UpgradeMe pricing and success

[drewbles]

Still reckon a flexi with discount code and 9000 points is the best option. Full flexi SC's as well as additional point earn for extra dollars (so 5k or so for a flexi if you're a WP).

Short of aspirational awards such as EY F (which i've just cashed in for), the 5k points earned and supplementary points from CC's and the like mean I travel to and from PER for $500-550 and 9k points, each way, every time (and then get 4 freebies with WP each year where the 10k points each trip give me 4 sectors upgraded when the complimentraies are done for the year).

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Still reckon a flexi with discount code and 9000 points is the best option. Full flexi SC's as well as additional point earn for extra dollars (so 5k or so for a flexi if you're a WP).

Short of aspirational awards such as EY F (which i've just cashed in for), the 5k points earned and supplementary points from CC's and the like mean I travel to and from PER for $500-550 and 9k points, each way, every time (and then get 4 freebies with WP each year where the 10k points each trip give me 4 sectors upgraded when the complimentraies are done for the year).

Agreed. That's my method too. Not cheap considering how low sale Y fares can get, but for such a good J product, it's not bad at all.

Particularly since I use PER to connect with SIN and then to other Asian cities every couple of months. Means a good meal and seat to PER and only 5 hours in Y to SIN.

Basically, for the same price as return flexis MEL-PER, I can do MEL-PER-SIN-Anywhere. Definite sweet spot if you can handle all the Y.

I did consider the $380 min bid on my flight the other day though. Is this usually higher for saver fares? If you could get $160/way savers and pay and extra $380 for the upgrade you'd be laughing!

 

[Cynicor]

It's around 350-450 generally.

 

[TheAirman]

Interesting - didn't know this was possible on VA.

 

[Milefest]

Interesting - didn't know this was possible on VA.

You may find this useful then: http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/specials-offers/upgrademe/premium-bid/

 

[Bwood9]

Just got upgraded BNE to WLG for $220 each for 2 people, for Wednesday. I wonder what Trans Tasman J is like Will also get to checkout the new Air NZ lounge at BNE

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Just got upgraded BNE to WLG for $220 each for 2 people, for Wednesday. I wonder what Trans Tasman J is like Will also get to checkout the new Air NZ lounge at BNE

That seems pretty good, considering the flight duration! Can you report back on the new NZ lounge?

 

[jneufeld]

Was upgraded overnight SYD-BNE on Monday morning for min bid of $150. It's the 6:30am flight on an E90 so maybe a little pricey but means I can get a little rest, also fare was only $91 in the first place.

 

[Cynicor]

Both my $5 above minimum bids ($445 each way) were accepted PER-SYD and VV over Easter.

 

[Pleb Status]

UpgradeMe bid just accepted for the minimum $440 bid on Monday evening for SYD-PER A330 J. Keeps my 100% strike rate alive, all at minimum.

This one was going to be a struggle as no seats now available in any class. Only full Y and full J were available this morning. When the upgrade did not come through at T-72, I thought I may have to schlep it in Y. Crisis averted.

 

[clipped_wings]

UpgradeMe bid just accepted for the minimum $440 bid on Monday evening for SYD-PER A330 J. Keeps my 100% strike rate alive, all at minimum.

This one was going to be a struggle as no seats now available in any class. Only full Y and full J were available this morning. When the upgrade did not come through at T-72, I thought I may have to schlep it in Y. Crisis averted.

Well done. Do you think things would have been different if you had waitlisted for a points upgrade? I'm only asking as I do not want to back up my current points upgrade request with an Upgrade Me bid. The minimum is currently over $1000 pp each way SYD-LAX.

 

[Pleb Status]

Well done. Do you think things would have been different if you had waitlisted for a points upgrade? I'm only asking as I do not want to back up my current points upgrade request with an Upgrade Me bid. The minimum is currently over $1000 pp each way SYD-LAX.

I am yet to waitlist a points upgrade on VA as I either go with a Flexi fare and upgrade immediately with points/free WP upgrade or go with a Saver fare and bid for the upgrade. A Flexi fare and an UpgradeMe bid do not really go together from a cost point of view.

I know that the UpgradeMe window opens at T-72 and closes at T-24. Once the UpgradeMe window closes at T-24, the free WP upgrade request period opens up until ~T-3 where the call centre can look at the J load and award the free WP upgrade immediately if 'certain' conditions are met (VA did not spell out what these were exactly). I have been advised that they have reasonable flexibility in awarding these upgrades. You cannot waitlist a free WP upgrade at any time.

Where waitlisted points upgrades fit into the timing above would be good to know.

A SYD-LAX upgrade from Y to J for AUD1000 is like paying ~2.22c/pt so not real bad value in itself.

 

[clipped_wings]

A SYD-LAX upgrade from Y to J for AUD1000 is like paying ~2.22c/pt so not real bad value in itself.

Not from Y, paid PE.

And just noticed today AUD$2287.87 and AUD$2224.67 for return J fares for the same days, so in the end, an Upgrade Me bid would equate to the full fare being paid.

Imagine the points and SC though! Wish husband would let me pay up, but I'd get in lots of trouble if I spent a lazy $4000 for upgrades.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Imagine the points and SC though! Wish husband would let me pay up, but I'd get in lots of trouble if I spent a lazy $4000 for upgrades.

If you are imagining those points and SCs are from the upgrade, you'd be disappointed. The UpgradeMe me offer does not include an upgrade to points and SCs.....just the class. So the example you gave is really a downgrade given you could have had the same class for the same price as well as all the points and SCs if you just bought it outright! Buyer beware......know the value and don't be duped.

 

[Pleb Status]

Not from Y, paid PE.

And just noticed today AUD$2287.87 and AUD$2224.67 for return J fares for the same days, so in the end, an Upgrade Me bid would equate to the full fare being paid.

Imagine the points and SC though! Wish husband would let me pay up, but I'd get in lots of trouble if I spent a lazy $4000 for upgrades.

It was marginal value from Y, poor value from PE.

I was just looking at a PER-JFK fare in J for AUD5740 rtn on VA/DL. So good deals about at the moment.

 

[clipped_wings]

Agree re: the poor value, would never consider the Upgrade Me option. I was trying to illustrate the logic of just paying the upgrade over the phone, as it equated to the Upgrade Me minimum bid, but guaranteed the upgrade. I've done this from Y to PE long haul before and the extra SC and points were allocated accordingly.

The Perth deal is unbelievable. It really pays to look each day doesn't it?

 

[Jurahn]

The Perth deal is unbelievable. It really pays to look each day doesn't it?

It is indeed a great price. I was very surprised when I was having a look this morning at next March for a US trip and could get PER-SEA return in J for around AUD$5990 also on VA/DL. Unfortunately my return date in April isn't available for selection at the moment, so I can't book yet! Fingers crossed these fares will still be around once the date I need is released for booking.

 

[akashra]

Frankly I find the cost of business class to be utterly ridiculous, and via UpgradeMe it's no different. The mere fact that they don't just upgrade people in this day and age is a huge red mark on airline service in general - gone are the days, it seems, when you can occasionally be upgraded - I've never had it happen once.
But even the cost of upgrades using points - something like 30,000 points to upgrade to business class on the flights I've considered (PER-MEL I think it was).

The one that really was absurd was when I booked CNS-BNE-MEL on a single connecting ticket, and UpgradeMe wanted me to bid some obscene amount *for each leg*.

On a large number of flights I've been on, the business class seats have been completely empty. Carriers should be looking to fill business seats a lot more than they do.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

On a large number of flights I've been on, the business class seats have been completely empty. Carriers should be looking to fill business seats a lot more than they do.

By offering freebie upgrades? Where is the advantage? I hope VA keep the business cabin the way it is. I like the ability to use the comp upgrades at the lounge. I guess it comes down to a fact of what one sees as outrageous, others quite like. I actually far prefer the VA business product over QF even although QF does have some benefits over VA and this is lrgely due to the "exclusivity" of the VA cabin vrs the all in scrum of the QF business cabin.

 

[Moopere]

Frankly I find the cost of business class to be utterly ridiculous

Got to admit, I often find myself muttering the same thing.

Its not at all like say deciding to travel 1st/2nd/3rd class on a train for example (many countries still have this ... I don't think we do any more here in Aus). Nominal increases in cost for a somewhat better experience. Its actually a power of magnitude domestically speaking. I did a bit of bouncing about between SIN/KUL/BKK a while back on different airlines and these small hops offered standard domestic style J for generally just a few hundred bucks which was great. I can't really see why, given that Y- tickets are sold en-masse for $200-250 (eg PER-MEL) that J shouldn't be more like 800-1000$. There was a time, only prolly <2 years ago when it was around that, given some points wangling and a bit of stuffing about. Nowadays its $1900 one way PER-MEL (or SYD) 6-7x a saver fare.

I remember talk of the 'halo effect' that J provides for the rest of the airline ... and I guess upgrades to J using points pretty substantially drives the whole FF thing, which is dollars in the bank for the airlines loyalty arm - perhaps this is what its all really about? The fact that you -could- use points to upgrade into J keeps the FF machine running, which is buku lucrative. Ultimately, doesn't really matter if the seats are filled or not.