Successful QF 'Bid Now Upgrades' data thread

[Jaryd]

Has anyone had their offer rejected, only to get on board and see the J cabin completely empty? I offered min points, min $ just to test it.

I had this on a MEL-ADL flight a month or so ago... I find it odd that they would rather fly empty than upgrade a full-flex pax.

 

[moa999]

Query if they can save on crew/catering

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Has anyone had their offer rejected, only to get on board and see the J cabin completely empty? I offered min points, min $ just to test it.

I had this on a MEL-ADL flight a month or so ago... I find it odd that they would rather fly empty than upgrade a full-flex pax.

Interesting issue. If a company offers something as being available, is there an obligation that it must be available at the stated price if that's the highest offer received? I wonder if this comes under standard ACCC advertising/sales laws?

 

[daturtle]

Interesting issue. If a company offers something as being available, is there an obligation that it must be available at the stated price if that's the highest offer received? I wonder if this comes under standard ACCC advertising/sales laws?

I'd be thinking by the act of making a bid you're presenting Qantas with an offer to purchase the seat for x points + y $$. It is then solely in Qantas' discretion whether or not they accept that offer.

This is just the logic of a simple engineer, someone with business experience may have a different view?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'd be thinking by the act of making a bid you're presenting Qantas with an offer to purchase the seat for x points + y $$. It is then solely in Qantas' discretion whether or not they accept that offer.

This is just the logic of a simple engineer, someone with business experience may have a different view?

When an airline offers a 'sale' fare... they actually have to have seats available at the price they advertise. I'm wondering how that goes with the offer of an upgrade. If they say they have a seat available at the minimum price, and no one outbids you, do they have to offer that seat? Bit like an auction on eBay... if no one outbids you, the seller can't simply withdraw the product because they don't like the final price.

I'll have to to go read the bid for upgrade rules.

 

[daturtle]

When an airline offers a 'sale' fare... they actually have to have seats available at the price they advertise. I'm wondering how that goes with the offer of an upgrade. If they say they have a seat available at the minimum price, and no one outbids you, do they have to offer that seat? Bit like an auction on eBay... if no one outbids you, the seller can't simply withdraw the product because they don't like the final price.

I'll have to to go read the bid for upgrade rules.

I'd be thinking that yield management would set a 'reserve' that you must meet, regardless of where the bidding starts? Again, purely speculation.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'd be thinking that yield management would set a 'reserve' that you must meet, regardless of where the bidding starts? Again, purely speculation.

Possibly... but then you get to the situation where the airline sends out an offer, but doesn't actually have that seat available (or any intention to have it available) for the minimum price stipulated. Sounds a little unfair to me... but then I'm just trying to figure out what the losing passenger has 'lost'. Probably hard to define their loss.

 

[medhead]

The words on the offer say something like "If your bid is successful...". does that suggest that any/all bids might be unsuccessful? Certainly it would suggest that an individual bid might be unsuccessful.

 

[hanger.on]

An observation from MH and question for those who have received bid invitations. I booked a series of MH flights in September last year for later this month, and have received three emails (September '14, February '15, and June '15) from MH inviting me to make an upgrade bid. The minimum/maximum bid amount has varied each time (by up to $150 per sector). For example, one sector in September '14 was $60 USD, in February '15 $190 USD, and in June '15 back to $105 USD.

I know MH uses a different system, but the observation made me wonder about QF. Has anyone checked whether there has been any fluctuation in bid 'price' from QF depending on the length of time (and therefore flight yield) out from a flight? In addition, how quickly does QF offer you confirmation of a bid? Is it better to wait until the last minute (eBay style) to get the most realistic bid information from QF (as it apparently is with MH)? Would welcome your thoughts and observations.

 

[boomy]

Got an upgrade offer email for my BNE-ADL flight and decided to play the game and select the minimum bid: 3,000 points + $150 which looks like reasonable value for 2.5+ hours flight upgrade from Red-e-deal.
On the day of departure I got an email saying my offer was unsuccessful, fair enough.
What surprised me later was to find out the J cabin wasn't full! (Had good view from 4C). I don't really get why QF chose to leave vacant seats instead of making some easy money (surely the cost of one meal in J is far less then $150).
Anyways, it ended up as win win after getting a shadow plus vacant seat behind which allowed me to recline all the way a-la business class while keeping the points and cash in my pocket

 

[Captain Halliday]

Has anyone had bid now upgrade offers with more than one pax on a PNR?

Im taking the FO & SO to LAX next month and without sufficient points to upgrade booked the Red-E deal. A points cash combo would be tempting.

What chance for 3 pax?

 

[cmon0005]

Has anyone had bid now upgrade offers with more than one pax on a PNR?

Im taking the FO & SO to LAX next month and without sufficient points to upgrade booked the Red-E deal. A points cash combo would be tempting.

What chance for 3 pax?

I've never had one on a booking with 2pax OR an international flight yet.. only on domestic flights when I've been a single traveller.
the domestic Min offers have never been attractive enough anyway.

 

[RooFlyer]

Has anyone had their offer rejected, only to get on board and see the J cabin completely empty? I offered min points, min $ just to test it.

I had this on a MEL-ADL flight a month or so ago... I find it odd that they would rather fly empty than upgrade a full-flex pax.

Got an upgrade offer email for my BNE-ADL flight and decided to play the game and select the minimum bid: 3,000 points + $150 which looks like reasonable value for 2.5+ hours flight upgrade from Red-e-deal.
On the day of departure I got an email saying my offer was unsuccessful, fair enough.
What surprised me later was to find out the J cabin wasn't full! (Had good view from 4C). I don't really get why QF chose to leave vacant seats instead of making some easy money (surely the cost of one meal in J is far less then $150).
Anyways, it ended up as win win after getting a shadow plus vacant seat behind which allowed me to recline all the way a-la business class while keeping the points and cash in my pocket

Surely this is just a manifestation of Qantas' long held attitude and practice that its J is a premium product and they won't 'give' seats away and fill the cabin? For 'give away' read many seats for points or for what it regards as an inadequate bid?

When an airline offers a 'sale' fare... they actually have to have seats available at the price they advertise. I'm wondering how that goes with the offer of an upgrade. If they say they have a seat available at the minimum price, and no one outbids you, do they have to offer that seat? Bit like an auction on eBay... if no one outbids you, the seller can't simply withdraw the product because they don't like the final price.

I'll have to to go read the bid for upgrade rules.

Maybe the actual bid price is different for different pax on the same flight? If you (generic) have a million QFF points in your account, and some-one else has 50,000, I wouldn't be surprised if your successful bid price is higher than theirs.

 

[medhead]

Surely this is just a manifestation of Qantas' long held attitude and practice that its J is a premium product and they won't 'give' seats away and fill the cabin? For 'give away' read many seats for points or for what it regards as an inadequate bid?

.

If they aren't going to accept a bid at the minimum price they have set then there is a major problem with their system. They need to increase the minimum bid level to reflect something they'll accept. Otherwise it's just a joke system.

 

[daturtle]

If they aren't going to accept a bid at the minimum price they have set then there is a major problem with their system. They need to increase the minimum bid level to reflect something they'll accept. Otherwise it's just a joke system.

Most auctions start below the reserve price though. I agree that the execution is poor however, they'd be better off just offer a guaranteed upgrade rather than this bid now business.

How does it compare to the AirNZ system if at all?

 

[medhead]

Most auctions start below the reserve price though. I agree that the execution is poor however, they'd be better off just offer a guaranteed upgrade rather than this bid now business.

How does it compare to the AirNZ system if at all?

Not sure about AirNZ. But I have got the upgrade with a minimum bid on VA.

The auction comparison is interesting. Im not sure it fits exactly. Upgrade bids is just one of many sales pathways, an auction is the only sales process. If the marketing is to be believed the bid is the sales path of last resort. If they don't sell the seat via business fare purchase, business award purchase, economy upgrade, or economy wait list upgrade the bid process comes into play. If they advertise a minimum bid level they should be prepared to accept a bid at that level. That's like the reserve price set by the seller.

Of course it all become complicated by the load factor on an aircraft. Personally I think the bid process is a way to not give out free op-ups. If they're oversold in Y, it would be sensible to have people bidding. Accepting even a minimum bid has to be better than giving away a seat.

 

[RooFlyer]

If they aren't going to accept a bid at the minimum price they have set then there is a major problem with their system. They need to increase the minimum bid level to reflect something they'll accept. Otherwise it's just a joke system.

Yup.

Extra characters.

 

[medhead]

Another SYD-ADL upgrade bid offer, same pricing levels. This time for a flight with U6, 1 week before the flight, meaning an upgrade is available immediately for 15000 points. With over 200000 points, I'm not really going to spend $55 to save 300 points, or $150 to save 12000 points.

That there are currently 6 business classic awards/classic award upgrades available I don't even know what they're thinking.

 

[daturtle]

Another SYD-ADL upgrade bid offer, same pricing levels. This time for a flight with U6, 1 week before the flight, meaning an upgrade is available immediately for 15000 points. With over 200000 points, I'm not really going to spend $55 to save 300 points, or $150 to save 12000 points.

That there are currently 6 business classic awards/classic award upgrades available I don't even know what they're thinking.

Probably that you can save them $150 by giving you 12000 points?

 

[turnip666]

Sorry to side track, but I have just received my first offer to upgrade and haven't found clear answer while searching.

SC's awarded are still at the fare class booked, correct?