UpgradeMe pricing and success

[robd]

Anyone have experience with UpgradeMe on the LAX run recently?

Have PE tickets booked and got the email offering a J upgrade for a minimum of $1200 each - which as a I recall is the same as, if not more than, the difference between the PE and J tickets when I originally booked, making it pretty poor value.

I'd be perfectly happy with PE as the quieter cabin was one of the main draws, but the thought of it being chockers with Y upgraders is the only thing that makes this offer in any way slightly attractive.

Jnr is heading off (MEL-xBNE-LAX return) on the 20th December, returning the 6th Jan. This was only booked about 4 weeks ago, and all the saver fares were gone. Her ticket is full economy fare and cost ~ $2,400 ish (with discount code). Her offer to upgrade (to PE) is $700 on the outbound and $800 on the return. Not worth it.

 

[djfuzz]

Jnr is heading off (MEL-xBNE-LAX return) on the 20th December, returning the 6th Jan. This was only booked about 4 weeks ago, and all the saver fares were gone. Her ticket is full economy fare and cost ~ $2,400 ish (with discount code). Her offer to upgrade (to PE) is $700 on the outbound and $800 on the return. Not worth it.

Wow, that's insane! I wonder if t's because the cabin is close to full or it's just that time of year. There's probably a point at which the upgrade seems attractive, but agreed definitely not at ~$700 Y->PE or ~$1200 PE->J each way. Hope they have a good trip nevertheless.

 

[boylero]

my PER-BNE for Friday came through today successful, $395 on top of a company paid Saver Fare, thats 100% success ratio with the lowest bid available

 

[Denali]

Christmas Day Syd>Melb flight, purchased for $122pp each way with a discount code.

Min $140pp upgrade bid, max $440 but I put in a $150 bid plus a points upgrade wait list request but we had row 3 selected.

Sun 20th Dec 10am, received an email confirmation that our points upgrade was approved.

I know its only Syd>Melb but its Christmas day so this is our gift to ourselves and we already have J seats home (points upgrade)

 

[Moopere]

I must be unlucky - I have a PER-SYD booked via Amex free flight. Interestingly, and I'll report this in the appropriate thread in a moment, you seem to be able to upgrademe point -or- money from the Amex free flight to J now ... I'm quite sure you couldn't do that even a little while ago and were forced into the book-cancel-rebook-upgrade cycle.

Anyway, booked flight, which is always the cheapest Y- available on the day and looked at the upgrademe money option - $440 minimum bid per leg. Where are the previously reported minimum bids options of 300$(ish)??? Demand strong so price is up? Probably.

Anyway, $880 return in J from a $0 upfront price is, of course, still great value, but I'd assume that given the Amex free flight gives no SC or FF it will be the same if I upgrade. Yuk! I might sneak into Plat this year if I'm prudent, so need at least a few SC's each time I fly.

 

[Myztikal_]

Interestingly i can upgrade the complementary flight from American Express (SYD > ADL return)

Upgrade bid is at a minimum of $210 per flight. Is it good value considering it would be 17500 points per flight if i used points?

 

[eastwest101]

Was successful with the minimum bid of $240 for BNE-MEL upgrades from Y to J but not surprising as fairly empty J class cabins at this time of year....

 

[Justinf]

bidded mimimum $140 for ADL-MEL on 8 Jan and was successful. I wouldn't do it again. Was disappointed.

 

[AdMEL]

Was successful with the minimum bid of $240 for BNE-MEL upgrades from Y to J but not surprising as fairly empty J class cabins at this time of year....

Was it worth it? Min. bid for my MEL-BNE and BNE-MEL flights with my partner in March is $210 both ways.

 

[eastwest101]

Was it worth it? Min. bid for my MEL-BNE and BNE-MEL flights with my partner in March is $210 both ways.

Don't know yet - will report back next week after we have taken the flights. VA are asking $960 each way for these exact flights. ( I don't know anyone that would seriously consider paying those sort of fares out of their own pocket though)

All I'm learning from this thread is that VA yield management have their J class seat pricing wrong....

 

[AdMEL]

Don't know yet - will report back next week after we have taken the flights. VA are asking $960 each way for these exact flights. ( I don't know anyone that would seriously consider paying those sort of fares out of their own pocket though)

All I'm learning from this thread is that VA yield management have their J class seat pricing wrong....

It'd be great to hear your view. Forgot to mention that the flights are Amex free flights!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

All I'm learning from this thread is that VA yield management have their J class seat pricing wrong....

.....have some of their J class seat pricing wrong.

I know at least one sector that I think is too dear from the outset (just), but when a code is used (even just 10%) it becomes doable. Other sectors I look at and think they must be smoking something illegal to believe the fares are anything other than a joke!

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Whether it's worth it or not is very much dependant on your personal circumstances

 

[Fiches Mouser]

.....have some of their J class seat pricing wrong.

I know at least one sector that I think is too dear from the outset (just), but when a code is used (even just 10%) it becomes doable. Other sectors I look at and think they must be smoking something illegal to believe the fares are anything other than a joke!

I always think this. It's like long-haul F. Crazy money, but someone must be paying it!

 

[Myztikal_]

bidded mimimum $140 for ADL-MEL on 8 Jan and was successful. I wouldn't do it again. Was disappointed.

What was the reason for disappoint if i may ask?

 

[Justinf]

What was the reason for disappoint if i may ask?

Was disappointed with the meal offering and thought that at $140 extra I wouldn't do it if I had the chance again. I'd settle for cattle class. Still, each to their own.

 

[medhead]

Interestingly i can upgrade the complementary flight from American Express (SYD > ADL return)

Upgrade bid is at a minimum of $210 per flight. Is it good value considering it would be 17500 points per flight if i used points?

I have this exact same question. I think my minimum is $220. While the points upgrade is guaranteed, assuming I got the bid upgrade then I'm getting 1.26 cents per point. It's a hard call.

 

[Milefest]

Was disappointed with the meal offering and thought that at $140 extra I wouldn't do it if I had the chance again. I'd settle for cattle class. Still, each to their own.

Better for those with no status I think. Most of the perks received from a J fare, gold and plat get too, except for the seat and meal of course.

 

[Justinf]

Better for those with no status I think. Most of the perks received from a J fare, gold and plat get too, except for the seat and meal of course.

Yep I agree. I have slipped to Silver and had two lounge passes to use anyway. I wrote a small review on the experience in this thread which may explain my disappointment a bit more clearly. It's the final post in the thread so it should be easy to find.
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....tralia-business-class-catering-38257-172.html

 

[Moopere]

I wrote a small review on the experience in this thread which may explain my disappointment a bit more clearly. It's the final post in the thread so it should be easy to find.

Ah yes, fair comments.

The 738 service leaves a -lot- to be desired. With the new "the business" seating now pretty much entirely rolled out to the 332's there is a vast gaping chasm between 738 J and 332 J, yet pricing is the same. If they want to maintain the 738 version of J they'd be more truthful to start calling 'the business' style J domestic first class (or similar). Theres almost nothing to like about 738 J imho ... seats are wider sure, but extremely uncomfortable, a problem exacerbated by the lack of footrest, no J 'cabin' ... that little purple piece of dividing plastic doesn't count in my view, inadequate recline, poor drink/snack/food selection which borders on farcical given the usual price asked. Lounge and priority bags, boarding, screening etc works well, as it should, but as others have said, this is provided for status holders anyway.

Theres 8 J seats on the 738's and I hardly ever see them filled ... they'd be a lot better off in my view converting the fleet at the next refresh to 4x J seating of a style somewhat reminiscent of the current 332 'the business' and putting up a proper J cabin partition.

As it is, I won't consciously choose 738 J over Y unless something very special happens with pricing (as it did for me in one direction recently on a trip PER-DPS)