Upgrading SIN - FRA using points

[Brettmcg]

Hi All,

Well the time has come to start looking at booking my MEL - FRA - FRA - MEL flights. I am tossing between Qantas (with whom I have flown before) or Singapore Airlines. I am hoping to upgrade to Business Class between SIN - FRA on the way to Germany, and on the way back between SIN - MEL. I will be using my dad's points to put in the request, and wanted to know what my chances of actually getting the upgrades are.

I will be travelling late November (around the 25th/26th or 27th) and returning on the 10th or 11th of Feb. My dad only has Bronze status, but has over 160,000 points to burn. I will also be signing up to the QFF Program upon my 18th Birthday, and possibly QC (if this were to enhance my chances of getting the upgrade).

What should I be looking at doing to enhance my chances?

Cheers,

Brett

PS - I don't have any access to ExpertFlyer yet, so if anyone can let me know what is going on with Award seats and Upgrade Seats I would very much appreciate it.

 

[Evan]

Do you have some dates in mind i can check out EF.
Also i fly to Germany a bit and usually do the MEL-SIN-FRA-SIN-MEL on QF as the times suit me, but a few weeks ago i did a trip via London (Yes pain in the you know what to transit, but the beers in the lounge made it ok, QC gets access to the BA lounges in terminal 1 & 4), point being is i got upgraded to WorldTrveller+ (WT+) and slept 7 hours straight, i think you can buy WT+ at a not too bad price so even if you cant upgrade to business from that you have a comfortable seat regardless.

Evan

 

[Brettmcg]

Hi Evan,

Thanks for your reply. At the moment it's looking like a Sunday 25th November departure from MEL, and a 10th or 11th Feb 2008 return from FRA.

Cheers,

Brett

 

[Evan]

Attached the PDF in a zip, sorry couldn't attach anything bigger than 100kb here. If your not comfortable with the zip file just let me know and i will post or mail the PDF with the flight / seat details.

Evan

 

[Brettmcg]

Cheers Evan,

Looking promising, albeit 8 months out from travel date!

Are Sundays typically low-demand days for Business Class travel? Alternatively, should I be looking at travelling on a Tuesday or Wednesday?

Thanks again,

Brett

 

[serfty]

You can do some useful lookups using a free tool. Try SeatCounter - The Booking Class Availability Machine

 

[NM]

Cheers Evan,

Looking promising, albeit 8 months out from travel date!

Are Sundays typically low-demand days for Business Class travel? Alternatively, should I be looking at travelling on a Tuesday or Wednesday?

Thanks again,

Brett

Looking at EF for flights in November is not going to be any guidance at all. Business Class travellers typically purchase tickets less than a month before travel, and often only on the day of travel oops: ).

Having bronze status for the request is not going to provide much in the way of chances unless the flight is very empty up front. So the best thing is to avoid travelling at high demand times (events like Octoberfest should be avoided) and choose low-demand days of the week. Any thing on Friday through Monday is normally heavy with business travellers - either ion paid business class or with higher status waitlisting for upgrades.

 

[Brettmcg]

Trust me, I plan avoiding Oktoberfest like the plague!

As I understand it (according to various tourism and industry statistics) the SIN - FRA/SYD-FRA attracts near to the lowest business demand of any route. It appears that many business travellers simply prefer the preferential code-sharing agreements between airlines such as SIA and Lufthansa..or maybe it's just the outrageous prices Qantas charge?

Maybe I'm living on a hope and a prayer, but I would really love not to have to spend another 24 hours cramped up in Battery-Hen-Class.

Cheers

Brett