New air Asia Upgrade Lottery

[markis10]

Interesting concept, I wonder how many people are successful:

AirAsia - Upgrade Travel Option

Upgrade Travel Option (UTO)

It’s now more affordable to upgrade your Economy seats to Premium, courtesy of our new partnership with Optiontown! You’ll save up to 75% as compared to the regular AirAsia Premium fare!

When you upgrade to Premium, you’ll enjoy the comfort of a Flat Bed, the exclusivity of Priority Check-In and Priority Boarding, plus a Combo Meal and Baggage Allowance*.

Just follow these simple Upgrade Travel Option (UTO) steps to experience the best perks of Premium class:

• Book your AirAsia Economy seat
• Go to www.optiontown.com
• Enter your booking number, last name and email address to retrieve your booking
• Select the seat you want to upgrade
• Pay a small sign-up fee (approx. RM15) and an additional nominal Upgrade fee** (remember, you’ll save up to 75% as compared to the regular AirAsia Premium fare!)
• You will receive an email prior to your departure notifying you if your upgrade is successful. In the event that your selected flight has not been upgraded, the upgrade fee will be automatically refunded to you.
  
  Alternatively:
• Call the AirAsia Premium Customer Service Line: 600 85 9999^ to upgrade

 

[futaris]

Optiontown have been around for ages. SAS and Kingfisher use them.

Interesting to see that AirAsia are offering upgrades through them.

 

[markis10]

Optiontown have been around for ages. SAS and Kingfisher use them.

Interesting to see that AirAsia are offering upgrades through them.

Still begs the question, what is the success rate, that is, how many pay a fee for no result.

 

[kezsco]

They were showing this on Oz bargain. There were a few complaints that people had paid the membership fee and then also paid for the upgrade option. When they missed out on the upgrade, they were refunded. However, they still lose out on the membership fee to the website.

Still, there would be some who have had success (I would hope). And it would be a very cheap way to get a bed on a plane.

 

[k_sheep]

What the hell, I fly them enough. I've signed up and put in a request for my flight saturday night $4 sign up fee + $104 upgrade fee.

One of the conditions is a little scary though!

UTo Rules

1) Upon completing UTo Sign-up, you
a. cannot opt out of the UTo program and cannot change any of the selected UTo Class;

 

[markis10]

What the hell, I fly them enough. I've signed up and put in a request for my flight saturday night $4 sign up fee + $104 upgrade fee.

One of the conditions is a little scary though!

With one seat left it should be interesting!

 

[k_sheep]

Not anymore I nabbed that seat (ie upgrade cleared).

Doesn't look like I get a choice of seats. Wonder if I'll get a refund of the food/baggage fees I paid for my economy? Doubt it, but will ask! Having a lie flat bed when I've got an exam the next day will be a godsend and well worth the $104 I think!

Will report back soon.

 

[markis10]

Not anymore I nabbed that seat (ie upgrade cleared).

Doesn't look like I get a choice of seats. Wonder if I'll get a refund of the food/baggage fees I paid for my economy? Doubt it, but will ask! Having a lie flat bed when I've got an exam the next day will be a godsend and well worth the $104 I think!

Will report back soon.

Well done, that worked for you, interestingly that seat for sale is still for sale! Tempted to grab a $260 one way for shanghai next year........then again how much is piece of mind that the connection will still be available in May next year.....maybe I will pass.

 

[k_sheep]

Well done, that worked for you, interestingly that seat for sale is still for sale! Tempted to grab a $260 one way for shanghai next year........then again how much is piece of mind that the connection will still be available in May next year.....maybe I will pass.

Well there were 2 seats available before my request cleared, maybe our timing has crossed over?

I've found the connections pretty damn good actually. Especially on the well established routes.

This is a smart move by D7 I think - on all the flights I've been on, there's only been 2-4 people in premium. Since they don't have to maintain a "premium" image (like QF does by not opupping or giving upgrade certs) then they may as well make a few extra bucks on those empty seats.

Hopefully someone will be ecstatic to grab my old primo 15K seat now

 

[ethernet]

Good for us, but a marketing failure by Air Asia (And JestStar /QF) who seem to stuff their better seats with staff.

I've never been on the end of a random act of kindness upgrade, but flown enough
that I deserve something but hey, thats not how the airline industry works, except having the same name as a ex/prime minister is often successful in free upgrades.

In the Amazon /MLM model they give coupon codes to people seen baulking at items - thats what I would do. I booked 8 months in advance, so they could have offered upgrade at 3xx, then 2xx then 1xx till they filled.

Emirates, and now Maquarie Bank seem to have sussed out I could be 'turned upmarket', and AiraAsia from flight patterns and the extras I do buy, I am a ripe candidate.

Unlike Qantas, AirAsia could empower its check in staff to offer selective upgrades at discretionary prices with certain rules (no staff and friends stuffing).

 

[clifford]

And don't forget the Air Asia flight lottery. It's free!

They may fly you to your ticketed destination, on time and with no hassles. On the other hand, they may fly you there (or somewhere else) late, or not at all. This may involve cancelling your flight in advance or at the airport while you are waiting. And don't forget, it's also a lottery as to whether (or when) you get your refund for a cancelled flight.

Booking Air Asia, it's a lottery for sure, which may cost you considerably more than you thought.

Just so no one keeps their rose coloured specs on for too long. It could be a very expensive mistake.

 

[ethernet]

So far Air Asia have been very good , all flights on timeish etc, and only once hit me up for excess baggage. I usually find they are the cheapest from KL to east cost of .au. For sure, their upgrade/change date prices stink, but so do others.
The upgrade offer is tempting , I already paid for $50 in extras, so no.
Their super promo specials make flying Tiger even more unattractive and with this option more so. Oh, and their luggage upsize rates are the best in town when booked at same time - but warning - rules differ for each country.

The bad: Their cattle lounges are devoid of power points, and the duty free shops suck badly - out of Cointreau and Drambuie mostly always. They will sell you a 'bus' ticket' even when the buses are not running. That I walked through the KUL scanners with 2 sturdy steel padlocks unchallenged is not their fault. Now all we need is for them to fly out of Sydney.

 

[markis10]

Now all we need is for them to fly out of Sydney.

No more routes will be granted/approved until their safety issues are sorted I believe, at least in Australia?

 

[oz_mark]

No more routes will be granted/approved until their safety issues are sorted I believe, at least in Australia?

Everything I have read, suggests the the approvals are required from the Malaysian end.

FWIW - This article has some pictures of the aircraft "Southern Xross", bearing the "Liberate Sydney - End the Monopoly" paint job!

 

[crisg]

I have also heard about Optiontown. They are saying a premium upgrade from KUL to DEL flying Air asia for 125 MYRs extra, seems too good to be true. I would love to know if any one has got this kind of offer in Airasia flights.

 

[k_sheep]

I have also heard about Optiontown. They are saying a premium upgrade from KUL to DEL flying Air asia for 125 MYRs extra, seems too good to be true. I would love to know if any one has got this kind of offer in Airasia flights.

Read the posts above: yes, I have. KUL-OOL for $104.

 

[crisg]

thanks k_sheep, i am still not clear about the process. Does the upgrades come out as a Lottery or we can get the upgrade easily. I do not mind paying extra if I can get the premium seats. But I do not want to lose money in a lottery kind of thing.

 

[k_sheep]

My experience is only based on one flight, and I don't think anyone else anywhere has had much experience given it's a new scheme.

The sign up fee is only $5 or so, so I wasn't too worried about losing the money.

 

[dezza]

thanks k_sheep, i am still not clear about the process. Does the upgrades come out as a Lottery or we can get the upgrade easily. I do not mind paying extra if I can get the premium seats. But I do not want to lose money in a lottery kind of thing.

Its not a lottery. Its base if there any spare seats available on your particular flight. If there is you get the seat if there is'nt then your money is refunded in full. There however is a small membership fee.

 

[crisg]

I guess, i can put my $5 at stake to travel in premium I have also looked around for optiontown at other places and their upgrade features seem to be pretty cool.