UpgradeMe pricing and success

[SYD]

Sorry should have added. I am silver status but I agree with your thoughts

Same for Silver - except, you get to save 2x lounge invites plus the other benefits.

 

[MooTime]

Let’s say there are only two seats available, do you think a bid for two seats at minimum would have a higher chance than a bid for one seat at a higher price?

Nobody really knows.
Obviously better for Virgin for both seats to be occupied at more revenue than the single highest bid. Then how does status come into it? Who knows, we can only hypothesize.

 

[SYD]

Nobody really knows.
Obviously better for Virgin for both seats to be occupied at more revenue than the single highest bid. Then how does status come into it? Who knows, we can only hypothesize.

As an “auction” surely status isn’t in play? It’s the first in with the highest bid? And then exhaust other bids until no more seats are left for “Waitlist” points upgrades.

 

[MooTime]

As an “auction” surely status isn’t in play? It’s the first in with the highest bid? And then exhaust other bids until no more seats are left for “Waitlist” points upgrades.

Oh yes I agree, I wasn't too clear re status. I meant that in overall order etc.
Cheers

 

[SYD]

Oh yes I agree, I wasn't too clear re status. I meant that in overall order etc.
Cheers

and I meant to add, the irony is “Waitlist” points upgrades probably would be processed in order of status but unlike QF they end up in the bit bucket while the auction is still going.

Well, that appeared to be my observation yesterday. I had “Waitlist” in for OOL-MEL-SYD (it didn’t let me request one leg or other leg only - unlike the auction). I low balled bids for both also.

I actually received an email the day before that I’d been “out bid” on the OOL-MEL sector, so let that pass. Not sure how many hours out from flying but the note on the booking for “Waitlist” points upgrade was trying to tell me “Declined” albeit via some poor coding and error messages. Meanwhile, the auction soldiered on - happy to be corrected, but they’re taking bids up to 4 hrs before departure?

 

[clam16]

VA1681 MEL-AYQ UpgradeMe success. Offered $200 and was accepted. Booked Lite Y

Curious how's the food on that route since the launch?

 

[MooTime]

Have a Flex fare as WP for today MEL-OOL, did a points upgrade waitlist ~6 weeks ago.
Last 3 days a dummy booking indicated no J seats available to purchase.
Yet on expert flyer & seats aero it showed 1 seat, for 3 days.
I thought I was a chance to land it via waitlist.

Late last night it disappeared off expert flyer, full 8 seats taken.

So I'm thinking do they keep 1 seat on some flights if they can for any Beyond members etc till last minute being a Friday evening.

OR

I was out muscled by a cash Upgrade Me Bid ?
Do they take preference over Upgrade Me Points ?

 

[SYD]

Have a Flex fare as WP for today MEL-OOL, did a points upgrade waitlist ~6 weeks ago.
Last 3 days a dummy booking indicated no J seats available to purchase.
Yet on expert flyer & seats aero it showed 1 seat, for 3 days.
I thought I was a chance to land it via waitlist.

Late last night it disappeared off expert flyer, full 8 seats taken.

So I'm thinking do they keep 1 seat on some flights if they can for any Beyond members etc till last minute being a Friday evening.

OR

I was out muscled by a cash Upgrade Me Bid ?
Do they take preference over Upgrade Me Points ?

Cash is King.

 

[Brizz]

SYD to BNE on the 4th - $85 min bid - 6 seats available - cleared 24 hours to go
BNE to SYD on the 7th - $85 min bid - sent a 'you've been outbid' email which I ignored - mate added $10 to his bid ($95) which cleared at the 24 hour mark - at which point there were 2 seats still available - mine cleared at T-13 hours.

 

[clare1991]

PER to SYD tonight upgrade bid @ $300 accepted around T12. Probably overbid

Still waiting for a bid SYD to BNE connection tomorrow morning bid but last time I checked was only 1 J seat remaining.

 

[engbren]

If you bid on an upgrade me seat and are successful, do you get business class SC or does your SC earn remain the same?

 

[Dmac59]

If you bid on an upgrade me seat and are successful, do you get business class SC or does your SC earn remain the same?

You only receive SC based on the original fare booked, not based on an Upgrade.

 

[engbren]

You only receive SC based on the original fare booked, not based on an Upgrade.

Thanks for clarifying! I’m not that far from an upgrade to gold and was thinking this might accelerate it.

 

[Dmac59]

I know the feeling. Had a similar experience pre-COVID and the end result was I just missed Gold by my Review Date.

 

[gwilli1]

Successful upgrade bid cleared at T24 for $90 (min was $85) on SYD-MEL for tomorrow. Original fare was $99 Choice fare. Early AM departure

 

[Leroy87]

Does the upgrade auction take into account how much you paid for your original fare?

eg. Choice vs Flex

I've managed to coax 3x J rewards out of the booking system for MEL-ZQN (wife and kids), leaving just me in row 3 behind them at this point.

Paid J fare is ~ $1400, choice is ~ $380, flex is $680 or something like it.

You'd think someone on flex could bid less than someone on choice to get up but anecdotally it may not play that way... any data points?

 

[bbtlife]

Successful bid cleared at T25 for PER-MEL, $190 (minimum bid + $10). Only paid $200 for a Lite fare on sale, so this seems like an absolute steal for east-west business. Fingers crossed for the return journey.

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

Successful bid of minimum $85 on BNE-SYD for VA908 cleared at T-25. Got the "you have been outbid" email at T-48 but when VA's booking service showed 6 seats available for purchase still, I figured a minimum upgrade would be fine.
Have bid minimum on the return (VA957) however as there's only 3 seats left at T-72 I don't like my chances.

 

[bbtlife]

Another successful bid cleared at T-25 for my return leg MEL-PER, $190 (minimum bid + $10). Total spend for return PER<>MEL in J (cash fare + upgrades) ~$780, pretty good value if you ask me! Happy days

 

[xabialonso]

Successful bid T-25 for SYD - MEL. Minimum bid of $95 accepted.