Virgin Atlantic - "Bid Now to Upgrade"

[Lucys dad]

I note VA have adopted this system for anyone considering bumping up their ticket from Econ to PE or PE to UC ?

Has anyone used this ? I booked economy with a view to upgrading to PE depending on the aircraft/seat configuration. However, I note this new bid system does not allow a bid lower than £267 per person outbound and £185 inbound. Last year I recall that on the booking VA just had a figure they quoted inviting you to click on to upgrade and the figure was much less than the lowest possible bid the sytsem allows.

Does anyone know if the system reduces the bid size allowed, is the lowest bid you make even going to be considered.

Would appreciate any advice, I hope the above makes sense. Really not keen on this new bid system.

 

[jo_de_vil]

We normally book PE I have not heard of this service, where did you find out about it?? TTFN Jo

 

[Lucys dad]

We normally book PE I have not heard of this service, where did you find out about it?? TTFN Jo

I stumbled across it looking at my own booking in the 'manage my booking' section on-line.

I booked 3 economy seats but my plan was to perhaps upgrade to PE which I did least year. This year, when I go online to manage my booking, below the API information section there is a field that states " Bid Now to upgrade your seat with YOUR BID " alongside it there is a YOUR BID button which you click on to enter a bid for an upgrade.

Last year the website would just offer a definitive price to upgrade your booking on-line. The cost of this last year was much lower than even the current lowest possible bid price which would not even guarantee you the upgrade. Assuming you can be outbid !?!?!

As I say, no likey.

 

[jo_de_vil]

Thanks for that we have just had to cancel Oct 13, which was booked PE, but I will look out for it When I re book for Oct 14. TTFN Jo

 

[queendisney]

its been around a while now. We have put in a bid this year but don't hold out much hope as the flight has still got loads of space. We go in November and have PE out but Econ back. Its the return journey we have put a bid in for, but don't think its worth that much money so have put in as good as minimum bid.

 

[flortlebap]

If you are prepared to chance it, the last four flights we have had a cost of £200 pp to upgrade on the day. The flight was full except for PE on both our last trips and we still got that upgrade price. So for a cost over £200, you might want to hit check in very early on the day and potentially upgrade for less, as long as you'd be prepared to fly economy if you had to.

 

[Lucys dad]

Thanks for the replies.

I may just take a chance of a decent offer to upgrade on the day, our flight is from Glasgow and outside of local school holidays so it may not be full.

The previous system did seem more straightforward, certainly more transparent IMO.

 

[crabbie1]

If you are prepared to chance it, the last four flights we have had a cost of £200 pp to upgrade on the day. The flight was full except for PE on both our last trips and we still got that upgrade price. So for a cost over £200, you might want to hit check in very early on the day and potentially upgrade for less, as long as you'd be prepared to fly economy if you had to.

Can I ask when you went? I wanted to upgrade as a surprise but we will be going 30th nov 2014 or a few days before depending on dvc accommodation at WLV

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[flortlebap]

its been around a while now. We have put in a bid this year but don't hold out much hope as the flight has still got loads of space. We go in November and have PE out but Econ back. Its the return journey we have put a bid in for, but don't think its worth that much money so have put in as good as minimum bid.

Can I ask when you went? I wanted to upgrade as a surprise but we will be going 30th nov 2014 or a few days before depending on dvc accommodation at WLV

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Outbound was 27 July, inbound 3 August.

Last year was 30 May outbound, 13 June inbound

Ironically the less busy flights might mean PE is filled up more quickly as the base price of the seats are half what they could be at peak times!

 

[Laurafoster]

I note VA have adopted this system for anyone considering bumping up their ticket from Econ to PE or PE to UC ?

Has anyone used this ? I booked economy with a view to upgrading to PE depending on the aircraft/seat configuration. However, I note this new bid system does not allow a bid lower than £267 per person outbound and £185 inbound. Last year I recall that on the booking VA just had a figure they quoted inviting you to click on to upgrade and the figure was much less than the lowest possible bid the sytsem allows.

Does anyone know if the system reduces the bid size allowed, is the lowest bid you make even going to be considered.

Would appreciate any advice, I hope the above makes sense. Really not keen on this new bid system.

You don't have to bid. You can call and upgrade your flight for whatever the price they offer on the day. The bid part is an additional way to possibly upgrade.

Friends of mine called last week to upgrade their flights but didn't as the prices quoted were really high, higher than the lowest bid apparently and they were subsequently talked into the seat plus option.

 

[crabbie1]

You don't have to bid. You can call and upgrade your flight for whatever the price they offer on the day. The bid part is an additional way to possibly upgrade.

Friends of mine called last week to upgrade their flights but didn't as the prices quoted were really high, higher than the lowest bid apparently and they were subsequently talked into the seat plus option.

What is seat plus??? When do they give this option and is there a set price? Sorry not heard of this

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Laurafoster]

What is seat plus??? When do they give this option and is there a set price? Sorry not heard of this

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

It's an option to buy the seat next to you in economy. So if for example your a party of 2 you can buy one seat plus and have a row of 3 to yourselves. It's £60 each way on the orlando route.

 

[scoobydooby]

It's an option to buy the seat next to you in economy. So if for example your a party of 2 you can buy one seat plus and have a row of 3 to yourselves. It's £60 each way on the orlando route.

Given you can't pull the arm rests up on these seats, I don't get it?! Why would you buy a seat just for it to be empty?

 

[Laurafoster]

Given you can't pull the arm rests up on these seats, I don't get it?! Why would you buy a seat just for it to be empty?

Why can't you pull the arm rest up? its just a standard economy seat.
We had a row of 3 last time we flew economy and the arms lifted up then.

 

[scoobydooby]

Why can't you pull the arm rest up? its just a standard economy seat.
We had a row of 3 last time we flew economy and the arms lifted up then.

I couldn't pull them up.

 

[queendisney]

you can't normally pull up the arms of the emergency exit seats but the normal econ seats pull up...well at least they always have for us. Maybe we are stronger then we think

 

[Laurafoster]

you can't normally pull up the arms of the emergency exit seats but the normal econ seats pull up...well at least they always have for us. Maybe we are stronger then we think

Always have for us too
Seat Plus is always a normal economy seat.

Just noticed that my previous post comes across a little rude - sorry it wasn't meant that way, I was just a little surprised

 

[flortlebap]

I actually did read that some remodelled planes had static arm rests in Economy now. I don't know if that was VA though!

We could pull them up on the A330 route.

 

[queendisney]

I actually did read that some remodelled planes had static arm rests in Economy now. I don't know if that was VA though!

We could pull them up on the A330 route.

when we flew last September neither of our planes were the upgraded ones, maybe this is why we could pull them up.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We flew in December and were offered PE for £250 each on the way out, we declined