UpgradeMe pricing and success

[Jurahn]

Have just received an UpgradeMe offer email for our flights PER-MEL-OOL return in early March. Minimum bid for the PER-MEL and MEL-PER legs is $300 and for the MEL-OOL and OOL-MEL legs, minimum bid is $260. Assuming that the bid amount is per person, even if we just put in the minimum bids and won (highly unlikely) for all 4 flights, it would mean forking out just over $2200 for the upgrades - without the benefit of J SCs - on top of the Flexi fares we've already paid. Doesn't really appeal somehow ...

ETA: Have just checked the T & Cs and yes, the bid offer is per person.

 

[Spacetravel]

I have a flight booked 16/02 and return 24/02 Syd - LAX upgrade from Premium economy $800 - $1600 are my options.

I put in $820 upgrade for the flight LAX - SYD. Still unsure if I should put a bid on for the flight there. Either way, ill report back how I go.

Considering I paid about $1580 for the flight. Bidding anything higher is silly considering I could just pay for a normal fare and earn SC and points.

I decided not to bid on the outbound flight. (Wish I did now, was a flight from hell 13hrs with a screaming baby in the seat behind me).

However I just received my itinerary for the return flight that I bid $820 with confirmed business. So it appears my bid was successful.

The current loadings on the flight as of now (just after I received my itinerary 3 days out. The flight is monday.



J/7 C/6 D/1 I/0 W/7 R/7 O/5 Y/7 B/7 H/7 K/7 L/7 E/7 N/7 V/7 Q/7 T/7

I'm also Velocity Gold.

I hope this helps.

 

[Clobu5]

BNE - ADL is $200 - $400 to upgrade from saver to business. Seeing I only paid $150 p/pax and the flight is still fairly empty im not going to bother... $350 total brings it up to the same price as the current flexi price..

 

[CamDownUnder]

I'm not a fan of this trend towards upgrade auctions, it seems that FF rewards programs are getting less and less 'rewarding' and not offering much of an incentive to remain 'loyal'.

 

[Justinf]

I have a MEL-BNE-MEL upgrade offer for next week from a saver fare.
Minimum bid is $250 and seeing as there are no extra SCs or points, $250 seems a lot to pay for a seat and a meal.
I doubt whether I will bother. The original fare of $115 each way is good enough for me.

 

[Mania]

Placed a $400 bid on PER -> SYD for a couple of passengers (in retrospect should have gone with the $350 min), 3 days out received an email that my bank declined payment.

Moved some money between accounts, hit the email option to resubmit my application and it says "we'll get back to you", basically. Elsewhere on the email it says that changes and resubmissions are not available past 3 days to fly, and if I try to change the submission I see just that. So I'm wondering if the system is going to sell me an upgrade (business is mostly empty - 3 seats booked) or if I've missed my chance.

Has anyone had any experience with payment declined offers?

 

[Cynicor]

So your minimum was $350 PER-SYD?

Just put in one for April (no status, free plat edge flights). Minimum $300 or so I think, each way, put in a bid just over the minimum.

 

[Mania]

Yeh, min was $350 each way for Feb/Mar. I rather stupidly ticked it up to a "Good" bid ($400) - on hindsight I should have checked and seen that J is mostly empty and just gone with min bid, probably would have got it.

System still hasn't retried my card, wondering if they will 48hrs before flight - last email was sent pretty much exactly 72hrs before departure.

 

[Mania]

Came through today, got the upgrade.

 

[hydrabyss]

Received the email today and was surprised as I only booked saver light fares. Minimum bid is $150 for NTL - BNE. Considering a flexi is $205 and I still have my 4 Plat upgrades available I dont really see the value for me. Maybe someone who hasnt flown Bussiness and doesnt care about SCs may see more value.

 

[carwashhair]

Same as hydrabyss here with upgrade offer on saver lite, on a SYD-OOL leg. $200 min bid is still way too much. Half that and I might bite for ****s 'n' giggles

 

[Cynicor]

Probably a better page for it, please redirect me if so, but is business Per-Syd on VA any good? I've only flown QF J domestic, may I ask how it compares in people's opinions?

I've put in my bid regardless, as the flight was free so $350 for a J seat is a decent deal (unless it's like EU regional "J" with a blocked out middle seat...)

 

[IainF]

PER-SYD on an A330 is best J class in Australia right now. Far better than anything QF is offering and far cheaper.
The only exception to this is the ex Emirates planes XFAwful & XFBroken.
Someone with more knowledge than me may know their current routes/whereabouts....

 

[gwilli1]

Just got emails from VA to Upgrade all my 3 flights for a status run next weekend

SYD>MEL ( Saver Lite) Min bid $260
MEL>OOL ( Flexi ) Min bid $260
OOL>SYD ( Saver Lite) Min bid $210

Not appealing at all . Half those & I might bite on MEL-OOL only

 

[Caversham04]

Just received notification of a successful upgrade from PE to Business for Saturday 1st March, SYD - AUH.

I looked on ExpertFlyer at the start of this week to check the business / PE loadings (and cross-checked the Virgin website for the PE loading). PE only had about 4 seats taken, and Business was only half full. On that basis, and with only 4 or 5 days until the flight, I submitted the minimum possible bid of $600.

For information, I didn't receive a notification e-mail to say that I eligible to submit an upgrade bid, but I checked on the Virgin website and the sector qualified for the offer......

 

[Justinf]

I ended up bidding minimum amount ($250) for MEL-BNE purely because I am so used to flying J these days that the thought of Y, even for a 2 hour flight fills me with dread.
Was successful.

 

[calroth]

So, some "experimenting" with UpgradeMe Premium Bid...

VA1207 CBR-BNE. Bid range was $150-350. Bid $150. Outcome: success!
VA1226 BNE-CBR. Bid range was $150-350. Bid $150. Outcome: success!

Both flights on E190, upgrading from Saver Light fares, with Velocity Gold membership. First flight had 2/6 passengers in J.

I made those bids on the basis of "betting for information", to use the poker term. To find out whether a minimum bid really could be successful. So here's your information...

 

[pgsdiver]

Little bit second info here, but a colleague just got the following:
SYD-LAX 15 Feb, upgrade fromEco to PE, $300 min bid, so he bid $301 so he tells me, SUCCESS. 2pax
LAX-SYD 3 March, same as above.
(Sorry he couldn't remember the Eco fare details)

 

[MH_fan]

That's a great deal!

 

[MH_fan]

Have a trip to CNS coming up. Bid range is $250-450. It's just a bit too high. For $200, I'd bite.