Plusgrade upgrade vs status benefits
Feb 26, 2015, 2:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 1
Plusgrade upgrade vs status benefits
Just got an email regarding my vx 22 / vx29 sfo-jfk itinerary starting tomorrow from virgin america. Apparently they are partnering with http://plusgrade.com to enable bidding for main cabin select seats.
I have elevate silver status. The one perk that really feels valuable is free upgrades to main cabin select / exit row seats 12 hours before the flight (24 hrs for gold members) based on availability.
Does this plusgrade partnership mark the end of my favorite status benefit? If so, my loyalty to the elevate program will drop significantly. What are your thoughts and experiences with it?
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Here's the email I got 2 hours ago:
Here's what the plusgrade site looks like: 
I have elevate silver status. The one perk that really feels valuable is free upgrades to main cabin select / exit row seats 12 hours before the flight (24 hrs for gold members) based on availability.
Does this plusgrade partnership mark the end of my favorite status benefit? If so, my loyalty to the elevate program will drop significantly. What are your thoughts and experiences with it?
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Here's the email I got 2 hours ago:
Hey 100IDEAS,
Make a move to Main Cabin Select.
It’s time to take it up a notch. Just submit your offer for a chance to be upgraded on your Virgin America flight.
MAKE AN OFFER
Booking Reference: NGQWDO
New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO)
Date: 02 Mar 2015
Flight: VX29
Depart: 18:50
Make a move to Main Cabin Select.
It’s time to take it up a notch. Just submit your offer for a chance to be upgraded on your Virgin America flight.
MAKE AN OFFER
Booking Reference: NGQWDO
New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO)
Date: 02 Mar 2015
Flight: VX29
Depart: 18:50
Feb 26, 2015, 2:45 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LAX
Programs: VX Gold
Posts: 427
The few times I've seen this, the upgrades have seemed rather overpriced -- costing way more than the ones available at T-24. Hopefully this prevents people from getting them via Plusgrade and preserving the status benefits.
Feb 28, 2015, 2:49 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SFO, LON
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, Bonvoy Tit, Hilton Dia etc etc
Posts: 2,354
Seriously? In every other case where I have seen an airline do this type of thing they make them available after upgrading status pax. On VX, which tends to have far fewer status passengers anyway, I would think this would be the case doubly so.
More to the point, if these are really processed before and are "name your price", if 6 seats are available and 6+ people make an offer, where the lowest offer is, say, 10 bucks, the passenger offering 10 bucks gets the seat, always, ahead of a status passenger. Why wouldn't any sane person just put an offer in for 10 bucks on every flight? Then this, yes, will mark the end of the status perk.
More to the point, if these are really processed before and are "name your price", if 6 seats are available and 6+ people make an offer, where the lowest offer is, say, 10 bucks, the passenger offering 10 bucks gets the seat, always, ahead of a status passenger. Why wouldn't any sane person just put an offer in for 10 bucks on every flight? Then this, yes, will mark the end of the status perk.
Feb 28, 2015, 4:52 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LAX
Programs: VX Gold
Posts: 427
They force the lowest offer to be around the price of a T-24 upgrade from MC to MCS.
For instance, on DAL-DCA, the cost to upgrade from MC to MCS is $69. Plusgrade would not let my travelling companion submit an offer less than $60.
And the program definitely isn't available on all flights.
Still obnoxious, IMHO.
For instance, on DAL-DCA, the cost to upgrade from MC to MCS is $69. Plusgrade would not let my travelling companion submit an offer less than $60.
And the program definitely isn't available on all flights.
Still obnoxious, IMHO.