VA Taking Longer to Release Seats for Upgrades?

[UpInTheAir:)]

The last two flights I've had with VA- PER-MEL and MEL-PER I have had upgrade requests in the system (waitlisted). I checked the seat availability and there were 11 seats available today, 2 hours prior to departure and still I was waitlisted in the lounge.. These lounge upgrades are of course catering not assured..
Has anyone else noticed that VA are taking longer to release upgradable seats?
Could it be linked to the "bid for an upgrade programme" where they can get a few hundred dollars for the seat rather than give it to me for points?
If so, this could be devaluing the Velocity programme.
Is QF the same?

 

[serfty]

AFAIK, any upgradeMe "Premium Bid" processing gets performed a week before the flight.

Not specific, but you can't put a bid in less than 10 days out: www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/specials-offers/upgrademe/premium-bid/faq/

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Thanks serfty.. Just a mystery then..
Maybe a lot of people have been turning up at the last minute with $2k desperate for a seat

 

[pblackie]

I have noticed on flights to and from Perth that there are much fewer upgrades available with a lot more being released the day before the flight.

 

[AdMEL]

AFAIK, any upgradeMe "Premium Bid" processing gets performed a week before the flight.

Not specific, but you can't put a bid in less than 10 days out: www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/specials-offers/upgrademe/premium-bid/faq/

Interesting, given VA don't confirm upgrades until approx. 48 hours before the flight.

 

[docjames]

They may also hold J seats until just before departure - until they are sure all aircraft that day will operate normally (so they have options for J pax to transfer flights if required).

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Yeah.. Never used to be the case.. 11 J seats 2hours prior to departure and no allocations is new..
Just saying

 

[Pleb Status]

Interesting, given VA don't confirm upgrades until approx. 48 hours before the flight.

VA will start to confirm UpgradeMe bids at 75 hours from departure if J is not very full. My last UpgradeMe bid for a flight on 02 April came through 74 hours and 59 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time.

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

On the plane at least 6 seats were empty..
I'm sure some VA accountant is thinking about something..
We were also called out of the lounge at least 15 minutes prior to boarding..
Not feeling the love

 

[Lemon_Party]

I flew mel-per Friday evening and wanted to use a plat comp upgrade. Booked the flight about a week before and first time in a while there was no availability for an upgrade 1 week out. Only 5 seats assigned when checking expertflyer and plenty of fares available.

Called and checked online several times in the week, and ended up getting on a waitlist in the lounge. Got the upgrade about 10 mins before boarding with a catering not assured sticker. The lady did say there were a few others on the wait list.

Business cabin went out full and I did get a meal.

I've rarely had issues previously locking in platinum upgrades on the 332 flights but did notice availability through the week seemed dry when I was searching.

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Kind of get it when J ends up full.. But 11 seats empty 2 hours before take off and 6 empty after.. Looks like a deliberate devaluation of velocity to me..
Especially when paying customers are paying $2k for a ticket..
Will try the other side for a while..

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Or perhaps an excuse to take the "the business" class out of the domestic market..

 

[Lemon_Party]

Or perhaps an excuse to take the "the business" class out of the domestic market..

That was my first thought when there was no availability - potential to be subbed onto a 738 last minute...

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

That was my first thought when there was no availability - potential to be subbed onto a 738 last minute...

Yep.. Think you're right.. Sadly

 

[Dannyism]

A lot of 738's on the MEL<->PER routes lately I've noticed....

 

[MH_fan]

If you have an upgrade bid vs upgrade points waitlist, which one takes place first?

 

[Denali]

If you have an upgrade bid vs upgrade points waitlist, which one takes place first?

Last time I did this, the points upgrade kicked in before the $ upgrade bid. Happened about 3 days before departure, by memory.

Good luck

 

[MH_fan]

Last time I did this, the points upgrade kicked in before the $ upgrade bid. Happened about 3 days before departure, by memory.

Good luck

Thanks. Good to know. Hopefully, they'll release some award seats before then so I can use those complimentary platinum upgrades!

 

[Scarlett]

Over Easter break we flew MEL-AKL-APW rtn. Tried to upgrade both return legs with points due to the unfavourable flight timings. APW-AKL leg was no worries for a points upgrade and was confirmed immediately after the booking. Second leg only let me wait list even though J was wide open. (should note that this was for 3 seats for the family Scarlett and that flights were booked about two and a half months out)

Rang Velocity to see what the deal was with the waitlist and was told to check back later. Fair enough seeing as the AKL-MEL flight was on Easter Sunday morning. J availability was wide open on the flight.

One month out, still no change. A week out and still no change, so figured it would come through at T+72. The only thing that changed before the flight was J (and D, C and I buckets istr) dropped to 5 seats available for a day or two. No upgrade at T+48 or at T+24.

Check in agent in APW (contractor, not VA staff) seemed to have little clue when I asked, but could at least see in the system that we still had upgrades for the second leg waitlisted. Final chance was in the AKL Koru lounge and they couldn't help either. So the waitlisted upgrade never came through.

We sat in row three and looked at the SEVEN empty J seats with a sense of bewilderment. Why would VA / Velocity not have wanted our 48K points?

 

[docjames]

We sat in row three and looked at the SEVEN empty J seats with a sense of bewilderment. Why would VA / Velocity not have wanted our 48K points?

To encourage you to pay in cash next time? :shock: