Hi guys,
I've just applied for a Premium Upgrade via Optiontown a few days ago - my flight is from Melb - KL (and return, applied for both flights) departing 4th August. It looks like most of you have had success with this. Anyone actually received a declined status?
Just don't want to have my hopes up too high, but considering I'll be traveling 5 months pregnant I was really really hoping I'd get the congratulations email from Optiontown a few days before my flight so I know I will have a good rest while on flight
Good luck, I wish I could be more positive. We bought Optiontown Premium upgrade nearly 6 months in advance for MEL-KUL and KUL-STN in mid May. With the first leg, the plane was leaving at 8-9am, the message saying we were unsuccessful did not arrive until 7am. By that time we were already at the airport. Similarly same sort of message very much at the last moment with the second leg.
Once on board you can see why. There's about 6 or 7 rows of the premium seats possibly 3-4-3 or 2-4-2. So something like a max 60 seats a flight. Both our flights they were all taken.
Good news is that Air Asia or Optiontown are good with their word on the refunds. These were quick.
On our flights we'd paid for good seats. MEL-KUL the very back row were there's only 2 seats (the aisle is wider coz the 3rd seat is missing. The food carts start from the back so the back row is a great place to sit. KUL-STN we paid for Row 16 seats, the front of one section just before the premium economy which is divided off by a wall and curtains. Great leg room in these sort of seats and well worth the money.
We really enjoyed AA and the inflight service. We prepaid for the meals and bought more as needed. Just like a restaurant. Only downside to AA is the KUL terminal. It took us nearly an hour to clear customs on arrival. And it beats me why all the KL airports are so far from KL proper. The cab fare in is only about $30. It's more having to sit in a cab at relatively high speed to make what's close to an hour trip in. And same coming back.
If I was flying AA again (and this is highly likely) I would try and book the same seats again. Based on my experience I would not be relying on the premium upgrade. If you buy special seats, food, etc and get the premium upgrade they do not give you back the extras you've paid for. But my experience tells me you have to get on a fairly empty flight to score the upgrades.
Had AA or Optiontown been somewhat more timely with their advice we may have flown back with them. But after being what I considered muck around (in "limbo land") I looked at the cost of STN-KUL-MEL home. A few days before we left. Then I thought crikey I've no idea about the outward upgrades, could pay a lot of money and be in the same boat coming home. So we came home on points. QF London to Singapore, SQ Singapore to Melbourne, both A380s. I think the taxes for both legs were about the same as one leg on AA.
