PE upgrades

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I agree that it does seem as if they were seated behind PE, it does seem a bit odd that 7 people would be upgraded. I will double check about the seats as maybe my mum did not explain her self very well.

I noticed that you can't book these seats behind PE online and I know that my parents did not book there seats as when I mentioned that I had booked seats for a future trip they were surpised you could do this.

The funny thing is that if these were econ seats my Dad wants to pay for an upgrade to PE now as he thinks they were in PE.

Wideeyes,
do they still have the boarding card stubs?

 

[wideeyes]

Wideeyes,
do they still have the boarding card stubs?

nope

 

[Claire L]

What date did they fly and which flight?

Claire

 

[crabbie1]

So, if they offered to upgrade you from PE to Upper Class, you'd turn it down would you?

Operational Upgrades are part and parcel of the way airlines operate. If economy is full and they are overbooked, they'll upgrade someone to PE to make room. Same applies to UC.

To the OP, maybe the aircraft was an Airbus A340-600, all of the PE seats are downstairs (there is no upstairs!). It would be quite a coincidence though, as 747s are used 99% of the time to MCO. As stated, it is more likely that they were on a 747 in the seats just behind PE.

Well considering I had already paid for an upgrade then yes.Fair play to anyone that gets upgraded but I am sure anyone that has paid to go in premium economy will understand where I am coming from!!

 

[tttessa]

Hi,
am I the only one who really wouldn't care less if I paid for a PE seat and someone else got bumped up for free?

The way I see it is you pay for a guaranteed seat - I've never seen many empty ones on any flight I've been on - but then, I am a school holiday traveller!! Good luck to anyone who gets upgraded!

Cheers,
Tessa

 

[tashasmum]

thinking about upgrading to PE in Aug but not sure how to do it or even if we would be able to do it with miles plus money. We have booked our holiday with vh.

 

[homerdog]

I am sure anyone that has paid to go in premium economy will understand where I am coming from!!

Well, I always pay to go in PE and I couldn't care less if someone gets upgraded - with any luck, they'll give someone my seat in PE and I'll get to go UC!

 

[AliceGardner]

I agree it would be nice to be upgraded free of charge but I would not be happy especially when it costs an average of £600 to upgrade and someone gets it for free.I would certainly be having words with VA.That sounds mean I know but when people have saved hard to enjoy that extra luxury and then along comes waltzing matilda and gets it for free it makes you wonder whether it is worth it.
When we went in november there were empt PE seats and noone was upgraded then they were left empty.I think it depends on the staff

Good luck though if it happens to you

Upgrading happens for a variety of reasons:
- most often because the flight is full in lower classes (i.e. economy is overbooked - too many passengers and not enough seats).
- sometimes the airline with upgrades VIPs (major politicians, celebrities etc) or staff (maybe a perk of staff travel).

If the airplane is overbooked in economy, then it is less disruption for the passengers and flight and cheaper for the airline to upgrade people than to offload them from the flight (and maybe put them in a hotel overnight, feed then, compensate them and put them on a fight the next day).

Upgrades are very common on busy routes - more often than not, you wont realise that they even happen.

Anyway upgrading the right people is often a successful longer-term marketing strategy for the airline - if they upgrade certain types of people today (in particular those who travel a lot and have a reasonable disposable income), those people could very well be likely to pay to travel in that higher class regularly in future. One of the common signs that people are being upgraded is if you hear people being called to the podium at the gate just before they start boarding: sometimes these will be "standby" passengers being assigned seats, but often they are people being upgraded...

Like Tessa, I don't mind if people are upgraded - providing I get what I pay for and nothing those upgraded do disturbs me, then I am happy for them. I think it is a lovely thing to happen to people

Hope that isn't too OT.

Alice

 

[Hodkys]

Like Tashasmum we too would like to use our miles (we have enough to upgrade from economy to PE for 2 of us for the round trip). We spoke to VA Flying Club today to ask how we should go about booking these seats - but was advised that there is no set process! So this is why we've been having difficulty utilising our air miles!

He advised us to speak to Revenue Management after the Bank Hol. These are the guys who decide when to release PE seats for air mile upgrade.

Anyone have any advice on how to secure PE upgrade with VA using airmiles? We feel we have been loyal to Virgin and now would like to have our reward.

Ta

 

[Claire L]

Well, I always pay to go in PE and I couldn't care less if someone gets upgraded - with any luck, they'll give someone my seat in PE and I'll get to go UC!

Our thoughts too!!

Claire

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Like Tashasmum we too would like to use our miles (we have enough to upgrade from economy to PE for 2 of us for the round trip). We spoke to VA Flying Club today to ask how we should go about booking these seats - but was advised that there is no set process! So this is why we've been having difficulty utilising our air miles!

He advised us to speak to Revenue Management after the Bank Hol. These are the guys who decide when to release PE seats for air mile upgrade.

Anyone have any advice on how to secure PE upgrade with VA using airmiles? We feel we have been loyal to Virgin and now would like to have our reward.

Ta

AFAIR, to upgrade you have to buy certain economy class and hope that RM have released upgrade tix. When is your flight? the best time is 336 days from the return flight.
Have you looked at Miles Plus Money as this might be cheaper than the econ tix?

 

[mungo]

The only free upgrades that annoy me are those for politcians who never pay more than an economy price, arrive at the check in desk and are upgraded every time. People like our esteemed chancellor and PM knowing full well that they will be, and never paying the tax the rest of us pay when we do fly PE, or UC

 

[Hodkys]

AFAIR, to upgrade you have to buy certain economy class and hope that RM have released upgrade tix. When is your flight? the best time is 336 days from the return flight.
Have you looked at Miles Plus Money as this might be cheaper than the econ tix?

The VA Flying Club guy said that RM release the PE upgrades only if they felt they couldn't sell them. As far as he was aware there isn't any set release schedule according to 'days out' from return flight.

Perhaps we'll have to go down the Miles plus money route, otherwise we may find they expire before we can get to use them!

Will phone RM on Tuesday, plead our case and see what they say.

 

[Dr.JumbaJookiba]

thinking about upgrading to PE in Aug but not sure how to do it or even if we would be able to do it with miles plus money. We have booked our holiday with vh.

If you have booked your seat with Virgin Holidays you can only upgrade by paying (brochure price) cash with them. VA cannot touch VH bookings prior to departure for any reason. The only other option is to do it at the ticket desk for cash (price varies with availability) on the day of travel. To upgrade with miles you need to be booked with VA, hold the correct class (Y,B,L) of economy ticket and there needs to be a reward seat available in PE (U) for it to be possible.

If you want to use miles book direct with VA from the start and upgrade with miles as soon as bookings open - there are usually 4 PE reward seats on each MCO flight.

 

[tashasmum]

Thanks for that will have to try on the day.

 

[crabbie1]

The only free upgrades that annoy me are those for politcians who never pay more than an economy price, arrive at the check in desk and are upgraded every time. People like our esteemed chancellor and PM knowing full well that they will be, and never paying the tax the rest of us pay when we do fly PE, or UC

I think I have upset a few people by an innocent comment I made and like I said originally fair play to anyone that does get upgraded free of charge.If the airline has overbooked then that is their problem and they should accomodate the people they have inconvenienced and if Pe is free then they have to accomodate.
Sorry if I came across harsh

 

[mungo]

I think I have upset a few people by an innocent comment I made and like I said originally fair play to anyone that does get upgraded free of charge.If the airline has overbooked then that is their problem and they should accomodate the people they have inconvenienced and if Pe is free then they have to accomodate.
Sorry if I came across harsh

Hey no Crabbie

you've not upset me, and just used the chance to bemoan the fact that the flippin politicians never pay anything more than the cheaper price

I hope that I've not upset you

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Hey no Crabbie

you've not upset me, and just used the chance to bemoan the fact that the flippin politicians never pay anything more than the cheaper price

I hope that I've not upset you

We all have our little bits that annoy us. For me its the fact that Virgin now have opened the clubhouse to non UC and Gold card holders to anyone who can pay.
Upgrades do not bother me as normally they are given to Gold crad holders and therefore long term frequent flyers. Its when the staff get UC instead that annoys me.

 

[homerdog]

We all have our little bits that annoy us. For me its the fact that Virgin now have opened the clubhouse to non UC and Gold card holders to anyone who can pay.

I've occasionally paid to get into the Clubhouse at LHR. I agree that UC ticketholders might feel a little agrieved if they've paid a high price for their own ticket, but most UC passengers and Gold card holders are flying on business and haven't paid for their own tickets anyway, so why would they care? IMO!

 

[Pootle]

True or False: If you want an upgrade, check in late and wear a suit.

Here's the link to the rest of the article which includes a quote from Virgin about PE upgrades: http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/essentials/article1747660.ece

As one who's received many upgrades when DH was BA gold for many years, but who travels for comfort at all times (think baggy and stretchy ), I suspect that while a few get lucky every now and again, it's as the article suggests Alas DH's BA days are over in favour of easyJet!