Virgin Australia UpgradeMe pricing and success

[Deleted member 29185]

BNE-POM.....$320 min upgrade.

Decided not to increase from the minimum bid as the "single" J seat left seemed to be having copious amounts of sex and was multiplying by the day.

Won it on the single minimum bid. I have the feeling there may be discrete tampering with the number of available seats....:shock:!

 

[MH_fan]

LOL! I am just about to do 13.5 hours in economy followed by another 14 hours in economy a few hours after. Hoping to go to work Monday morning. :shock:

Wow. I can't even imagine doing that nowadays...

 

[JohnK]

I tip my hat! A trooper....through and through!

Wow. I can't even imagine doing that nowadays...

Didn't happen this weekend. Have to plan the next one.

 

[Jurahn]

I reckon PER-LAX-SEA for under $6500 is still pretty good value!

I was wondering whether it was a good price or not! I've never looked beyond booking past LAX (on the same itinerary) when travelling to the US in the past as our onward flights have all previously been with Southwest to Arizona etc. So if it is a decent price, then I might look at booking it . I would prefer everything to be on the same itinerary, as I'll be travelling on my own and am a bit (Ok,, more than a bit) of a stresshead about missing connecting flights - especially the flight back to Australia - if they're booked separately.

Well, had my mind made up for me - after reading about the availability (or lack of) reward seats, I'd been leaning more towards a revenue fare and have been checking the flight prices daily (just in case, you know how it is LOL) and found when I had a look tonight that the price had dropped by $245 - needless to say, grabbed the credit card and booked! Maybe if I'd waited, I might have scored a better fare in a sale later on ... but maybe not. Anyway, I managed to get the flight times and connections I wanted, including flying PER-SYD the day before rather than doing the dreaded red-eye and then getting on the long-haul to LAX a few hours later after a night of no sleep (swore never again after last time) - so PER-SYD-LAX-SEA return in J for a total of $6178 (including the booking fee - boooooo), pretty happy with that .

 

[marki]

Well don Jurahn obviously a gift in doing that correctly !

Well, had my mind made up for me - after reading about the availability (or lack of) reward seats, I'd been leaning more towards a revenue fare and have been checking the flight prices daily (just in case, you know how it is LOL) and found when I had a look tonight that the price had dropped by $245 - needless to say, grabbed the credit card and booked! Maybe if I'd waited, I might have scored a better fare in a sale later on ... but maybe not. Anyway, I managed to get the flight times and connections I wanted, including flying PER-SYD the day before rather than doing the dreaded red-eye and then getting on the long-haul to LAX a few hours later after a night of no sleep (swore never again after last time) - so PER-SYD-LAX-SEA return in J for a total of $6178 (including the booking fee - boooooo), pretty happy with that .

 

[Denali]

......so PER-SYD-LAX-SEA return in J for a total of $6178 (including the booking fee - boooooo), pretty happy with that .

I know paying J prices is a hard thing for many AFFers to accept when there are point routes to be made but I picked up via Delta (sadly, couldnt book via VA) SYD>LAX>ATL>SCL (Chile) return with an Atlanta & LAX stop over all in J for $5900pp.

But SYD>LAX and LAX>SYD flights are VA (yeah for the new seats).

 

[scubabe]

I forgot to put this in last week.
Flew BNE-MEL-HBA on a status run last weekend.
Put in the absolute minimum bid of $220pp to upgrade Y-J on the BNE-MEL leg and it was accepted no dramas.
Really like VA's J, huge comfy seats very attentive service (we were the only two in J) and the breakfast was absolutely scrumptious!
Probably wouldn't upgrade again on such a short flight, but certainly did find it good value for what we paid.

 

[Jurahn]

I know paying J prices is a hard thing for many AFFers to accept when there are point routes to be made but I picked up via Delta (sadly, couldnt book via VA) SYD>LAX>ATL>SCL (Chile) return with an Atlanta & LAX stop over all in J for $5900pp.

But SYD>LAX and LAX>SYD flights are VA (yeah for the new seats).

Wow, that's a great price Denali. And yeah for the new seats indeed - can't wait to try those out!

Yes, I decided at that price I'd just "pay up" rather than buy PE again and be obsessively checking for reward seats every day in the hope of upgrading the international sectors, as I have done before LOL, especially seeing as reward availability seems a bit scarce these days, particularly out of SYD. Doing the whole trip in J will also mean a pretty good haul of SCs, and I'll family pool half of those to Mr Jurahn which will put both of us well on the way to requalifying SG next year.

 

[Jurahn]

Well don Jurahn obviously a gift in doing that correctly !

Thanks . The main thing to remember now is to NOT check prices again, in case I see something cheaper and think "damn, I should have waited" LOL.

 

[Foreigner]

Received an upgrade premium bid offer for my flight to USA next week. The airfare was a steal but these bids are ridiculous.

USD135 is the lowest/weak bid for BNE-SYD
USD565 is the lowest/weak bid for SYD-LAX to premium economy only
USD750 is the lowest/weak bid for LAX-BNE to premium economy only

No thanks!

Do the bids vary for the same city pairs on different dates?

I'm doing syd-lax on 10 Jun and return on 13 Jun.

 

[Ricardo]

BNE-CHC June12th bid $250 for Business upgrade and was successful.

 

[rowdyrobbieflyer]

Quick one, can you use UpgradeMe on reward flights?

 

[Milefest]

Quick one, can you use UpgradeMe on reward flights?

Short answer is no, you can't upgrade a Velocity Points reward flight with UpgradeMe Points or Premium Bid.

Although an upgrade for an AnySeat Reward flight is allowed.

 

[Vatec]

Does anyone know if you can use Travel Bank money for upgrade bids?

 

[Seriously?]

OOL-AKL 17 June, upgrade bid of $225 accepted at 71 hours. Looks like I'm currently the only one in business

 

[clipped_wings]

OOL-AKL 17 June, upgrade bid of $225 accepted at 71 hours. Looks like I'm currently the only one in business

Ha! Now THAT'S cool. A dedicated toilet all to yourself.... Almost as good as Etihad Residence eh?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Does anyone know if you can use Travel Bank money for upgrade bids?

I cannot answer as I've only ever had one UpgradeMe bid and I paid CC (and I had a travelbank balance as well....I just didn't think of it/notice it)! Sorry.

 

[Seriously?]

Ha! Now THAT'S cool. A dedicated toilet all to yourself.... Almost as good as Etihad Residence eh?

Ha! Never thought of that, will be cool if it stays

 

[jackthomas]

MEL-CNS-MEL minimum bid $250 each sector.
Not too bad, would make each sector around $475 on top of my Y fare.

Anyone know now if the 3 hour Cairns flights have taken a hit service wise like a lot of the other 737 routes... Been two years since I flew it.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Anyone know now if the 3 hour Cairns flights have taken a hit service wise like a lot of the other 737 routes... Been two years since I flew it.

It's certainly more comfortable than whY, but don't expect anything fabulous. It has most definitely been hit with the VA apathy virus!

I've checked the UpgradeMe rate for a flexi flight I have in 2 weeks time (CNS-BNE) and it is currently requiring a minimum bid of $150 (making a total including original fare of $435). Makes all those J sale fares I grabbed at $319 seem pretty good! I'm still a bit peeved at VA applying some unwritten blackout dates to that sale.....which is why I'm on a flexi in a couple of weeks!

With the VA apathy virus spreading rapidly, I have no idea who in their right minds would pay the full fare on that route of $599 (CNS-BNE) or $1040 (CNS-MEL)! :shock: