UpgradeMe pricing and success

[MH_fan]

When does the email come through if your bid is successful? Is it up to 24 hours before departure? Do you get emailed if your bid is knocked back?

 

[WethereX]

subjective, sometimes 3 days in advanced its approved, other times 24 hours in advance, the rejection came about 12 hours out from travel,,, so i knew i was getting knocked.

Most times its 2 days before, its an email with success and then another one with the updated eTickets....

 

[MH_fan]

I got knocked back. Email received just over 24 hours before departure. Bid slightly above minimum on a Saver fare. This was my first time doing this. It will be my last. Paid more for Saver fare and didn't even bid absolute minimum, and still got knocked back. Well, They miss out on getting my money.

 

[vitagen]

Why are you complaining? Someone bid more than you? I Don't think they would care as more of someone's money is better than less of yours.

 

[MH_fan]

I'm just venting. I'd bought a Saver fare instead of Saver Light just before they allowed Saver Light fares to be eligible. I just won't be tempted next time, that's all. The load for this flight looks to be pretty light. It probably wasn't worth their while.

 

[WethereX]

it depends on it there are any reward seats. keep plugging, you'll get a few....

 

[medhead]

Interesting that many have been offered upgrades on Saver Lite fares, despite the rules saying only Saver and above, including me! Mine was MEL-CHC and return a few months ago. Flights were $250 return and min bid from memory was over $500 each way - more than the difference between the Saver Lite fare and PE! Not worth it! I did not receive an e-mail for mine - just checked on the website and was eligible.

Has anyone been offered or checked and been eligible for MEL, SYD or BNE to LAX or return on a Saver Lite Fare?

IIRC upgrademe is available on any eligible booking/flight and is not limited by fare group. So Saver lite can be eligible if VA decide to make the booking eligible. This is different to points and other upgrades.

 

[MH_fan]

Only 6 pax in J and Y was maybe half full on my flight from SYD to PER this evening.

 

[serfty]

$100 e/w Saver Light Flights MEL to/from BNE next month are showing as between $250 and $450 bid range e/w.

I could pack my preferred ''gourmet' tucker at that rate ... (Saver business rate is $789 each way, full $1019).

 

[BD1959]

Just received the email for a flight this coming Saturday. Had bid minimum for both outbound and inbound, at the time of bid the outbound cabin was already 4/8 for J, inbound was 0/8.

I got the outbound but not the inbound; just checked and the J loads are the same as when I bid.

The only logic I can apply is that VA figure they won't sell any J between now and Saturday and that they can justify not taking the money for the inbound because they won't need a crew member to work that section - the load on the Y cabin is also very light.

Regards,

BD

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

When I had my success with VA's Upgrade auction, the J class VA330 plane had some empty spots, of course, I can't say if no one else bid, but it seems that VA is happy not to fill up the J section on flights, they would fly those seats empty, than upgrading people, or selling J seats at a discount, more than Y fare but still at a discount than full J.

 

[BD1959]

When I had my success with VA's Upgrade auction, the J class VA330 plane had some empty spots, of course, I can't say if no one else bid, but it seems that VA is happy not to fill up the J section on flights, they would fly those seats empty, than upgrading people, or selling J seats at a discount, more than Y fare but still at a discount than full J.

Hi Poochie,

VA *were* prepared to sell the Inbound at a discounted rate...otherwise they wouldn't have invited me to bid on it.

I'm surprised they didn't go the other way: reject the outbound as it's obviously (relatively) popular and I only bid the minimum amount; accept the Inbound because it's additional revenue.

Gee, they could even have used the "staff ovens" at the back of Y if they wanted to keep costs down!!

Regards,

BD

 

[stux]

Hi Poochie,

VA *were* prepared to sell the Inbound at a discounted rate...otherwise they wouldn't have invited me to bid on it.

I'm surprised they didn't go the other way: reject the outbound as it's obviously (relatively) popular and I only bid the minimum amount; accept the Inbound because it's additional revenue.

Gee, they could even have used the "staff ovens" at the back of Y if they wanted to keep costs down!!

Regards,

BD

Its possible they were prepared to offer the upgrade only if more than a couple of people bit, then you would've all been upgraded. Maybe no one else or not enough bid? Or maybe someone had to bid a bit more than poor?

 

[BD1959]

Its possible they were prepared to offer the upgrade only if more than a couple of people bit, then you would've all been upgraded. Maybe no one else or not enough bid? Or maybe someone had to bid a bit more than poor?

Hi Stux, yes - thought about this, but in this instance wouldn't they wait until the last minute (T-24) to see if everyone bid?? OK.. maybe we did all bid and "Poor" ...

I know ... trying to apply BD's logic to an airline scheme ....

Regards,

BD

 

[eastwest101]

Hi Stux, yes - thought about this, but in this instance wouldn't they wait until the last minute (T-24) to see if everyone bid?? OK.. maybe we did all bid and "Poor" ...

I know ... trying to apply BD's logic to an airline scheme ....

Regards,

BD

Its just a theory for 737 only, but maybe if paid J class is empty then any bid will be rejected, if they have a light load then some bids may be accepted. If Y looks chockers then VA seem to be happy to have the empty J cabin as they don't have to cater and the senior FA is then freed up for Y class service. This seems very counter-intuitive to yield management but I suspect that catering and cabin crew logistics play a bigger part in this story than we realize. Possibly especially with un-catered out and back services.

There are probably not that many bids floating around there in the system (except for maybe the A330 trans con services) due to only people like us knowing about it, and, as others have also pointed out, the lack of J class points and SC earn make them pretty poor value and unattractive except when its an A330 on offer.

 

[BD1959]

Its just a theory for 737 only, but maybe if paid J class is empty then any bid will be rejected, if they have a light load then some bids may be accepted. If Y looks chockers then VA seem to be happy to have the empty J cabin as they don't have to cater and the senior FA is then freed up for Y class service. This seems very counter-intuitive to yield management but I suspect that catering and cabin crew logistics play a bigger part in this story than we realize. Possibly especially with un-catered out and back services.

Again, this would make sense *if* VA waited until t-24 to reject ... otherwise someone may purchase a J fare in the intervening 48hrs (it was that far out this came through) and then and VA have missed out on additional revenue.

There are probably not that many bids floating around there in the system (except for maybe the A330 trans con services) due to only people like us knowing about it, and, as others have also pointed out, the lack of J class points and SC earn make them pretty poor value and unattractive except when its an A330 on offer.

Must admit, I'm newly (from a "serious" perspective) returned to VA and all of this is new to me. In a way, I'm pleased that only the one sector came through - otherwise it would have been an expensive way to "test the waters" with one of these and, I must admit, probably not something I'd try again without it being a transcon (or a surprise for Mrs BD).

Regards,

BD

 

[BD1959]

Interesting... after all the "wotif", "whynot" conjecture yesterday, just received an email congratulating me of the successful upgrade of the inbound.

Empty J cabin to choose the seat from.

Regards,

BD

 

[MH_fan]

I'm 0/2. It was a transcon SYD-PER and back last weekend. SYD-PER only had 6 seats filled in J and Y cabin was lucky to be half full. The 6 J seats had been there for several weeks before the flight, so no changes when my bid was knocked back. PER-SYD had 9 J seats filled about a week before the flight and there were no additional seats taken up when I was knocked back or on the day of departure. Y cabin was at least 3/4 full on this flight. I was on a Saver fare and bid a little above the minimum. Both my rejection emails came about 25-26 hours before departure.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I had success with a $250 bid on a flight from ADL-PER.
I do think it is unreasonable to treat it the same as a points upgrade in terms of no extra velocity points or status credits.
As velocity points are calculated on the fare paid, surely you should at least receive points on the total fare paid.
Really these are, in my view, a form of discounted J class fare, even though an upgrade mechanism is used to sell them.

 

[get me outta here]

Off to DPS in around 10 days and got the email, "Bid for your chance to upgrade your flight to DPS". As there's only 4 J seats on the flt I don't feel too optimistic. I may put in a min bid for the overnight 6 hour return flt, and curtail any idea I may have that I'll be successful. Anyone else had any DPS experience bidding?

PS is it a first come or only on status?