ was the upgrade offer..... Recent one I saw was $250 min!!!!

 

[Princess Fiona]

How much in $$ was the upgrade offer..... Recent one I saw was $250 min!!!!

It was $250, hence I'd rather have used the points

 

[kevrosmith]

Wow... Very interesting and suspicious indeed...

 

[AIRwin]

I had an upgrade bid in for a BNE-MEL flight on Sat. Would have done a points upgrade but none available. Thought that a bit odd as the J cabin was wide open, no seats allocated. Checked again tonight and the option for a points upgrade was there.

Wonder if it would have worked had you cancelled the bid first unless the bidding window had already closed?

 

[cjd600]

Does the upgrade minimum cost fluctuate at all as the flight draws nearer?
Currently debating upgrade request to Y+, from $600min for SYD-LAX in December

 

[Moopere]

Does the upgrade minimum cost fluctuate at all as the flight draws nearer?
Currently debating upgrade request to Y+, from $600min for SYD-LAX in December

Good question.

You'd have to imagine that revenue maximising algorithms at the back-end would probably continually fiddle around with minimum bid amounts dependent upon amount of bidding interest ... then again, to do this might 'give away' too much information to bidders.

In any event, if there is a lot of bidding activity on any given flight I'd have thought that those in the low range would have increasing smaller chances of being successful, unless everyone is bidding the minimum amount - which then leads us back to .. would revenue management increase minimum bids as a way to push bidding higher than it normally would be if everyone just bid minimum and sat there?

I promised myself I'd have a look at this stuff a while back but never seem to have a moment to explore it ... does the system allow you to come back in later and revise your bid or is it a once only proposition?

 

[MH_fan]

Good question.

You'd have to imagine that revenue maximising algorithms at the back-end would probably continually fiddle around with minimum bid amounts dependent upon amount of bidding interest ... then again, to do this might 'give away' too much information to bidders.

In any event, if there is a lot of bidding activity on any given flight I'd have thought that those in the low range would have increasing smaller chances of being successful, unless everyone is bidding the minimum amount - which then leads us back to .. would revenue management increase minimum bids as a way to push bidding higher than it normally would be if everyone just bid minimum and sat there?

I promised myself I'd have a look at this stuff a while back but never seem to have a moment to explore it ... does the system allow you to come back in later and revise your bid or is it a once only proposition?

You can revise your bids but only up to the cut-off time.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Don't know if anyone has made this observation before but even with seats available there may be no winning bid.
I recently flew J DPS-PER and bid to upgrade 2 family members to join me. My bid was unsuccessful. However on boarding I discovered there were 5 empty seats in the J cabin.
Disappointing as I thought the purpose of the minimum bid was to ensure they only received bids they would accept, subject to availability and other bids.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Is anyone else having problems with the UpgradeMe page? I've tried it on both IE and Chrome and it doesn't load up properly (for me).

 

[Nexus9]

Don't know if anyone has made this observation before but even with seats available there may be no winning bid.
I recently flew J DPS-PER and bid to upgrade 2 family members to join me. My bid was unsuccessful. However on boarding I discovered there were 5 empty seats in the J cabin.
Disappointing as I thought the purpose of the minimum bid was to ensure they only received bids they would accept, subject to availability and other bids.

yep have been through similar myself with BNE-DPS-BNE - bid for seats for wife and I (not the lowest bid possible either), get the bid unsuccessful notification a couple of days out and then see 4-6 empty seats in J :-|

 

[MH_fan]

Just bumping up an old thread.
I've recently put in bids for some upcoming flights. I've only just discovered that the pricing is quite dynamic. I'd put in the minimum bid a couple of weeks ago and when I checked today, the goalposts appear to have changed and my bid is now below the current minimum bid. Does this mean there's absolutely no chance for the upgrade bid being successful? Does anyone have any experience with this? Loads in J for the flights are pretty much empty.

 

[Ausbt]

I'd put in the minimum bid a couple of weeks ago and when I checked today, the goalposts appear to have changed and my bid is now below the current minimum bid.

I've got an upcoming SYD-AUH in Y+ saver-light. I was surprised the starting minimum bid was $1,010. I was hoping for $605. Maybe they have put them all up?

 

[MH_fan]

I've got an upcoming SYD-AUH in Y+ saver-light. I was surprised the starting minimum bid was $1,010. I was hoping for $605. Maybe they have put them all up?

I think the days of those prices are gone.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I've only just discovered that the pricing is quite dynamic. I'd put in the minimum bid a couple of weeks ago and when I checked today, the goalposts appear to have changed and my bid is now below the current minimum bid. Does this mean there's absolutely no chance for the upgrade bid being successful?

They accepted your bid so I'd think there is a chance, as long as all seats aren't taken by higher bids......but who knows what the thinking is. Let us know how you go.

 

[MH_fan]

They accepted your bid so I'd think there is a chance, as long as all seats aren't taken by higher bids......but who knows what the thinking is. Let us know how you go.

Sure. Will do.
These are for SYD-CNS flights. When I first made the booking, they wanted a minimum of $250. Needless to say, I turned that down. Thought I'd check again a couple of weeks ago and the minimum bid had gone down to $150! That's more like it, so I put in the minimum bid. When I checked again this morning, the minimum bid had gone up to $160. The 72 hour window closes in 20 minutes. J is empty for this flight (both on the seat map and according to EF).

 

[MH_fan]

Update:
Informed of unsuccessful bid at T-25. J cabin seat map still empty but inventory has gone from I5 down to I2 prior to the email being sent.

 

[Milefest]

Had a couple of flights to sydney recently I bidded on:

VA992 - $180, won bid had the whole cabin to my self
VA920 - $220, won bid

Just bidded $140 on VA943 let you know the outcome.