Virgin America upgrades - TIP

Old Aug 7, 2011, 9:47 pm
  #76  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
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I was wondering what would happen if someone were to buy a MC ticket say 5 hrs before the flight would they immediately get an option to upgrade to 1st assuming seats were available?

Thanks
callipygian is offline  
Old Aug 8, 2011, 7:56 am
  #77  
 
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Yes..
cringle is offline  
Old Aug 9, 2011, 7:59 pm
  #78  
 
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Will be fying from LAX to SEA Last minute upgrades chances!

Hi there,

I was ready to book a seat on first class LAX SEA LAX and then i saw this thread.
Does anybody know how busy this route is and if same day upgrades are likely to be granted? Will take the early afternoon flight both ways. Outbound on a Thursday and return on a MOnday.

If i buy a main cabin seat for $109 each way. How much would be the last minute/gate upgrade? I see that the cheapest first class available is $378 right now. Just wondering how much can be saved !!

Thanks
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Old Aug 11, 2011, 8:36 pm
  #79  
 
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How is it I almost always get the last post on the page...? :)

Bump! Anyone able to add insight to the below?

Originally Posted by ttrltb

...I'll be flying VX for the first time, IAD-LAX, and have a question I can't find the answer to: what are the various costs for the IFE? I'm currently debating the upgrade to MCS, under the following rationale...
  • cost: $129 x 2 ppl / 5.5 hr flight = $23.50 per hr, per person (assuming there's no additional tax on upgrade).
  • No benefit on free baggage, as we anticipate traveling with our usual 1 roll aboard, 1 personal item each.
  • When appropriate, I could outdrink a recently-dumped sailor in a country-western bar ...but our flight is approx. 09:00-11:30/14:30 to us, so 0-5 drinks, almost certainly on the lower end of that scale.
  • I'll probably watch one movie, but not likely a 2nd.
  • Pre-boarding is nice, but we're seated in middle of plane & seasoned flyers, so not worried about not getting overhead space.
  • Extra leg room is always nice, but VX already has some of the best coach-class pitch.
  • We're also staying at IAD hotel, so we should still be pretty fresh & relaxed, if not still blissfully semi-conscious, by the time we get to the airport.

Given all this and assuming drinks are $10 (and I have 2), movies are $13, that leaves about $100 to get expedited check-in/boarding and go from a very-good seat to a very, very good seat. Aside from accurate IF fees, what am I missing in the equation?

Thanks!
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Old Sep 1, 2011, 9:25 pm
  #80  
 
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Upgrade prices

Does anyone know how much it would cost to upgrade to First on the SFO - MCO flight in the 6 hour window from a regular coach seat?
RyanG is offline  
Old Sep 7, 2011, 8:42 pm
  #81  
 
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$299 for long haul Main Cabin to First
http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/fees
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Old Dec 1, 2011, 2:42 pm
  #82  
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It seems that the upgrade process has changed with Virgin's new system. Virgin is heavily advertising the paid MC -> MCS during the checkin process starting at T-24. My flight tomorrow LAX-MCO was advertising the $129 upgrade with huge red text and a giant button. There was also a huge spot for the F upgrade button but it was greyed out (presumably because I wasn't within 6 hours yet).

Unfortunately, it seems that there is no longer a way to upgrade without checking in (or if there is, I couldn't find it). If you click on Change Seats before checking in, you can only change seats within the class of service purchased. Trying to select a MCS seat when booked in MC just produces the same "change your flight and pay the fare difference" message that you get before the 24 hour window. Upgrades now seem to only be available through their hard sell flow, which automatically checks you in after confirming your new seat selection and payment details.

I'm not within 6 hours yet, but now that I have upgraded from MC->MCS, I don't think there will be a way for me to upgrade MCS -> F online. I am already checked in and presumably committed to my MCS seats unless I can snag something at the airport. A bummer because I'm willing to pay up to F, but I can't hold out until T-6 and risk not having a premium seat at all.

Anybody with similar experiences or know how I can move up to F before I get to the airport?
baliktad is offline  
Old Dec 5, 2011, 4:59 pm
  #83  
 
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How can I upgrade to First Class?
Published 05/16/2007 11:36 AM | Updated 10/24/2011 07:14 PM
How can I upgrade to First Class?
Prior to 6 hours before departure, you would be required to go through the Change Flight process to make this change. Simply click “Change” on the homepage, enter your last name and confirmation code or ticket number, then click on “Change Flight” and select First Class as your new class of service and pay the difference in fare if applicable.

Beginning 6 hours prior to departure, you can upgrade, if available, when you check-in at the airport or on the web. To upgrade on the web, start the check-in process by inputting the confirmation code or ticket number, and your last name in the “Check-In” section of the home page, and click “Check-In.” Choose the flight you want to check in for. Then, you will see an option to upgrade to First Class if available, at which point you can pay for the upgrade along with any baggage or clubhouse fees. At the airport you may be able to upgrade on the kiosk when you check in or with any counter or gate agent, if available. You may also upgrade onboard the aircraft if a seat is still available with a simple swipe of your credit card. Just ask an in-flight teammate and he or she will direct you to the empty seat, where you can upgrade from the Red touch-screen

If you have already checked in for your flight and then would like to upgrade once the flight is 6 hours from departure, you will not be able to do so on the website or kiosk. Please call the call center or see an airport agent for upgrades. Alternately, if the seats are still available once you are onboard you have the option to upgrade in-flight as noted above.

If you change or cancel your reservation after you’ve made an upgrade, any charges from those actions will relate to the fare rules from your original class of service.

Last edited by SeattleMadrona; Dec 5, 2011 at 5:08 pm Reason: Update
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Old Dec 9, 2011, 2:08 pm
  #84  
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Originally Posted by baliktad
Anybody with similar experiences or know how I can move up to F before I get to the airport?
Similar experience- you won't be allowed to buy an MCS upgrade and then buy an F upgrade online. And given that VX's hold times are stratospheric, I guess your choices are grab MCS and pray F doesn't sell out by the time you're at the airport (and they can do it there), or wait for T-6 and again pray the premium seats don't sell out.

This rigamarole to go through, just to pay VX cash that they want for a product you want to buy is kinda stupid if you ask me, but oh well.
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Old Dec 21, 2011, 12:19 pm
  #85  
 
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Ugh! Have yet to talk to a human about my reservation for splitting it up. MCS Upgrade was not doable in online check-in. For F plenty of seats were available at 24 hours and now just OVER 6 hours in advance and they are all gone and they were expensive. ??? Something is not working right. Still on hold but I doubt anyone will be able to help me. This little experiment in VX was a complete failure. For those newbies reading this and considering booking VX for upcoming flight, don't. I guarantee you will regret it.
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Old Dec 21, 2011, 12:36 pm
  #86  
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Originally Posted by westcoastman
Ugh! Have yet to talk to a human about my reservation for splitting it up. MCS Upgrade was not doable in online check-in. For F plenty of seats were available at 24 hours and now just OVER 6 hours in advance and they are all gone and they were expensive. ??? Something is not working right. Still on hold but I doubt anyone will be able to help me. This little experiment in VX was a complete failure. For those newbies reading this and considering booking VX for upcoming flight, don't. I guarantee you will regret it.
One thing I noticed on my recent VX flight is that in some cases, it appeared the F cabin was fully booked/blocked even when it wasn't. The only way I could see available seats in F was to go through a new purchase flow and select an actual paid F fare. Are there still F tickets for sale?

I would call at T-6 in any case.
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Old Dec 21, 2011, 12:43 pm
  #87  
 
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Originally Posted by baliktad
One thing I noticed on my recent VX flight is that in some cases, it appeared the F cabin was fully booked/blocked even when it wasn't. The only way I could see available seats in F was to go through a new purchase flow and select an actual paid F fare. Are there still F tickets for sale?

I would call at T-6 in any case.
All fares show not available which doesn't make sense either. I called and still on hold and probably will be for hours and now T-6 has come and gone by. Last thing I want to spend my vacation doing it sitting on hold for VX reservations for hours. I think I would just rather not travel at all then deal with this.
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Old Dec 21, 2011, 12:57 pm
  #88  
 
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Got through and told everything was full and other people must have been quicker then me. Really? Over 6 hours in advance. It is really disingenuous how they present this system but don't stick to their own rules. The agent claimed people might have been purchasing a bunch of F at the last minute just before T-6 but that doesn't make sense to me either. They also claim that they never overbook and there were no flight cancellations today.
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Old Dec 22, 2011, 9:02 am
  #89  
 
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I figured out what happened. They offered ALL premium seats in advance through Jan 3, 2012 at a huge discount the day before I was going to travel and try to upgrade.
http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/last-minute-travel
The cost is slightly more to actually less than buying a MC seat in advance and trying to upgrade 24-6 hours before the flight. Of course they were targetting new travelers and not me upgrading the seat so I missed the offer.
Watching the pax sitting in MCS was fascinating. Unlike F the people have specifically paid for all they can eat/drink of the MC offerings. From the time the first cart service starts it's a race to get your money's worth. And on the shorter flights it seems like it is difficult to do (since they only get served once -and only if you request in advance- before the cart finishes the whole Y cabin) and I can see the stress in the eyes of some of those sitting in MCS, while a few others in MCS just relax and realize that it is impossible to eat/drink their money's worth. Fascinating to say the least but seems stressful.
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Old Nov 30, 2013, 7:20 pm
  #90  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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Baggage fees

If anyone still browses this thread...

I'm flying LAX-SFO-PDX in a few weeks and was wondering if I upgrade from MC to MCS on the first leg if my bag would check through to PDX without fees. Since I definitely have to check a bag, I figure $40 for MCS would be a decent value.

What's more, I'd rather upgrade the second leg since it's longer but that sounds too good to be true... But I thought I'd ask anyway.
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