Complimentary business upgrade from Flex ticket for Plat member

[Gold Member]

Called again and got the same answer, you can't use your upgrades this far out. Suggest trying 24 hours before! Their next suggestion that I try for a points upgrade was even less helpful. Flights are MEL-DPS if that makes a difference.

Virgin pulled Business awards on most short-haul Int’l 1-2 years ago. Perhaps the agents are confusing lack of underlying award availability with something else and you received a throw away response.

 

[henrus]

Virgin pulled Business awards on most short-haul Int’l 1-2 years ago

This is not true. On the Bali flights yes but on other short haul destinations you can still get J reward seats.

I have a feeling the OP has mistaken the anyseat prices as actual reward seats hence the agents giving the response to call back within 24 hours because normally if there are any J seats left within 24 hours they make it available for a business class upgrade. On a route like DPS the chance of this is next to none.

 

[Cessna 180]

I was WP again last year. I used three of the four.

On a flex ticket, you need to ring up within 24 hours. Even better chance on the morning of departure if an afternoon flight.
This was on MEL PER and PER MEL in November last year. It seems if there are a couple of unsold seats they open them up. Pretty much the same as an ODU from the lounge.

The other time was on departure at the BNe lounge from memory.

I have never been successful on the wait list for either points or complimentary upgrade with Virgin.

A nice benefit if it works but pretty hit and miss in my limited experience.

 

[Gold Member]

This is not true. On the Bali flights yes but on other short haul destinations you can still get J reward seats.

Whenever I’ve searched non-Bali short-haul Int’l biz awards I’ve come up empty. Granted, they weren’t flexible searches for every day of the year but enough to conclude my assertion based on my experiences. Good to know it’s not across the entire International network.

 

[henrus]

Good to know it’s not across the entire International network.

Nope and there is quite a lot, I just punched in random dates in March and found the following:


To Vila there are stacks and even Fiji if you’re a little date flexible.

 

[ben95]

No issue to redeem one of my credit for my christmas travel. Checked rewards avaiability, booked the Flex fare and called in and after waiting about 5 minutes on the phone and all processed no drama.

 

[SeaWolf]

Booked a return trip to Melbourne this morning for the end of January. Called up straight away and used my complimentary upgrades with no issues at all.

 

[ThePW]

Likewise, I took a $99 penalty to cancel a Choice fare trans-con to Melbourne, rebooked Flex as the new lower pricing isn't too much more than what I paid for Choice, and could upgrade with a complimentary credit straight afterwards. I thought it was worth it for the fee + the extra SCs I'll get as well.