UpgradeMe pricing and success

[MEL_Traveller]

Obviously the difference between points+pay and classic awards.

But classic awards in premium cabins are very hard to come by.

A better system, PR wise, would be to guarantee a certain number of economy and premium seats per flight… the same as BA and VS do.

holding seats or creating seats only for top tiers… how shall we put it.. ‘distorts the market’

 

[marki]

Totally distorts the market indeed so much so I will need to focus on Qatar.

 

[CaptJCool]

well, you can hardly find anything else.

Now there's 13 million people in the QFF so far more people looking for the "cheap" reward seats - let alone the FF partnerships across the world which have been added to the demand for the slim pickings, especially IF ONE OR TWO SEATS IN F OR J class ARE RESERVED FOR EACH PARTNER PROGRAM.

Thus, the comment about it being more easy for australians to join North American FF programs and obtain Australia - Europe reward seats - its not like the Canadians or US folk fly that route anytime.

 

[bcworld]

well, you can hardly find anything else.

Now there's 13 million people in the QFF so far more people looking for the "cheap" reward seats - let alone the FF partnerships across the world which have been added to the demand for the slim pickings, especially IF ONE OR TWO SEATS IN F OR J class ARE RESERVED FOR EACH PARTNER PROGRAM.

Velocity has 10 million plus members and J awards on premium partners are still relatively easy to find.

 

[CaptJCool]

Velocity has 10 million plus members and J awards on premium partners are still relatively easy to find.

velocity has another pathway as Virgin don't have its own international flights to offer.

probably on the QFF flank, the loss of QR and the paucity of EK flights to/from Oz (still haven't made a comeback to Adelaide...) have been the "perfect storm"

 

[MEL_Traveller]

velocity has another pathway as Virgin don't have its own international flights to offer.

probably on the QFF flank, the loss of QR and the paucity of EK flights to/from Oz (still haven't made a comeback to Adelaide...) have been the "perfect storm"

QF has other pathways too no? CX has multiple daily flights, JL, BA, AA, UL, QR.

There should be plenty with that spread of flights… far more than VA has!

 

[marki]

Velocity has 10 million plus members and J awards on premium partners are still relatively easy to find.

I noticed

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

Datapoint for Upgrade me - bid the minimum of $80 for VA361 (BNE-TSV), cleared at T-24. Only 5/8 in J filled and 6 seats were available at T-48, so I'm guessing at least 2 others were upgrades as well.

 

[scheps]

BNE to SYD - put in minimum upgrade bid and got the notification 24 hours prior for 2 of us. J was full.

 

[PERLHR]

Earlier this month I had 100 percent upgrade on the following:

PER-BNE 350 dollars
BNE-VLI 385 dollars
VLI-BNE 260 dollars
BNE-PER 360 dollars

As I bought a choice fare (one PNR) for 700 dollars return from Perth I was quite happy with the additional outlay of total 1,355 dollars.

However i still don't understand why international flights of 3 hours get pillows, blankets and amenity kits yet the long flight from Brisbane to Perth at almost six hours gets nothing! Also my observation, the BNE staff are far more engaging and active compared to PER based staff (noticed this on a few sectors).

 

[scheps]

minimum bid for upgrade MEL to BNE - was told T-48 i got out bidded. then T-24 got the seats... wonder what happened to the winning bid?

 

[Gold Member]

minimum bid for upgrade MEL to BNE - was told T-48 i got out bidded. then T-24 got the seats... wonder what happened to the winning bid?

This is a classic preprogrammed “feature” of the outsourced upgrade platform to extract more money from their loyal customers. More often than not, you have not been outbid, but the platform is just stating otherwise and seeing if you’re willing to throw more money away.

This is pretty simple and obvious yield management doing their best to maximise profits.

 

[PERLHR]

This is a classic preprogrammed “feature” of the outsourced upgrade platform to extract more money from their loyal customers. More often than not, you have not been outbid, but the platform is just stating otherwise and seeing if you’re willing to throw more money away.

This is pretty simple and obvious yield management doing their best to maximise profits.

So effectively VA are knowingly lying and providing false information to customers during a "bidding" process and they get away with it?

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

So effectively VA are knowingly lying and providing false information to customers during a "bidding" process and they get away with it?

Or perhaps it is that someone HAS bid more than you...but there is more than just one seat on offer.
FWIW I've never received one of these "you have been outbid" emails....and in generally bidding minimum or $5-10 above.

 

[PERLHR]

Or perhaps it is that someone HAS bid more than you...but there is more than just one seat on offer.
FWIW I've never received one of these "you have been outbid" emails....and in generally bidding minimum or $5-10 above.

I have received such an email. When you look into it through the process it tends to say bid X amount to become "top bidder". Thus, what you say sounds very viable.

 

[Gold Member]

So effectively VA are knowingly lying and providing false information to customers during a "bidding" process and they get away with it?

So this would the first time an Australian airline (or any other corporate entity for that matter) has lied, deceived, and put profits ahead of customers?

 

[scheps]

Interesting topics isn't it

 

[RAM]

I have received such an email. When you look into it through the process it tends to say bid X amount to become "top bidder". Thus, what you say sounds very viable.

Very cleverly worded, 'top bidder' and I expect many people would fall for it.

For example, say you only want one seat and there are 5 available (or more) then the outsourced (not run by VA btw AFAIK) service is telling you the absolute truth but in what many may consider a VERY misleading/deceptive way.

If there are 5 seats empty, you only want one and there is only one other bidder then you'll still get the upgrade (as the OP indeed did) BUT many peoples' comprehension will read it as, 'OMG I'm going to lose the auction'.

Devious indeed.

 

[scheps]

so flight done now. J was full. I must have taken the last 2 seats with the minimum bid

 

[CaptJCool]

So I got the upgrade bid offer as a mere mortal dormant account cause I’m taking the direct flight to AFF
Interesting hehe
The behavioural offer
Poor to Excellent


Whose judgment is being used to determine offer strength ?

Seeing I don’t have Lounge access on this flight nor free food in-flight I’d been doing the “POOR” upgrade offer just for “hits and giggles”

PS I haven’t looked back into this thread so was hopeful someone might offer better advice on the any potential offer