UpgradeMe pricing and success

[docjames]

Tried for MEL-SYD.

First I tried and it wouldnt work in google chrome.

Tried in IE - worked.

They wanted $150-$350 and I already have an exit row so I didnt bother. I'd have rather used points.

 

[kevrosmith]

Just found the Fare Class on my bookings. Comparing failure/success for eligibility:

Saver Lite: S - Not eligible (of course):
Saver: N - Not eligible. SYD-CNS
Saver: T - Not eligible. CNS-BNE.
Saver: E - Eligible. SYD-CNS. Asking range: $200-$400.
Saver: E - Eligible. PER-BNE. Asking range: $300-$500.

Anyone have any V or Q Saver fares and tested if they are eligible? The Fare Class is found in the Fare Basis code, which is listed in the "Electronic Ticket Receipt" pdf document emailed out with the booking.

And here are the Domestic Fare Classes:

 

[Fruitcake]

Anyone have any V or Q Saver fares and tested if they are eligible?

Yes, I have a V Saver fare that's eligible. The bid range is $160-350 for SYD-BNE and vice versa.

 

[pwae]

Saver: T - Not eligible. CNS-BNE.

My fare I upgraded was a T (TZDAS) - SYD-PER

 

[Must...Fly!]

My ADL-PER is T and is eligible.

 

[pythonisman]

SYD-OOL and OOL-SYD booked in K, L over the Christmas period have an offer per person ranging from $100-$200 only, which I found interesting, given some of the random numbers others seem to be encountering using this tool.
Don't know / doubt I'll fire through an offer for such a short flight though.

 

[plspoon]

I was just reading this thread and thought I would check on my own UpgradeMe Bid and found an email confirming that we have been upgraded to business class for our flight PER-BNE on Friday 25th Oct.
We'd paid $189 each for the flight (I think it was a Saver fare but I can't find the receipt or anything that tells me the class right now) and the bids offered went from $300 to $500. I cranked it down to Very Low and bid $305 each. I figured if we jagged it then good and if we missed out, well it didn't really matter.
I only bid on the outbound flight which leaves at 22:30 on an A332 and not on our return which is a 737 day flight. It didn't seem worthwhile for a 737 business class seat.
Only thing I notice is that the Seats: says " Check-In Required" so I don't know if that means I can't select the seats till we get to the airport, do our online checkin earlier in the day, or we might get downgraded again if they get paying passengers. I'll log on to my Velocity account tonight and try to select seats. I guess we'll see.
I am happy with $494 each total for this sector as I notice the same flight is $1329 for a Business Saver if I were to book it today (although as a previous Poster said, they wouldn't have paid for the full business class price anyway.....)

 

[eastwest101]

I was just reading this thread and thought I would check on my own UpgradeMe Bid and found an email confirming that we have been upgraded to business class for our flight PER-BNE on Friday 25th Oct.
We'd paid $189 each for the flight (I think it was a Saver fare but I can't find the receipt or anything that tells me the class right now) and the bids offered went from $300 to $500. I cranked it down to Very Low and bid $305 each......

A very informative post - keep us up to date after you fly - I expect that you won't be able to do OLCI and/or select seats in the J cabin, but you should get J class seats. Make sure that you get the J class meal if you haven't flown J class before.

Should be increbiably unlikely but if you do get involuntarily downgraded I will be very very very interested as to how they explian that and how fast they refund you your $305 bids....... but we will cross that bridge only if we need to!

 

[pwae]

Just a call to the velocity gold line and I had an assigned seat

 

[Deleted member 29185]

SYD-OOL and OOL-SYD booked in K, L over the Christmas period have an offer per person ranging from $100-$200 only, which I found interesting, given some of the random numbers others seem to be encountering using this tool.
Don't know / doubt I'll fire through an offer for such a short flight though.

Now we're starting to talk! Given your saver was probably around $100 (??) that puts a J seat at about $200 (all going well) which is, IMHO, about right for a firesale seat.

 

[jneufeld]

Just checked eligibility for a booked SYD-MEL on 3/12 and is letting me bid between $150-$350. Paid $85 for the tickets a few months back. Too much for such a short flight.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Just checked eligibility for a booked SYD-MEL on 3/12 and is letting me bid between $150-$350. Paid $85 for the tickets a few months back. Too much for such a short flight.

But getting more realistic than some of the quoted rubbish earlier. Wasn't the last (only?) VA J sale offering that route for $200 and everyone went ape over it? Must sort of mean an approx. $200 J tix for a 1 hour or so flight is about on the money (given no J sales for a while but also no J SCs/pts for the upgrade).

 

[jneufeld]

But getting more realistic than some of the quoted rubbish earlier. Wasn't the last (only?) VA J sale offering that route for $200 and everyone went ape over it? Must sort of mean an approx. $200 J tix for a 1 hour or so flight is about on the money (given no J sales for a while but also no J SCs/pts for the upgrade).

It must be noted there is no J SC earn on paid upgrades which does detract from its value to some.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

It must be noted there is no J SC earn on paid upgrades which does detract from its value to some.

So true, but J sale fares that earn at J are few and far between. The difference between a J upgrade (if won) and a J purchase is the points and SCs only, so apples for apples, I'm thinking a number of us may be interested in a "reasonably" priced J upgrade. Some of the earlier prices quoted seemed to be pointless though!

 

[pythonisman]

Now we're starting to talk! Given your saver was probably around $100 (??) that puts a J seat at about $200 (all going well) which is, IMHO, about right for a firesale seat.

Not quite - K/L are flexi classes. The fares weren't super high, ~180 and ~150 from memory. Not a lot of availability left on Xmas eve arvo...!
If you earned J SCs I'd be tempted to put a bid in, but without that I don't see the point for such a short sector (as a WP already in row 3)

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Not quite - K/L are flexi classes. The fares weren't super high, ~180 and ~150 from memory. Not a lot of availability left on Xmas eve arvo...!
If you earned J SCs I'd be tempted to put a bid in, but without that I don't see the point for such a short sector (as a WP already in row 3)

I wonder if the minimum bid amount is based on the original fare paid?

 

[kevrosmith]

The Fare Class is found in the Fare Basis code, which is listed in the "Electronic Ticket Receipt" pdf document emailed out with the booking.

I made another booking on Thursday and noticed that the "Fare Basis" is no longer listed in the "Ticket Info" section of this document. Instead it's been replaced by "Fare Family" (e.g. Fare Family: Saver). I wonder why they changed that, though it is helpful overall, as it didn't show the Fare Class name, that is, the brand name as shown on the public website, anywhere else in the documentation emailed out for your booking.

I notice, however, that you can still find the Fare Class in the "Fare Calculation Line" in the "Receipt and Tax Invoice Details" section. For example, "SYD VA CNS196.29VZDA AUD196.29END".

This booking is eligible for an upgrade again: $200-$400 range on an original Saver Fare class V, SYD-CNS $244.

 

[smit0847]

Just offered to bid on a 2-4-1 Saver fare ADL-MEL in a fortnight. The minimum offer was $160 (the strength being 'very poor').
Although it's good to get the offer on a Saver, VA are dreaming if they think status pax are going to pay $160+ ($300 was considered a 'strong bid') for a quiche, cupcake and a beer, especially when there's no J status credits.


Not sure who would take up this offer in these circumstances?

 

[Virgin Bart]

Just offered to bid on a 2-4-1 Saver fare ADL-MEL in a fortnight. The minimum offer was $160 (the strength being 'very poor').
Although it's good to get the offer on a Saver, VA are dreaming if they think status pax are going to pay $160+ ($300 was considered a 'strong bid') for a quiche, cupcake and a beer, especially when there's no J status credits.


Not sure who would take up this offer in these circumstances?

Future data point: a few weeks ago I booked MEL-PER-HKT in Y. When this feature became available I went online and have bid $205 (min was $200) which was "very poor" for the PER-HKT leg. I consider this to be fantastic value IF I get.

I'm not holding my breath. Although it'll make my 6.5 hours in a 738 bearable, if not enjoyable. Will report back, flight is on Monday - 7 days.

 

[anchew]

Here are some data points for my upcoming flights:

Date: 11 Nov 13
Route: MEL-CBR
Fare basis: T
Original fare: $82.73
Offer range: $100-$300

Date:24 Nov 13
Route: MEL-CBR
Fare basis: Q
Original fare: $154.74
Offer range: $100-$300

It's fair to say that I won't be making an offer.