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Tricky Business Saver awards - ok for full redemption , unavailable for upgrade?

Tricky Business Saver awards - ok for full redemption , unavailable for upgrade?

Old Jul 28, 2012, 10:39 am
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Singapore
Programs: QR Gold, TK*G, A3*G
Posts: 45
Tricky Business Saver awards - ok for full redemption , unavailable for upgrade?

Hi guys, just relating an extremely frustrating experience ..

I was intending to redeem a Business Saver upgrade to a full-fare (E) Economy Class tic SIN-HKG-SIN .. I did remember that the upgrade availability and full award redemption availability come from the same redemption bucket - I checked that Business Saver award redemption was available on both A380 flights outbound and return from HKG. Assuming this meant Business Saver upgrade would naturally be available as well, I went ahead to book my tics in full-fare economy.

When attempting to upgrade online, I noted to my surprise that the Saver upgrade option was not available. After being placed on hold for 1/2 hour(the usual )on SQ's 24hr hotline, I was advised that the availability buckets are different for Business Saver upgrade and Business Saver full redemption.

Well this is quite contrary to what I had earlier known. Perhaps the safest way is to call the airline prior to making that full-fare economy class booking.
jeffrysky is offline  
Old Jul 28, 2012, 12:32 pm
  #2  
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It was my understanding as well that "I" bucket was used for both award and upgrade in business class (saver) as this is also the case for all other *A carriers (for sure UA and TG do).

This is totally new to me to find out they use other fare bucket.

Last edited by kiam; Aug 4, 2012 at 10:53 pm
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Old Jul 28, 2012, 9:52 pm
  #3  
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Singapore
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Well thanks kiam .. yeah I was confident that the same Business Saver "I" class was used for both awards and upgrades , but the lady over the phone wouldn't have any of it .. She kept insisting that they were of two different booking classes
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Old Jul 28, 2012, 10:58 pm
  #4  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Singapore / India
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Originally Posted by jeffrysky
Well thanks kiam .. yeah I was confident that the same Business Saver "I" class was used for both awards and upgrades , but the lady over the phone wouldn't have any of it .. She kept insisting that they were of two different booking classes
Jeffry, I had the same experience last May on the JFK-FRA sector.

It's still a mystery too me.
SQueeze is offline  
Old Jul 28, 2012, 11:29 pm
  #5  
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Anyway on a side note ... just to reassure my paranoid self since the entire SQ website is behaving like a druggie in withdrawal ..

Has anyone had issues accruing miles on upgraded Business Saver flights with other *A programs (in my case, A3 M&B) ? I hope they remember to give me my 100% mile entitlement at least, even though the website shows it as "0 Krisflyer miles accruable" !!
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Old Aug 1, 2012, 12:22 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 6
I have just had the same situation arising, but luckily I seemed to get a more helpful operaotr on the KF helpline. I saw that a business class saver redemption seat was available, one way from LHR to SYD in December. Lo and behold it wasn't availale when trying to do the upgrade from Economy on line. I called up and explained the situation and the operator called me back later that day and said he had arranged the upgrade and honoured the 15% online discount. I believe as in most cases with SIA, it always depends on which operator you are lucky enough to get. It may be worth trying again.
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Old Aug 12, 2012, 9:48 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
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SQ 25, 17 Sept 2012. JFK-SIN
I could see business saver redemption for 85,000 miles less 15% discount = 72,250 miles plus USD 303 taxes
The agent said go ahead, book your commercial and then you can ugrade as upgrade is also available.
Once commercial was ticketed, no saver award availability, and I can ungrade using standard award for 85,000 miles.
So the choice is
a) buy commercial for $860 and use 85,000 miles to upgrade and earn 9,300 miles for your paid economy
b) get a saver redemption for 72,250 miles plus $303 in taxes
Still cheaper to go for b)
Apparently after Amadeus was introduced, although both are booked in I bucket, there is a separate quota for saver upgrades which neither the passenger or the agent can see until he goes to upgrade his commercial ticket
SingaporeDon is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2012, 11:45 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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the problem is, upgrading from Economy Full to Business Saver is always subject to availability. It doesn't mean that Business Saver (direct redemption) is available means you will automatically be upgraded from Economy full. Obviously management would want to reserve these business saver seats for people who redeem full miles for that class...that's what i guess.
leogeo is offline  
Old Aug 18, 2012, 6:00 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
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I had the same problem so i asked 5 times for a supervisor and would not get off the phone until she came back with
Oh yes sir we can use the points to upgrade.
just keep at it and you should get your upgrade.
aussielori is offline  
Old Aug 18, 2012, 8:40 pm
  #10  
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many thanks for the replies .. after endless arguments, i reckon a full redemption would be much better (full redemption available on a380,77w v.s. upgrade saver only refurb 772s and a330s)
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Old Aug 2, 2016, 5:18 am
  #11  
 
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bump for this thread. does anyone know whether 4 years later the same practice still happens, that full redemptions and upgrades draw from the same bucket? I'm thinking of whether it makes sense to buy a PY ticket and upgrade with miles. business saver is available but i dont know whether that means upgrade space will be there (my company is paying for the py ticket)
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Old Aug 2, 2016, 12:01 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
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My personal experience (which happened last year) was as follows:
  • I had a "E" class ticket from SIN to ADL purchased via the ticket agent instead of via SQ online
  • SQ online showed that J class Biz Saver Award redemption is available. However, when I tried to perform an upgrade online, only the Standard and Full award (at that time) were available for online upgrade
  • I called KF Membership hotline and they were puzzled initially as their system also howed that upgrade to Biz class saver is wide open
  • After putting me on hold and checking with the supervisor, they informed me that for tickets that are not purchased online, saver upgrade award will not be available online. However, he said he will be able to process offline for me, but there will be no 15% discount.
  • I asked why this is the case. They required that this is how the programme is being structured to encourage people to purchase tickets online from SQ website.

I am not too sure if this is still the case as generally, I will purchase tickets online now if I want to utilize the upgrade saver award.
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Old Aug 3, 2016, 3:13 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Originally Posted by hclee01
[*]SQ online showed that J class Biz Saver Award redemption is available. However, when I tried to perform an upgrade online, only the Standard and Full award (at that time) were available for online upgrade[*]I called KF Membership hotline and they were puzzled initially as their system also howed that upgrade to Biz class saver is wide open[*]After putting me on hold and checking with the supervisor, they informed me that for tickets that are not purchased online, saver upgrade award will not be available online. However, he said he will be able to process offline for me, but there will be no 15% discount.[*]I asked why this is the case. They required that this is how the programme is being structured to encourage people to purchase tickets online from SQ website.[/LIST]
Same experience I had when I tried to do an upgrade for HKG-SIN in May.
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Old Aug 3, 2016, 3:24 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: May 2003
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Originally Posted by hclee01
system also howed that upgrade to Biz class saver is wide open[*]After putting me on hold and checking with the supervisor, they informed me that for tickets that are not purchased online, saver upgrade award will not be available online. However, he said he will be able to process offline for me, but there will be no 15% discount.[*]I asked why this is the case. They required that this is how the programme is being structured to encourage people to purchase tickets online from SQ website.
The explanation you were given is not quite accurate. You can book saver upgrade awards online, but it will not apply the 15% discount unless the original ticket was originally booked online with SQ as well....

Bottom line, unless the original ticket was booked online on the SQ website, just call KF to process an upgrade. There is no advantage to booking the upgrade online, other than potentially time saving to avoid waiting on hold.
lokijuh is offline  
Old Aug 3, 2016, 8:01 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Originally Posted by lokijuh
The explanation you were given is not quite accurate. You can book saver upgrade awards online, but it will not apply the 15% discount unless the original ticket was originally booked online with SQ as well....

Bottom line, unless the original ticket was booked online on the SQ website, just call KF to process an upgrade. There is no advantage to booking the upgrade online, other than potentially time saving to avoid waiting on hold.
Thanks for sharing. Probably the system has changed for now. I recalled early last year when I was trying to do upgrade online on biz saver award, it simply shows as "Not Available" and I can only do upgrade on biz standard award with 15% discount. That's why in the end I had to go through the agent to process the saver award upgrade offline without 15% discount.
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