Successful/unsuccessful oneup bids
Nov 22, 2016, 5:19 am
#871
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: SYD
Programs: TK*G, QR Gold, VA Gold, NZ Gold
Posts: 237
booked 15 Sept and I also bid $100 (AUD) for PE space seat upgrade SYD-AKL.
received 24 Sept challenge to bid higher so I added $5 (AUD)
received 28 Sept (T-5) upgraded confirmation
received 24 Sept challenge to bid higher so I added $5 (AUD)
received 28 Sept (T-5) upgraded confirmation
Nov 23, 2016, 4:24 pm
#872
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 43
Update: successful at 8 hours out 😃
Ok so I ended up bidding $800 APD for an economy to premium economy upgrade on NZ 28 to Houston this Thursday. I realise this is quite a lot but I'd really love an upgrade and have accumulated a few APD. Just received an email saying they could not confirm an upgrade at this time, but would review 7-9 hours before flight.
I've looked on Expert Flyer and the fare buckets are: C4 D4 Z0 J0 U4 E4 O4 A4 Y7 B7 M7 H7 Q7 V7 W7 T7 L7 S0 G0 X0 K0 P0
What do you wise people think my chances are of a last minute upgrade? I have no status (although will hit silver with this flight).
Thanks in advance for your advice! 😊
I've looked on Expert Flyer and the fare buckets are: C4 D4 Z0 J0 U4 E4 O4 A4 Y7 B7 M7 H7 Q7 V7 W7 T7 L7 S0 G0 X0 K0 P0
What do you wise people think my chances are of a last minute upgrade? I have no status (although will hit silver with this flight).
Thanks in advance for your advice! 😊
Nov 27, 2016, 5:58 pm
#874
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,115
The best strategy is to just book Seat only, and if it hasn't cleared on the morning simply upgrade your product online.
Nov 27, 2016, 7:56 pm
#875
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Dunedin, New Zealand
Programs: NZ Silver, NZ Koru, Accor Silver
Posts: 127
Sure is! The company paid for the return airfare through mandatory travel agent a while ago (entire itinerary is DUD-BNE-AKL-CHC-DUD). Had the airpoints and I don't fly internationally often, so thought it was worth the price to sit nearer the pointy end and try out the PE seats before they go.
Last time I flew internationally, missed out on the PE experience (all five of us were upgraded to J). Can also do a bit more shopping at Ikea with the extra luggage allowance (now 69 kg checked plus 14 kg carry-on from BNE to DUD).
By upgrading on the morning, do you mean purchasing an extra bag? Or is there another way of nabbing a PE seat?
Last time I flew internationally, missed out on the PE experience (all five of us were upgraded to J). Can also do a bit more shopping at Ikea with the extra luggage allowance (now 69 kg checked plus 14 kg carry-on from BNE to DUD).
By upgrading on the morning, do you mean purchasing an extra bag? Or is there another way of nabbing a PE seat?
Nov 28, 2016, 1:49 am
#876
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: Air NZ
Posts: 4
Have gold status and had recognition upgrades each direction for Akl - Mel, travelling with wife who has jade status. Consequently needed to split the booking in 2 so I could use recognition upgrades while wife made One-up bids. That meaning there was no uplift I wanted a strong bid in the interests of domestic harmony. Result was:
NZ125 ALK to MEL
Wednesday 30 Nov
Bid NZ$310 Economy booking class T to Business Premier class R accepted T-5
Jade only - originally booked Seat only.
As my recognition upgrade came through too I'm really pleased with this result, having had pretty lean pickings with high loadings the last couple of years. Only thing I'd say is that it is annoying to have to split the booking to take a recognition upgrade while making a One-up for the wife, thereby losing the status uplift. I guess though that's intended rather than a system limitation, so we don't get too spoiled.
NZ125 ALK to MEL
Wednesday 30 Nov
Bid NZ$310 Economy booking class T to Business Premier class R accepted T-5
Jade only - originally booked Seat only.
As my recognition upgrade came through too I'm really pleased with this result, having had pretty lean pickings with high loadings the last couple of years. Only thing I'd say is that it is annoying to have to split the booking to take a recognition upgrade while making a One-up for the wife, thereby losing the status uplift. I guess though that's intended rather than a system limitation, so we don't get too spoiled.
Last edited by BrettAP; Nov 28, 2016 at 2:01 am
Dec 5, 2016, 7:43 am
#878
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 1
Clueless on offer amount
My wife, my son and myself are flying on NZ29 IAH to AUK on 12/14 and I am thinking of bidding to upgrade. Currently booked in PE. Any advice on what to offer? I have no status with this Airline. Normally fly Quantas into Australia.
Thanks
Thanks
Dec 13, 2016, 1:40 am
#880
Moderator, Finnair
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MMX (CPH)
Programs: Eurobonus Diamond, QR Gold, AY+ Platinum, A3*G, Nordic Choice Lifetime Platinum, SJ Prio Black
Posts: 14,172
How to understand the oneup pricing
The upgrade page suggests 2x 195AUD to upgrade Y->PE on a RAR-AKL-MEL flight.
Going back to book a flight, doing a dummy booking for the same flight I get the the same basic price, but using the "Upgrade" in the booking flow says upgrading to PE is -245AUD, ie upgrading to PE at time of purchase lowers the ticket price.
So clearly the bids are not related to available fares and one needs to be a fool to make a bid on this one.
Going back to book a flight, doing a dummy booking for the same flight I get the the same basic price, but using the "Upgrade" in the booking flow says upgrading to PE is -245AUD, ie upgrading to PE at time of purchase lowers the ticket price.
So clearly the bids are not related to available fares and one needs to be a fool to make a bid on this one.
Dec 20, 2016, 11:23 pm
#881
Join Date: Oct 2016
Programs: CX, NZ, EK, SQ
Posts: 8
For what it's worth
NZ87 (B777-200ER), AKL-HKG (11:15 leg), 25 December, PremEcon to Business.
Bid minimum available NZ$500 plus 10% (NZ$550) eight days out (18 Dec), accepted 21 Dec. Two seats, NZ$1100 total bid. Bid for return leg not available as is with different carrier (Cathay but on AirNZ ticket ... they have a Star Alliance/One World quasi "code share" arrangement on this route).
On accessing "seat select" found Business cabin less than half full, would probably have succeeded at minimum bid available (NZ$500). Doubt that much can be deduced from our (wife and self) experience on this universal western holiday period however it might be worth noting that if you use "seat select" to select your seats on the Air NZ website and keep referring to your cabin seating until close to the seven day cut-off point, the seat loading in your initially booked cabin (say PremEcon), might reasonably/usually (??) be expected to reflect the seat loading in the next cabin closer to the "pointy end".
In our case the originally booked PremEcon cabin had remained a little over half booked right up to one day before the seven day cut-off, resulting in my decision to bid low. The light bookings in the PremEcon cabin were reflected (even more so) in the Business cabin.
Saving so far for two passengers at today's (21 Dec) advertised prices for Business out, PremEcon back, is NZ$4252/AU$4058,US$2944 (includes a domestic (NZ) positioning flight to/from AKL).
Quite a satisfying saving for an acknowledged premium product with an acknowledged premium carrier. If only all the carriers could be persuaded to ditch their expensive to run loyalty schemes, drop their prices slightly and revert to this simple "make an offer" system to fill their premium cabins, freeing us all from being tied to airlines and times that aren't the most convenient because we have airline points/miles due to expire and can't get upgrades on the flights we would prefer to use.
Bid minimum available NZ$500 plus 10% (NZ$550) eight days out (18 Dec), accepted 21 Dec. Two seats, NZ$1100 total bid. Bid for return leg not available as is with different carrier (Cathay but on AirNZ ticket ... they have a Star Alliance/One World quasi "code share" arrangement on this route).
On accessing "seat select" found Business cabin less than half full, would probably have succeeded at minimum bid available (NZ$500). Doubt that much can be deduced from our (wife and self) experience on this universal western holiday period however it might be worth noting that if you use "seat select" to select your seats on the Air NZ website and keep referring to your cabin seating until close to the seven day cut-off point, the seat loading in your initially booked cabin (say PremEcon), might reasonably/usually (??) be expected to reflect the seat loading in the next cabin closer to the "pointy end".
In our case the originally booked PremEcon cabin had remained a little over half booked right up to one day before the seven day cut-off, resulting in my decision to bid low. The light bookings in the PremEcon cabin were reflected (even more so) in the Business cabin.
Saving so far for two passengers at today's (21 Dec) advertised prices for Business out, PremEcon back, is NZ$4252/AU$4058,US$2944 (includes a domestic (NZ) positioning flight to/from AKL).
Quite a satisfying saving for an acknowledged premium product with an acknowledged premium carrier. If only all the carriers could be persuaded to ditch their expensive to run loyalty schemes, drop their prices slightly and revert to this simple "make an offer" system to fill their premium cabins, freeing us all from being tied to airlines and times that aren't the most convenient because we have airline points/miles due to expire and can't get upgrades on the flights we would prefer to use.
Dec 20, 2016, 11:56 pm
#882
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Usually Auckland, NZ
Programs: NZ Elite (*G), QF S (OWR), UA 0.14MM
Posts: 690
NZ87 (B777-200ER), AKL-HKG (11:15 leg), 25 December, PremEcon to Business.
Bid minimum available NZ$500 plus 10% (NZ$550) eight days out (18 Dec), accepted 21 Dec. Two seats, NZ$1100 total bid. Bid for return leg not available as is with different carrier (Cathay but on AirNZ ticket ... they have a Star Alliance/One World quasi "code share" arrangement on this route).
On accessing "seat select" found Business cabin less than half full, would probably have succeeded at minimum bid available (NZ$500). Doubt that much can be deduced from our (wife and self) experience on this universal western holiday period however it might be worth noting that if you use "seat select" to select your seats on the Air NZ website and keep referring to your cabin seating until close to the seven day cut-off point, the seat loading in your initially booked cabin (say PremEcon), might reasonably/usually (??) be expected to reflect the seat loading in the next cabin closer to the "pointy end".
In our case the originally booked PremEcon cabin had remained a little over half booked right up to one day before the seven day cut-off, resulting in my decision to bid low. The light bookings in the PremEcon cabin were reflected (even more so) in the Business cabin.
Bid minimum available NZ$500 plus 10% (NZ$550) eight days out (18 Dec), accepted 21 Dec. Two seats, NZ$1100 total bid. Bid for return leg not available as is with different carrier (Cathay but on AirNZ ticket ... they have a Star Alliance/One World quasi "code share" arrangement on this route).
On accessing "seat select" found Business cabin less than half full, would probably have succeeded at minimum bid available (NZ$500). Doubt that much can be deduced from our (wife and self) experience on this universal western holiday period however it might be worth noting that if you use "seat select" to select your seats on the Air NZ website and keep referring to your cabin seating until close to the seven day cut-off point, the seat loading in your initially booked cabin (say PremEcon), might reasonably/usually (??) be expected to reflect the seat loading in the next cabin closer to the "pointy end".
In our case the originally booked PremEcon cabin had remained a little over half booked right up to one day before the seven day cut-off, resulting in my decision to bid low. The light bookings in the PremEcon cabin were reflected (even more so) in the Business cabin.
Congrats on your upgrade. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that you cannot trust seat map to gauge loading for any particular flights on NZ.
You might be surprised but a lot of people do not select a seat when booking their ticket, and only choose to have it automatically assigned by the system on-the-day of travel (or when it goes to airport control).
I have seen MANY instances where up until 3-4 days out, cabin might appear to be empty in seat select (or even when doing a dummy booking), HOWEVER it "magically filled up" on the day or when you board your flight.
At least it's been my experience. YMMV.
Dec 21, 2016, 1:57 am
#883
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: New Zealand (most of the time)
Programs: Air NZ Elite *G, Honors Gold, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 6,115
Quite a satisfying saving for an acknowledged premium product with an acknowledged premium carrier. If only all the carriers could be persuaded to ditch their expensive to run loyalty schemes, drop their prices slightly and revert to this simple "make an offer" system to fill their premium cabins, freeing us all from being tied to airlines and times that aren't the most convenient because we have airline points/miles due to expire and can't get upgrades on the flights we would prefer to use.
The system may sound ideal to you but in reality while the concept sounds great, it's not a great system for HVC's which is why Air NZ have fixed price upgrades for Elite's
Dec 21, 2016, 12:40 pm
#884
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,645
Quite a satisfying saving for an acknowledged premium product with an acknowledged premium carrier. If only all the carriers could be persuaded to ditch their expensive to run loyalty schemes, drop their prices slightly and revert to this simple "make an offer" system to fill their premium cabins, freeing us all from being tied to airlines and times that aren't the most convenient because we have airline points/miles due to expire and can't get upgrades on the flights we would prefer to use.
Dec 21, 2016, 5:11 pm
#885
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 778
Then should look at the product which Virgin Atlantic (I think) has which is a real time auction in the departure lounge with people bidding through a mobile app with a clock ticking down. Guess Virgin would be making more money off it as people bidding like that will have a lot more emotion wrapped up in it.